This assignment is due on class, Friday, May 18. If you do not submit this assignment, your final grade will drop by 10%. Submit a hard copy in class and also an electronic copy via dropbox at EEE. The paper should be written in Times New Roman 12-size font, double space. You will have to write approximately 1000 words, without counting the sentences quoted from the main source and the Works Cited/Bibliography section at the end. Submit a paper copy to the professor and an electronic copy in the assigned dropbox (by 4pm on the due date) at EEE.
The assignment will encourage you to analyze and compare a primary source (the autobiography of Venture Smith) with secondary sources (Voyages: The Transatlantic Slave Trade Database as well as scholarly readings). In doing so, you will work with a primary account, a digital database, and scholarly writings.
You will be graded on your ability to identify the major themes of the autobiography (paragraphs 3 to 5 in your assignment) and your ability to state in writing the significance of these themes and ideas for the history of the Atlantic Slave Trade.
Collecting information
First you will read an extract written by Venture Smith (1729-1805) about his enslavement in Africa, which is pasted below. You may use an analysis of this narrative in the PDF reading assigned for April 23, Esperanza Brizuela-Garcia and Trevor R. Getz. African Histories: New Sources and New Techniques for Studying African Pasts. Boston: Prentice Hall, 2012, pp. 81-110. For analyzing the autobiography of Venture Smith, use the “6 Cs of Historical Understanding” Download here: 6cs_Primary_Source1 This is the same you did for your previous assignment. Submit this handout alongside with the printout of your paper on May 18.
When reading the extract from Venture Smith, look for the following information: Captain of the slave ship, Year of the voyage, places where slaves were purchased, and the places where the ship arrived. It is helpful to take note of key information, as you are reading the source. This information will help you locate this slave voyage using Voyages: The Transatlantic Slave Trade Database.
Use the webpage www.slavevoyages.org to determine the slave voyage being described in this narrative. From the homepage of the database select “Search the Voyages Database” in the center of the page. Choose among the “Basic Variables” on the left side of the Voyages Database to narrow down your search parameters. When the correct voyage is listed in the Search Results, click on the voyages to received more detailed information –note that the same ship may have conducted several slave voyages in consecutive years.
Once you located the slave voyage in which Venture Smith was, you have to collect the information about this specific slave voyage. What kind of information does the database provide? Do additional searchers in the database to look at how was the slave trade in the African ports and regions from where Venture Smith departed. Look also for the place where he finally disembarked: look at how the slave trade operated in the port at the time that Venture Smith arrived in British North America.
Writing the paper
Title: Just write Assignment 2 and your name
First paragraph: Summarize the information about the slave voyage in which Venture Smith was carried to the Americas. For this you have to look BOTH to Voyages Database and the narrative of Venture Smith. Provide a summary of no more than 200 words of all information available on this slave voyage shown by Voyages Database. What kind of information does the narrative provide? What kind of information does the database provide? In which parts these sources agree/disagree regarding what happened? Where these sources differ, and what is the significance of these differences? Note that in Voyages Database, the information about this specific slave voyage comes from a variety of primary sources, one of which is the autobiography of Venture Smith.
Second Paragraph: Describe the patterns of the transatlantic slave trade in both the broad region where Venture Smith embarked (Gold Coast) and the region in the United States where Venture Smith disembarked (Rhode Island) by using Voyages Database. For this, use the information you gathered from searchers in the database on how was the slave trade in the regions from where Venture Smith departed and arrived. Write no more than 200 words.
Third to fifth paragraphs: Choose three sentences from the autobiography that illustrate major points (what you previously drafted as CONTENTS, COMMUNICATIONS, and CONCLUSIONS in the 6Cs handout). Look for specific extracts of the autobiography supporting major ideas. You have to copy each fragment that you selected (three lines maximum for each fragment), exactly, under inverted commas. Add the author and page number at the end of the quotation.
This time, you SHOULD connect each of these three quotations with one or more of the readings from week 3 to 4. These were the readings focused on slavery in Africa, the process of enslavement, the organization of the traffic from African to European merchants, how to analyze African sources of this traffic, and the effects of this traffic in Africa, among other issues.
After copying each of the three extracts, write a 200-word paragraph below each quotation describing why you find that extract so important. Apart from using the parts drafted from the 6Cs (the handout), you SHOULD connect each extract with secondary sources from week 3 and 4. Add one quotation from a secondary source supporting your point, or a quotation that you want to criticize based on the information provided by the primary source. Do this for each of the three quotations.
Thus, your paper will have five sections: 1) Description of one slave voyage based on both Voyages Database and Venture Smith, 2) Analysis of the patterns of slave trading in Gold Coast and in Rhode Island based on Voyages Database, 3) to 5) Analysis of the autobiography (primary source) supported with the readings of the course (secondary sources).
Use both in-text citations (Smith, 4) and Works Cited/Bibliography section at the end. Here there is a sample of the MLA style to use for the Bibliography (Last Name, First name). Remember to put Voyages Database in the Bibliography.
PRIMARY SOURCE
Venture Smith, A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa: But Resident above Sixty Years in the United States of America. Related by Himself. (New London, Connecticut: C. Holt, 1798). Excerpt from Chapter 1.
NARRATIVE OF LIFE OF VENTURE.
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I WAS born at Dukandarra, in Guinea, about the year 1729. My father’s name was Saungm Furro, Prince of the tribe of Dukandarra. My father had three wives. Polygamy was not uncommon in that country, especially among the rich, as every man was allowed to keep as many wives as he could maintain. By his first wife he had three children. The eldest of them was myself, named by my father, Broteer. The other two were named Cundazo and Soozaduka. My father had two children by his second wife, and one by his third. I descended from a very large, tall and stout race of beings, much larger than the generality of people in other parts of the globe, being commonly considerable above six feet in height, and every way well proportioned.
The first thing worthy of notice which I remember, was a contention between my father and mother, on account of my father marrying his third wife without the consent of his first and eldest, which was contrary to the custom generally observed among my countrymen. In consequence of this rupture, my mother left her husband and country, and travelled away with her three children to the eastward. I was then five years old. She took not the least sustenance along with her, to support either herself or children. I was able to travel along by her side; the other two of her offspring she carried, one on her back, the other, being a sucking child, in her arms. When we
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became hungry, our mother used to set us down on the ground and gather some of the fruits that grew spontaneously in that climate. These served us for food on the way. At night we all lay down together in the most secure place we could find and reposed ourselves until morning. Though there were many noxious animals there, yet so kind was our Almighty protector that none of them were ever permitted to hurt or molest us.
Thus we went on our journey until the second day after our departure from Dukandarra, when we came to the entrance of a great desert. During our travel in that, we were often affrighted with the doleful howlings and yellings of wolves, lions and other animals. After five days travel we came to the end of this desert, and immediately entered into a beautiful and extensive interval country. Here my mother was pleased to stop and seek a refuge for me. She left me at the house of a very rich farmer. I was then, as I should judge, not less than one hundred and forty miles from my native place, separated from all my relatives and acquaintances. At this place, my mother took her farewell of me and set out for her own country. My new guardian, as I shall call the man with whom I was left, put me into the business of tending sheep immediately after I was left with him. The flock, which I kept with the assistance of a boy, consisted of about forty. We drove them every morning between two and three miles to pasture, into the wide and delightful plains. When night drew on, we drove them home and secured them in the cote. In this round I continued during my stay here. One incident which befel me when I was driving my flock from pasture, was so dreadful to me at that age, and is to this time so fresh in my memory, that I cannot help noticing it in this place. Two large dogs sallied out of a certain house and set upon me. One of them took me by the arm and the other by the thigh, and before their master could come and relieve me, they lacerated my flesh to such a degree that the scars are very visible to the present day. My master was immediately sent for. He came and carried me home, as I was unable to go myself on account of my wounds. Nothing remarkable happened afterwards until my father sent for me to return home.
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Before I dismiss this country, I must first inform my reader what I remember concerning this place. A large river runs through this country in a westerly course. The land for a great way on each side is flat and level, hedged in by a considerable rise in the country at a great distance from it. It scarce ever rains there, yet the land is fertile; great dews fall in the night which refresh the soil. About the latter end of June or first of July, the river begins to rise, and gradually increases until it has inundated the country for a great distance, to the height of seven or eight feet. This brings on a slime which enriches the land surprisingly. When the river has subsided, the natives begin to sow and plant, and the vegetation is exceeding rapid. Near this rich river my guardian’s land lay. He possessed, I cannot exactly tell how much, yet this I am certain of respecting it, that he owned an immense tract. He possessed likewise a great many cattle and goats. During my stay with him I was kindly used, and with as much tenderness, for what I saw, as his only son, although I was an entire stranger to him, remote from friends and relatives. The principal occupations of the inhabitants there were the cultivation of the soil and the care of their flocks. They were a people pretty similar in every respect to that of mine, except in their persons, which were not so tall and stout. They appeared to be very kind and friendly. I will now return to my departure from that place.
My father sent a man and horse after me. After settling with my guardian for keeping me, he took me away and went for home. It was then about one year since my mother brought me here. Nothing remarkable occurred to us on our journey until we arrived safe home. I found then that the difference between my parents had been made up previous to their sending for me. On my return, I was received both by my father and mother with great joy and affection, and was once more restored to my paternal dwelling in peace and happiness. I was then about six years old.
Not more than six weeks had passed after my return, before a message was brought by an inhabitant of the place where I lived the preceding year to my father, that that place had been invaded
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by a numerous army, from a nation not far distant, furnished with musical instruments, and all kinds of arms then in use; that they were instigated by some white nation who equipped and sent them to subdue and possess the country; that his nation had made no preparation for war, having been for a long time in profound peace; that they could not defend themselves against such a formidable train of invaders, and must, therefore, necessarily evacuate their lands to the fierce enemy, and fly to the protection of some chief; and that if he would permit them they would come under his rule and protection when they had to retreat from their own possessions. He was a kind and merciful prince, and therefore consented to these proposals.
He had scarcely returned to his nation with the message before the whole of his people were obliged to retreat from their country and come to my father’s dominions. He gave them every privilege and all the protection his government could afford. But they had not been there longer than four days before news came to them that the invaders had laid waste their country, and were coming speedily to destroy them in my father’s territories. This affrighted them, and therefore they immediately pushed off to the southward, into the unknown countries there, and were never more heard of.
Two days after their retreat, the report turned out to be but too true. A detachment from the enemy came to my father and informed him that the whole army was encamped not far from his dominions, and would invade the territory and deprive his people of their liberties and rights, if he did not comply with the following terms. These were, to pay them a large sum, of money, three hundred fat cattle, and a great number of goats, sheep, asses, etc.
My father told the messenger he would comply rather than that his subjects should be deprived of their rights and privileges, which he was not then in circumstances to defend from so sudden an invasion. Upon turning out those articles, the enemy pledged their faith and honor that they would not attack him. On these he relied, and therefore thought it unnecessary
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to be on his guard against the enemy. But their pledges of faith and honor proved no better than those of other unprincipled hostile nations, for a few days after, a certain relation of the king came and informed him that the enemy who sent terms of accommodation to him, and received tribute to their satisfaction, yet meditated an attack upon his subjects by surprise, and that probably they would commence their attack in less than one day, and concluded with advising him, as he was not prepared for war, to order a speedy retreat of his family and subjects. He complied with this advice.
The same night which was fixed upon to retreat, my father and his family set off about the break of day. The king and his two younger wives went in one company, and my mother and her children in another. We left our dwellings in succession, and my father’s company went on first. We directed our course for a large shrub plain, some distance off, where we intended to conceal ourselves from the approaching enemy, until we could refresh ourselves a little. But we presently found that our retreat was not secure. For having struck up a little fire for the purpose of cooking victuals, the enemy, who happened to be encamped a little distance off, had sent out a scouting party who discovered us by the smoke of the fire, just as we were extinguishing it and about to eat. As soon as we had finished eating, my father discovered the party and immediately began to discharge arrows at them. This was what I first saw, and it alarmed both me and the women, who, being unable to make any resistance, immediately betook ourselves to the tall, thick reeds not far off, and left the old king to fight alone. For some time I beheld him from the reeds defending himself with great courage and firmness, till at last he was obliged to surrender himself into their hands.
They then came to us in the reeds, and the very first salute I had from them was a violent blow on the head with the fore part of a gun, and at the same time a grasp round the neck. I then had a rope put about my neck, as had all the women in the thicket with me, and were immediately led to my father, who was likewise pinioned and haltered for leading. In this condition
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we were all led to the camp. The women and myself, being submissive, had tolerable treatment from the enemy, while my father was closely interrogated respecting his money, which they knew he must have. But as he gave them no account of it, he was instantly cut and pounded on his body with great inhumanity, that he might be induced by the torture he suffered to make the discovery. All this availed not in the least to make him give up his money, but he despised all the tortures which they inflicted, until the continued exercise and increase of torment obliged him to sink and expire. He thus died without informing his enemies where his money lay. I saw him while he was thus tortured to death. The shocking scene is to this day fresh in my memory, and I have often been overcome while thinking on it. He was a man of remarkable stature. I should judge as much as six feet and six or seven inches high, two feet across the shoulders, and every way well proportioned. He was a man of remarkable strength and resolution, affable, kind and gentle, ruling with equity and moderation.
The army of the enemy was large, I should suppose consisting of about six thousand men. Their leader was called Baukurre. After destroying the old prince, they decamped and immediately marched towards the sea, lying to the west, taking with them myself and the women prisoners. In the march, a scouting party was detached from the main army. To the leader of this party I was made waiter, having to carry his gun, etc. As we were a scouting, we came across a herd of fat cattle consisting of about thirty in number. These we set upon and immediately wrested from their keepers, and afterwards converted them into food for the army. The enemy had remarkable success in destroying the country wherever they went. For as far as they had penetrated they laid the habitations waste and captured the people. The distance they had now brought me was about four hundred miles. All the march I had very hard tasks imposed on me, which I must perform on pain of punishment. I was obliged to carry on my head a large flat stone used for grinding our corn, weighing, as I should suppose, as much as twenty-five pounds; besides victuals, mat and cooking utensils. Though I
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was pretty large and stout of my age, yet these burdens were very grievous to me, being only six years and a half old.
We were then come to a place called Malagasco. When we entered the place, we could not see the least appearance of either houses or inhabitants, but on stricter search found that instead of houses above ground they had dens in the sides of hillocks, contiguous to ponds and streams of water. In these we perceived they had all hid themselves, as I suppose they usually did on such occasions. In order to compel them to surrender, the enemy contrived to smoke them out with faggots. These they put to the entrance of the caves and set them on fire. While they were engaged in this business, to their great surprise some of them were desperately wounded with arrows which fell from above on them. This mystery they soon found out. They perceived that the enemy discharged these arrows through holes on the top of the dens directly into the air. Their weight brought them back, point downwards, on their enemies heads, whilst they were smoking the inhabitants out. The points of their arrows were poisoned, but their enemy had an antidote for it which they instantly applied to the wounded part. The smoke at last obliged the people to give themselves up. They came out of their caves, first spatting the palms of their hands together, and immediately after extended their arms, crossed at their wrists ready to be bound and pinioned. I should judge that the dens above mentioned were extended about eight feet horizontally into the earth, six feet in height, and as many wide. They were arched overhead and lined with earth, which was of the clay kind and made the surface of their walls firm and smooth.
The invaders then pinioned the prisoners of all ages and sexes indiscriminately, took their flocks and all their effects, and moved on their way towards the sea. On the march, the prisoners were treated with clemency, on account of their being submissive and humble. Having come to the next tribe, the enemy laid siege and immediately took men, women, children, flocks, and all their valuable effects. They then went on to the next district, which was contiguous to the sea, called in Africa,
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Anamaboo. The enemies’ provisions were then almost spent, as well as their strength. The inhabitants, knowing what conduct they had pursued, and what were their present intentions, improved the favorable opportunity, attacked them, and took enemy, prisoners, flocks and all their effects. I was then taken a second time. All of us were then put into the castle and kept for market. On a certain time, I and other prisoners were put on board a canoe, under our master, and rowed away to a vessel belonging to Rhode Island, commanded by Captain Collingwood, and the mate, Thomas Mumford. While we were going to the vessel, our master told us to appear to the best possible advantage for sale. I was bought on board by one Robertson Mumford, steward of said vessel, for four gallons of rum and a piece of calico, and called VENTURE, on account of his having purchased me with his own private venture. Thus I came by my name. All the slaves that were bought for that vessel’s cargo were two hundred and sixty.
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CHAPTER II.
AFTER all the business was ended on the coast of Africa, the ship sailed from thence to Barbadoes. After an ordinary passage, except great mortality by the small pox, which broke out on board, we arrived at the island of Barbadoes; but when we reached it, there were found, out of the two hundred and sixty that sailed from Africa, not more than two hundred alive. These were all sold, except myself and three more, to the planters there.
The vessel then sailed for Rhode Island, and arrived there after a comfortable passage. Here my master sent me to live with one of his sisters until he could carry me to Fisher’s Island, the place of his residence. I had then completed my eighth year. After staying with his sister some time, I was taken to my master’s place to live.