Making Freedom - The Life of Venture Smith: In His Own Voice
The exhibit uses quotes from Venture's own Narrative, supported by text and illustrations, to tell the story of his life.
At the top of each panel is a quote by Venture, in italics, charcoal color, and quote marks. The text in sepia was written by contributors to the Documenting Venture Smith Project.
The exhibit, in an abbreviated form, was launched at the reception for the descendants of Venture Smith and the Congressional Black Caucus, on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, in February 2011. Since then, several versions have been displayed at the Museum of Connecticut History, Hartford, Connecticut; Hull History Center, Hull, UK; Marcus Garvey Library, London, UK; Annamaboe Fort, Ghana; Accra, Ghana; University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana. Simsbury, CT.
This exhibit was redesigned to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Venture Smith’s regaining his freedom in the Spring of 1765. It was featured at the Hartford Public Library, Hartford Connecticut, October 2015 through February 2016 ( http://www.c-span.org/video/?329487-1/venture-smith ), and at the Torrington Historical Society, Torrington, Connecticut, for Black History Month, February 2016. A new version with audio and videos will be launched in Fall 2021.
