Making Freedom: The Extraordinary Life of Venture Smith (Garnet Books)
Born to a noble African family, Venture Smith was captured and sold into slavery. Purchased by a wealthy family in New England, Smith immediately began to work to better his lot. He survived turbulent pre-Revolutionary New England and earned freedom for himself and his growing family. He went on to prosper in a tragically unjust time, and his detailed memoirs, recorded by a schoolteacher (he never learned to write) provide a surprisingly in-depth look at an often glossed-over part of American history, slavery in the North. In this book, historian Saint and journalist Krimsky go through the original 32-page memoir, commissioned by Smith in old age, providing a meticulously researched account of the man and his times. History buffs will be fascinated, particularly American history nuts far more familiar with stories of Southern slavery. Though it may leave readers wishing for more, Saint and Krimsky's brief, accessible history ends with a rich collection of research material, including a reproduction of Smith's original manuscript.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.