Mystic in Stonington in Southeastern Region, Connecticut — The American Northeast (New England)
Venture Smith, 1730 - 1805
The Sea Connects Us
| | Mystic Seaport Museum | |
"The water brought us here: the water will take us home" - Ebo Tribesman
West Africa is the home of ancient maritime traditions. West Africans built and used boats for fishing, transportation, trade, racing, and ceremonial use. Stonington, CT, resident Venture Smith, born with the name Borteer Furro to a prince in Guinea around 1729, would have been a part of this tradition even prior to his enslavement as a child. Venture Smith is an example of the double-edged nature of maritime culturehe was enslaved during a tribal war and was brought across the Atlantic to the British colonies, and he later worked in maritime trade and used money he earned from whaling, fishing, and boat rentals to purchase his freedom and the freedom of his family. He purchased land in East Haddam, CT, where he built several houses and was one of the earliest African American mariners to leave a first-person account of their life.
Erected 2022 by Mystic Seaport Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1729.
Location. 41° 21.774′ N, 71° 57.813′ W.
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Regionally, this marker is on the Connecticut Shoreline, in Greater New London, in Mystic and the Eastern Shore, and in the Thames River Valley. It is also in the American Northeast and in New England. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New London County and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Tsunami Boat from Japan (a few steps from this marker); Tango (within shouting distance of this marker); Bower Anchor (within shouting distance of this marker); Matthew Henson, 1866 - 1955 (within shouting distance of this marker); Thomas S. Greenman House (within shouting distance of this marker); Mystic Seaport Museum First Building (within shouting distance of this marker); An Aquinnah Wampanoag History of a Whaling Ancestor (within shouting distance of this marker); U99.9 H-1 Unlimited Hydroplane (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Stonington.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 157 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 28, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
