Venture Smith And Gustavus Vassa Analysis

Shai-Dae Alford September 13, 2014
ENG 337-01

Analysis of Venture Smith and Gustavus Vassa

The early training and culture of Venture Smith and Gustavus Vassa prevents their spirits from being broken under the hardships of slavery in Africa, America, and Europe. Inevitably, the slavery paves a way for them both to become abolitionist leaders. After analyzing the autobiography of Venture Smith and Gustavus Vassa, despite what they may have gone through or seen growing up they display the act of surviving through any trial or tribulation at the end. Both Venture Smith and Gustavus Vassa had great lives growing up in Africa. Venture was a son of a prince in Dunkdarra, Guinea. He comes from a family generation of very large, tall, and
stout people. Soon after young Venture’s marvelous life had came to an end because of an invasion that occurred in his country. His life quickly changed from a young freeman to someone’s puppet in a day. Gustavus Vassa had a similar lifestyle in Africa as Venture. The difference between Vassa and Ventures lives in Africa is the way that they abrupt end. Young Vassa and his sister were kidnapped and sold to slave traders. Both African Americans grew up on a culture-based upbringing. Once the two young African American boys were now slaves they had to quickly transform mentally now that they were alone and needed better skills if they wanted to survive. Life in Africa started to become very exasperating and hard working for Venture.
Soon as Venture touchdown at his master’s place he was already employed in the house. He was a vigorious worker since the age of nine. He already had the knowledge of carding wool or pound for bushel ears of corn but, he wanted to learn more for his own being. Suddenly Venture was punished because of a lie his master was told by his son. Since Venture was so “stubborn” while the master was out, he was also punished. The master had suspended Venture from the gallows and lashed him with three dozen whips along his body for an hr. Years in Venture started a little family with a lady named Meg and had a daughter with this lady whom he loved. Eventually he and his family had to part ways because of his poor attempt to escape. Venture now belong to a Hempstead Miner of Stonington. He now became vexed and was being sold left and right. He used this to his advantage by learning a new job on the farms so that he can be handy enough to basically do every job available. By gaining knowledge of the different jobs on the plantation, Venture’s plan was to save enough money by doing these multiple jobs and gain his freedom as well as his family’s
freedom. On the other hand, Equiano’s slavery journey seemed more of a lesson than a torture.
After Equiano gets kidnapped with his sister, overtime the two get separated. Equiano becomes the slave companion to Michael Henry Pascal, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy. Pascal kept Vassa as company to keep, towards his naval endeavors during the Seven Years’ War. During their sailing journey Vassa came across the Christian God and wanted to take in more knowledge about this topic. While their sailing out Lt. Pascal caught onto Vassa eventually wanting freedom, so he sold him to a wealthy king where Vassa traveled along the West Indies. He was relieved with comfort once he heard that he was being sold again because he noticed that blacks were being mistreated with the king. Now he would be along the side of Captain Thomas Farmers through all of his voyages. Whiles is was on these voyages with the captain his previous owner the king had promised to lend Equiano money towards his freedom. At this time Equiano was determined to be free from this point
on. Finally Equiano raised enough money to purchase his freedom like Venture Smith did. He described that moment as the best day of his life. After his freedom was issued he stayed on board and continued to sail along the coast as a paid steward and a sailor. During his sailing time he finally got the time to learn how to read, write and gain knowledge about the Christian religion. In the end, both of the African American males learned and contributed to abolition. After the concept of God’s religion Equiano learned a lesson of morality and religion. As it goes for Venture Smith on the hand, he was a sixty-nine year old happy freedman with his family.