At the close of that year I was sold to a Thomas Stanton, and had to be separated from my wife and one
daughter, who was about one month old. He resided at Stonington-point. To this place I brought with me from
my late master's, two johannes, three old Spanish dollars, and two thousand of coppers, besides five pounds
of my wife's money. This money I got by cleaning gentlemen's shoes and drawing boots, by catching musk-
rats and minks, raising potatoes and carrots, etc., and by fishing in the night, and at odd spells.
-A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, A Native of Africa,
Venture Smith
Olaudah Equiano and Venture Smith were brought to North America because they
O had no desire to marry or to have children and thus were considered ideal plantation workers.
O were wanted for work on plantations, and enslaving them was cheaper than making them indentured.
O could be given arms to help plantation owners keep their indentured servants from revolting.
o could be put to work after their short and relatively easy journey across the Atlantic.