Fortune (American slave) facts for kids
Fortune (born around 1743 – died 1798) was an African-American man who was enslaved. He became well-known long after his death. This happened when his skeleton was moved from a museum storage room to a special state funeral.
Fortune's Life
During the 1700s in America, laws allowed people to own other people. Fortune, his wife Dinah, and their four children were owned by Dr. Preserved Porter. Dr. Porter was a doctor who lived in Waterbury, Connecticut. Fortune owned the house where his family lived. This house was on Dr. Porter's land, just outside of town.
Fortune's Skeleton
In 1798, Fortune accidentally drowned in the Naugatuck River. After his death, Dr. Porter studied Fortune's body. He preserved Fortune's skeleton for learning about the human body. Dr. Porter then started a "School for Anatomy." Fortune's skeleton was used for teaching at this school.
Many years later, in 1910, Fortune's skeleton was found. It was in a hidden closet in the old Porter family house. The Porter family kept Fortune's remains for a long time. Later, they gave the skeleton to the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury. The museum displayed the skeleton until the 1970s. After that, it was put away in storage.
In 1999, the museum received national attention. News stories shared the discovery of Fortune's skeleton. At first, the skeleton was called "Larry" because that name was written on its skull. But later, a group called the African-American Historic Project Committee investigated. They found out the skeleton truly belonged to Fortune.
Museum Exhibit
After learning the skeleton was Fortune's, the museum created a special exhibit. It was called "Fortune's Story: Larry's Legacy." This exhibit shared details about the lives of African-American enslaved people in the early 1800s. A poem called The Manumission Requiem by poet Laureate Marilyn Nelson was also displayed. It honored Fortune's life.
Fortune's actual bones were not shown in the exhibit. This was done out of respect for him. However, scientists studied his bones to learn more about his life.
Special Burial
On September 12, 2013, Fortune's remains were moved to the Connecticut State Capitol. His skeleton was placed there for people to honor him. Then, state police escorted his remains to St. John's Episcopal Church on the Green. This was the church in Waterbury where Fortune was baptized in 1797.
Afterward, a funeral was held for Fortune. He was then buried in the city's Riverside Cemetery.
