Richard Smith

Richard Smith is the enigmatic protagonist of the novel. Smith arrives in New-York in 1746, traveling from his home country of England. He bears a bill worth 1,000 English pounds that he bought from a shipping company, and he wishes to redeem the bill with the New-York company to whom it is charged. While the company investigates the bill's authenticity, Smith must survive in the unfamiliar town, navigating the complicated interests of its denizens.

Smith is highly secretive throughout the novel. Despite the burning curiosity of the residents of New-York, Smith refuses to tell anyone why he is in New-York or what he plans to do with his money once the bill he carries is paid. At the end of the novel, it is revealed to the reader that Smith is actually a biracial man passing for Caucasian. He uses his money to buy slaves and deliver them to...