Mr. and Mrs. Prince: How an Extraordinary Eighteenth-Century Family Moved Out of Slavery and into Legend

by Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina

Merging comprehensive research and grand storytelling, Mr. and Mrs. Prince reveals the true story of a remarkable pre-Civil War African-American family, as well as the challenges that faced African-Americans who lived in the North versus the slaves who lived in the South. Both accomplished people, Lucy Terry was a devoted wife and mother, and the first known African-American poet. Abijah Prince, her husband, was a veteran of the French and Indian Wars and an entrepreneur. Together they pursued what would become the cornerstone of the American dream—having a family and owning property where they could live, grow, and prosper. Owning land in both Vermont and Massachusetts, they were well on their way to settling in when bigoted neighbors tried to run them off. Rather than fleeing, they asserted their rights, as they would do many times, in court. Here is a story that not only demonstrates the contours of slavery in New England but also unravels the most complete history of a pre-Civil War black family known to exist. Illuminating and inspiring, Mr. and Mrs. Prince uncovers the lives of those who could have been forgotten and brings to light a history that's intrigued but eluded many until now.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, American History, African American, School

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 22, 2008

About the author

Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina is Paul Murray Kendall Professor of Biography and Professor of English at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst. She is the author of Frances Hodgson Burnett: The Unexpected Life of the Author of The Secret Garden (2004).

Reviews

[Tim Weed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely fascinating, highly readable historical narrative about a black family in eighteenth century Vermont and western Massachusetts. The story of Bijah, Lucy, and their children is unforgettable, both inspiring and sad. I learned a great deal, not only about the deep history of the part of the world in which I live, but also about some of the surprising and previously hidden truths about slavery, freedom, racism, progressivism, and community in early New England. This beautiful and enriching book gets my highest recommendation.

[Rebecca Elias · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an autobiography/biography about a couple who research information about the Princes--a black couple who defied odds by emerging from slavery and became landowners in the 18th century. I picked this book to read because I wanted to read about the Princes--however half the book is devoted to a present day couple who is researching them. While some parts of this are helpful to the story (the lack of recorded history on black culture in New England is astounding) I didn't want to read about a couple digging through libraries. The part about the Princes however is wonderfully interesting and informative.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the lives of both slaves and free black people living in New England before the Civil War. Not only does the book meticulously document the lives of two particular slaves who gained their freedom, but it also traces the research that was involved in verifying the stories of these two extraordinary people. Lucy Terry was the first known African American poet, and her husband Abijah Prince was a shrewd businessman and farmer who fought in the French and Indian Wars. Though these two had been written about at an earlier period, Gerzina and her husband did extensive research to see whether the facts about them were accurate. They found new material which contradicted earlier stories, but in no way diminished the strength and courage of the two.

[Janine Treannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely a different kind of read for myself as this story is mainly about the Prince family and takes place or at least the findings take place around the 1700 and 1800's.

It was a bit hard to follow, but not too bad. The book is about both the journey of the author Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina and her husband Anthony as they track down different findings about Abijah Prince and his wife Lucy Terry. Gretchen and Anthony's journey seems like they worked long and hard putting in many hours in researching this family along with entering some highly secured areas in order to do this research.

Their research gives maybe a bit more insight into Abijah Prince who was quite the clever man and entrepreneur of his time while his wife Lucy Terry was quite the well known women and had a way with words, knowing exactly how to use them, she also had an interest in poetry. Both of them were at one point slaves in the Vermont area, had accomplished their freedom, had several children, fought through French and Indian wars and accomplished in acquiring his own land, but not without hardships, doing most of their fighting against others before a juried court that seemed to last literally their whole lifetime.

I would say this is definitely quite the interesting read.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gerzina creates parallel stories in Mr. and Mr. Prince: the Princes whose lives demonstrate the paradoxes of Black people living in New England freed, owning land, resisting racism, and using laws to thrive on their terms; and the researchers whose primary goal was to tell the story of this amazing couple.
This book reminds readers to resist the lure of a single story (see Adichie's Ted Talk about the danger of a single story). There is so much to learn by seeking the range of stories about BIPOC. This book chronicles steps taken to broaden knowledge about people whose many ways of living have often been reduced to one narrative.

[Jo-Ann Leake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this extraordinary story of a couple, African American, who were surviving and thriving in an unlikely locale - 18th century slave holding pre Revolutionary War New England. I was not aware of the legendary report of the Prince couple, so I was not disappointed at any myths or legends to be dispelled. After all, the REAL story itself is far more meaningful to me as true lived experience. I was takne by the dedication of the author and her husband in this joint venture that impacted their own lives in unexpected ways. Highly recommended.

[Laura Rader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non-Fiction that Reads Like a Historical Romance Novel

The story of Abijah Prince and Lucy Terry is remarkable. Enslaved people who fought for their freedom, fought for each other, fought for their land, and whose children fought for their country. Very well-researched and told in a very accessible and charming style, you will grow very fond of this family and their lives from 1700 to 1800.

[Frances Supernaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

More about the art of the research, than the actual history of the blacks in pre revolutionary New England. Found it somewhat dull at times, interesting that this was very local History. Read for my local Book Club.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

My interest was in Lucy Terry, Kidnapped from West Africa as an infant, Poet and skilled orator, known as the author of the first poem composed by an African American Woman. Reading this historical account was inspiring. Another remarkable, courageous African woman.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting study of one formerly enslaved northern family as well as the author's experience trying to uncover the story of the Prince's.

[Olivia Klump · Rating 2 out of 5]

interesting but this was something i had to read for my history class

[Doug Nordby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing story of an African American family in New England before and after the revolutionary war.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting story with local interest. Role of blacks in 18th century New England, how to do historical research, etc. I learned a lot and enjoyed it.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but sometimes too detailed.

[Alex Kuschel · Rating 4 out of 5]

7

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a judge-a-book-by-its-cover girl, and this one did really well on that front. Unfortunately, I didn't feel that the text of the book lived up to the promise of the cover.

Abijah Prince was born a slave in 1706, the same year as Benjamin Franklin, but in very different circumstances. He married a slave named Lucy Terry, who had been brought to America when she was five or six. They lived in Vermont and Massachusetts, areas that we have learned to think of as abolitionist country. Although they faced some of the same racism they would have faced in the south, they did have more options for recourse, and they made the most of them: Bijah and Lucy took their hecklers and attackers to court, multiple times, often winning.

Mr. and Mrs. Prince do have an interesting story, but I didn't feel emotionally attached to them throughout the story. In addition, I was frustrated by missing details: Why was Bijah freed? Did he buy Lucy's freedom? If so, when and for how much? I felt like Gerzina ignored important details, but in some cases, she made assumptions based on what I considered pretty minimal information. I marked the most egregious case: When she is discussing what reasons Bijah and Lucy's neighbor and tormentor, Noyes, might have for his behavior towards the Princes, Gerzina explains that "We weren't able to locate any African American slaves in the Noyes family but did discover that Noyes's grandfather 'owned' at least one Indian. The sight of free blacks working such fine land must have been too much for a man who saw the subjugation of people of color as perfectly natural." Now, I think it's impossible to say with certainty that Noyes had some other reason for attacking the Princes and destroying their property, but I think she makes some major leaps in her reasoning here.

In summary: Interesting information clearly drawn from a lot of detailed research, but I think it could have been written better.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sorry that I read this history of an early American and Vermont family, who were black and at one time slaves, but it was somewhat unsatisfactory. There are some holes in the story of the lives of Bijah and Lucy Prince. Much of their stories, especially Bijah's, took place in Deerfield, Massachusetts. What is interesting to me was a suggestion of the differences between slavery in New England and slavery in the South. That to me would be a better book with the Princes as historical figures that would show the differences. I did like Lucy Prince's ability and courage to seek redress for wrongs done to her family, especially when the family moved to Guilford, Vermont. I felt the author inserted herself and her husband (her main researchers) too much into the narrative.

"We imagine him [Festus Prince, Civil War veteran] telling when his great-grandfather was born; that his great-grandfather joined forces with an African woman and that they rose from slavery to raise a proud and free family, teaching them to use American laws and traditions to protect their rights; that they had a hand and a voice in shaping a powerful nation, from the French and Indian Wars through the American Revolution, in which his great-grandfather, grandfather, and great-uncle fought; that his grandfather Festus was a natural musician who could play any instrument he picked up, and that his great-aunt Cill was a poet like her mother; that this family carried on to a fourth generation, his generation, through the Civil War, and looked forward into a world that would see World War I and the Jazz Ag; that they all died respected by the white and black people around them. How many families, we hope he asks as he casts his eye around at his listeners, can say that? (201)

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first heard about this fascinating biography because my late friend Peg Drew had it on her Goodreads “to read” list. I’m sorry she didn’t get a chance to read it. Abijah Prince and Lucy Terry were slaves in Deerfield, Massachusetts who eventually became free, , married, and raised a family of four sons and two daughters in various towns in western Massachusetts and Vermont in the 18th century. Although slavery in New England differed in several ways from slavery in the south, and slaves were often called servants, these black people were still slaves, and could be bought and sold, or separated from other family members. I had no idea that slavery was so prevalent in New England. Gerzina, a professor of biography and head of the English department at Dartmouth and the daughter of a white mother and black father, was surprised to find part way into her prodigious research that her mother was a descendant of the family who had owned Abijah. Lucy was the first known African-American poet, who knew how to stand up for her rights and who defended their family’s rights before the Vermont Supreme Court when white neighbors tried to run them off their land. Abijah had fought in the French and Indian war and was an entrepreneur. He started a business ferrying workmen, animals and supplies across the Connecticut River, and later ran a small store. They were truly a remarkable family and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them.

[CKE387 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting story of two former slaves living in pre-Civil War New England. Abijah and Lucy Prince "rose from slavery to raise a proud and free family, teaching them to use American laws and traditions to protect their rights." Even using the courts to ascert their rights and protect their property. Abijah Prince "was a clever and entreprenurial man who got his lands through ingenuity, relationships, and hard work." He even had his name on maps "Abijah's Brook" in Deerfield, Massacusetts. They owned land in Northfield, Massachusetts; Sunderland, Vermont and Guilford, Vermont. They registered their children's birth records as proof of being born free. It was interesting to see the research process of investigating historical records and the problems that researchers come across: "We have so little on African American history" - 'a strange thing happens when you tell some librarians and archivists that you are looking for an African American. Tey hear that phrase and cannot go past it, separating out black and white Americans histories as though they are not interconnected.'

[Ice · Rating 4 out of 5]

bijah and Lucy Prince defied all the conventions of their pre–Civil War era by buying themselves out of slavery and going on to become landowners and influential members of their communities in Vermont and Massachusetts. He was a veteran of the Revolutionary War; she was the first published African American poet; both were skilled entrepreneurs who faced down every challenge to their efforts. They stood up to those who tried to force them off their land, mounting court challenges and taking full advantage of their rights.

Historian Gerzina intersperses their story—one of devotion and determination—with her own obvious love of genealogy and research. In the course of her work, aided by her husband, who became captivated and competitive in finding defining resources, Gerzina discovered a connection between her mixed-race family and the Princes. She is meticulous and joyous in this look at the Princes and the social and political landscape of enslaved and free black communities in New England.

[Kaelee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book left me confused in my thoughts but overall satisfied. I had gone into this book thinking that it was going to be the most boring thing on the planet but I was pleasantly surprised when I came upon parts where I was utterly enraptured with the setting and the people. There were a lot of boring parts but the amazing writing style got me through those. At the end I found myself liking this book when I thought I would hate it, at the end the Prince family was dear to me as I had gotten to know each of them as well as I could in book form, this book made me want to have known them or be related to such strong people in any way. I could tell the author had her life spun around many a time trying to track down the price's history and that showed in the writing of this novel and added to its greatness. While it may not be my favorite book I certainly enjoyed it more than I believed I would and that gives it major props. I am confused of my feelings for it though but all I know is that it was good and that I would, if given the chance, pick it up again.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really interesting read. Most of us, myself included, are only familiar with the slavery of the south. This book paints a picture of northern slavery, which had some pretty stark contrasts. It also paints a picture of two strong people who were able to gain their freedom, to live independent lives and to become such respected members of society that legends formed around them. The only critism I have of this book is that the author spent a bit too much time describing what she learned about others that lived at the same time as Abijah and Lucy Prince. On one hand the tangents created a richer picture, but on the other they sometimes made it difficult to keep track of what was actually happening to the Prince family. Overall, definitely worth a read.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a very inspiring book. Before reading it I thought it would be more of a historical fiction and was a little put off in the beginning because it wasn't what I was looking forward to but it quickly became one of those books I couldn't put down or stop thinking about. I really liked all the information about slavery in their area, being from the South when I think of slavery everything I know about the Southern plantations come to mind, it was enlightening to see another side of it. I felt an instant connection to Lucy and Abijah Prince, just knowing about them makes me smile. This book also inspired me to began researching my own family tree & in doing so often think about the author. I truly enjoyed this read.

[Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was as interesting as promised. It is the story of a slave man in pre- to post-revolutionary New England. The story follows the man as he gains his freedom, gains the freedom of a woman he loves, and their family. It is a very interesting story in that it tells a part of America's slave history that I'm not familiar with. Also, the author does a good job of making it interesting, although I did get annoyed at the random interjections of people they would have known. "Bessy, the girl who lived down the street's aunt who visited town every Christmas was a nice lady." Really? Is it that important or are you just showing off about the level or research you did?

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending of this book made me cry. Of course, I'm the guy who cried over Watership Down, so it might not really prove much here.

Seriously, this is a moving story about two former slaves who made a life for themselves and their children in colonial New England. They did their best to maintain their dignity; they asked (and got) from society no more than was their due as human beings.

It is also a lovely tale of a husband and wife who researched the story, making old account books and ledgers come to life and tell the story of Mr. and Mrs Prince.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting view into what life was like for free African Americans in New England in the late 18th century. Land disputes and other legal troubles kept the paper trail alive for Gerzina as she followed the Prince family's history. I've read a lot of African American history about life as slaves and life after slavery ended and Jim Crow and other issues began. But this is the first historical look I've found about African American families in the north and the difference that existed because of living above the Mason-Dixon line.

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually such a history book but this true story of trying to discover the true story of a black couple in VT around the revolutionary war was very interesting. How he gained his freedom (deduced) and purchased his wife's freedom. How they got land, worked it, had children. Fought legal battles. All deduced or discovered from 4 years of combing the records of various libraries and historic societies. How the reality of barter and record keeping around that provided clues as to their lives and actions.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating story of an African-American family in 18th century New England. Important reminder of the Yankee role in slavery and the way continued racism distorts narratives about African Americans. However, the book is as much about the author's research as it is about the Prince family, a style I found alternately interesting and frustrating.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The meticulously reconstructed story of Abijah and Lucy Prince, once slaves in Massachusetts, eventually freed. The story itself I found interesting, rather than captivating, but the detailed research and many years' effort the authors put into assembling the story of these two persons and the family they raised is quite astonishing.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a girl from New England, it is always fascinating to read of places I have been, but from long ago. This book takes an interesting and historical look at a black couple in Revolutionary-era New England, and tries to take a part a legend I had never heard of. Fascinating life, the Princes had. Gerzina is a solid writer, and doesn't bog the reader down.