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. Abijah 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. --Vanessa Bush “A moving. . .portrait of a striving family.” - New York Times Book Review “[Mr. & Mrs. Prince] tells more than just a personal story it sheds light on a piece of early American history not often discussed.” - USA Today “Moving, thorough, and intelligent. A rare blend of scholarship and compelling narrative.” - Toni Morrison 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. Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina is the author and editor of several books, including Carrington ; Black London (a New York Times notable book); Black Victorians , Black Victoriana ; Frances Hodgson Burnett ; and others. She is the Kathe Tappe Vernon Professor in Biography at Dartmouth College, where she also chairs the English Department, the first African-American woman to do so in the Ivy League. She has won grants from Fulbright and the National Endowment for Humanities and hosts The Book Show , a nationally syndicated weekly radio program that airs on ninety stations across the country, interviewing current authors of literary fiction, biography, and history. Pre-Civil War African American Families Slavery Pre-Civil War African-American families African-Americans Slave History