Lucy Terry, a devoted wife and mother, was the first known African American poet and Abijah Prince, her husband, was a veteran of the French and Indian wars and an entrepreneur. Former slaves in Deerfield and Northfield, together they became property owners, original settlers of Vermont, along the way raising a family of six and using the courts to assert their rights against those who wanted to take their property. Their lives not only widen our understanding of slavery in New England, but offer the most complete history of a pre-Civil War family known to exist.
Presented by Professor Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina, Dean Commonwealth Honors College, UMass Amherst
The audience is invited to bring a lunch to enjoy during the program.
Free coffee available. Cookies provided courtesy of Big Y.
