In the introduction to the book, the author explains her interest in the history of an 18th-century African American family. She begins her story by standing on her porch and thinking about Prince’s family (Gerzina 2009). Undoubtedly, their history was unusual but not well understood. At the same time, information about their lives could be useful in studying African American families and America in general at that time. That is why Gerzina began her research.
She studied various historical chronicles for a long time and tried to get complete information about this couple’s life. Unfortunately, she did not always succeed in this easily because more than 200 years have passed since their lives. However, Gerzina did not give up in the face of difficulties and continued to study. She knew she had a clear purpose: to understand these people, learn more about their history, and tell others about it.
There were times when Gerzina thought she had found enough information. However, it quickly became clear that this was not the case, and in fact, she still knows almost nothing about these people. On the one hand, this could demotivate her since long and difficult searches were not rewarded with due success. On the other hand, she did not lose interest in this story, so she continued to search.
Gerzina’s husband came to her aid in a search. Surely, together they were more likely to find the data they were looking for: they think differently and could find new approaches to the research. Indeed, this was a good impetus for the work on the study. They made significant progress and were able to learn more about the family of Mr. and Mrs. Prince.
Other people have joined the study. Some wanted to help Gerzina; others were genuinely interested in the history of the African American family. Undoubtedly, the study of their lives is very important for America’s entire history since they were one of its most important parts. African Americans were a distinct part of society. Without them, the other half of society could not function properly.
In the end, Gerzina found enough data to create a complete book. At the same time, it can be called not only a biography: it is a work of art, which is distinguished by its beautiful form and interesting content. Thanks to this, the author attracts a wider audience to the study of history. People need to know about the history of their country, so this move was useful.
One of the most important theses is that such families formed America in the 18th century. They could be called true Americans, and their life is the same as the lives of hundreds of other people. Thanks to this, readers can study all the details of the Americans’ lives of that time. They can understand how people thought, how they felt, and what they were doing. This approach to history also sheds light on politics, in particular concerning people of color. All this helps to compose a complete picture of American society. It does not look like it does in textbooks and history films. Here people seem to be truly alive, they have many everyday worries, but their lives are unique and require careful study. Indeed, this book is one of the most important works that help to study America’s history.
The entire content of the book focuses on the life of the Abijah and Lucy couple. The book is divided into parts, each of which focuses on one of the characters. First, we learn about the life of a slave named Abijah (Gerzina 2009). Undoubtedly, his life was hard enough; nevertheless, he steadfastly coped with difficulties and fought for his rights. In particular, he went to court many times to punish his offenders. He often won trials.
Lucy was a slave who was brought to America when she was 5 or 6 years old. In general, her life was not filled with exceptionally bright events. She was a slave, so she had to focus on her daily duties. However, one of the most important changes in her life is the wedding with Abijah. Undoubtedly, their union has become strong and sincere. They were a truly strong couple, and they complemented each other. Together they were able to fight for their rights and justice for people of color more successfully.
The second half of the book is devoted mainly to the relationship of the couple with others. They go to court to fight offenders. In the past, landowners often violated their rights, so it was necessary to punish them for their cruel behavior. However, not every story has the happiest possible ending. Abijah dies, leaving Lucy alone in a violent world full of racism. Fortunately, they worked out together a strategy to survive and fight the system. She does not lose strength and finds those who can continue their work with her. Black people unite and continue to fight.
As mentioned earlier, Gerzina organized the monograph in a special way. The first part is devoted to Abijah and the peculiarities of his life. This part of the story focuses more on him and his character. Here the author reveals how he developed, tempered, and interacted with the world around him. Indeed, he devoted a lot of time and effort to fighting injustice. He was black, so he was constantly faced with oppression and racism. He wanted to achieve independence and respect from others in any way, so many of his actions were aimed at this. Thus, in this chapter, readers will learn what and how Abijah did to find harmony with the worlds around him and prove his worth.
The second part focuses on Lucy’s life. It begins with her childhood: Lucy was brought to America as a child. From this age, her fate was predetermined: she had to work like a slave all her life. Readers find out how Lucy grew up, learned new things, worked, and communicated with people. After that, the author describes one of Lucy’s most important events: a meeting and wedding with Abijah. They are joining forces in the fight against the surrounding injustice. The couple goes to court together, and undoubtedly, it makes it easier for them. They find kindred souls in each other and, more importantly, kindred destinies. They understand that they have had to go through similar obstacles. This helps them to find support in each other and live together much more productively than in the past.
The third part of the story is about Landowners. The author describes various events related to the landowners’ cruelty and how the main characters fought them. In some ways, this part of the novel is the most historical, as it described typical people in power in the 18th century. Abijah and Lucy fight them diligently. At some point, Lucy herself goes to court and defends her rights. This chapter also describes the last years of Abijah’s life.
The fourth and final chapter is devoted to Sunderland. It describes the negro house. In general, this chapter describes people who were rejected by society based on race, although they were worthy members of society. Thus, the author describes what is happening from four different sides in each part. She describes two main characters’ lives and then shows two opposing sides: white and black people. In this way, readers can most fully imagine their relationship and understand each side.
This book compares in many ways with Wendy Warren’s New England Bound. Warren used a wealth of archival records to describe African American life in the north at the beginning of colonization. In many ways, this book overturns people’s understanding of the slavery of that time (Warren 2016). It contains a huge amount of details previously unknown, which complement and change the understanding of white and people of color’s interaction.
There are differences between the two books described. For example, it is important to note that Warren’s book emphasizes selling native Americans to other countries. This opens up to readers the other side of slavery: it shows people whose lands were conquered and taken away by those who have power. Thanks to this, readers understand the cruelty of colonization better and learn more about the country’s indigenous population. This allows modern people to avoid mistakes of the past and respect those who suffered in those historical periods. Gerzina’s book focuses on black people who were brought to America from other countries. They still constitute a significant part of the US population; therefore, it is necessary to respect and know their culture.
The New England Bound presents a broad picture of the diversity of people of color in America and other colonized states. Gerzina’s book focuses on a particular aspect: the lives of African Americans during this period. Thus, this book does not change but rather deepens the understanding of slavery. Readers can see how strong and wayward some of the slaves were. They fought for justice and their rights to gain independence and live with dignity. Thanks to this, readers think about their relationship to history and representatives of other nations and races.
Novels about slavery, particularly Mr. and Mrs. Prince, allow society to gain a deeper understanding of the past processes. Modern people are learning more about slavery, violence, and injustice. Thanks to this, they avoid it in the present and treat others with respect. The level of respect for ancestors is also increasing: people understand that they fought for their descendants’ future and their dignified existence. Now many people of color can live a full life, but the situation is far from stable everywhere, so it is necessary to continue studying such issues.
References
Gerzina, Gretchen Holbrook. 2009. Mr. and Mrs. Prince: How an Extraordinary Eighteenth-Century Family Moved Out of Slavery and Into Legend. New York: HarperCollins e-books.
Warren, Wendy. 2016. New England Bound: Slavery and Colonization in Early America. New York: Liveright.