Poet Lucy Terry Prince was born in West Africa in the early half of the 18th century. Captured by slave traders when she was a young girl, she was brought to America and eventually became a part of the Wells household in Deerfield, Massachusetts. In 1746, Prince composed the poem “Bars Fight,” the earliest known piece of literature created by an African American. Upon marrying, Prince achieved her freedom and had six children. Renowned for her oration, she died in Vermont in 1821.
Lucy Terry Prince
