A Century in Captivity Book Launch Set for October 20th in Middletown!
I've often told the story of the first time I heard of Prince Mortimer. In 2020, I was reading an 1844 book about Old New Gate Prison. It mentioned Prince's capture in Guinea, his very dark complexion, his journey through the Middle Passage, his enslavement in Middletown, Connecticut, his service during the American Revolution, and, at 87, his imprisonment for life after being accused of attempting to poison his enslaver, an act I saw through the lens of agency.
I've also talked about Denis Caron's 2006 book, A Century in Captivity, which went deeper into Prince Mortimer’s story. Denis described Prince's appeal as the extraordinary fact that he died in prison at 110 years old. My interest was much different. I wanted to know where Prince was buried. I was struck by the colorism reflected in the way the 1844 account described him. I was troubled by the injustice of a man enduring more than 70 years of enslavement only to spend the remainder of his life incarcerated. And I was frustrated by how much of his life remained unknown. So, I began my own journey into Prince's story. I teamed up with Dr. Jesse Nasta of Wesleyan University to expand the research, and in 2021, I began giving public lectures about Prince.
In June 2021, I reached out to Denis Caron to share my newly discovered research and perspective. We met for lunch in Middletown. There began a friendship.
In 2024, Denis suggested that he, Jesse, and I work together on a second edition of A Century in Captivity. I saw it as an opportunity to reintroduce Prince Mortimer to the public as our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary. I shared my research, wrote the foreword, and contributed a new chapter—Chapter 18—to the new edition.
On October 20, 2026, Wesleyan University Press will release the second edition of A Century in Captivity. That evening, Denis Caron, Dr. Jesse Nasta, and I will come together at Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore at 6pm for the official launch. I see this as an incredible collaboration and culmination, honoring a man that persisted and persevered.
Please join us for the release!
John
