Prince letters

The Henriette M. Prince Papers consist of correspondence and biographical information. The material primarily reflects Prince's time as a schoolteacher at J.P. Johnson's "Mount Airy" plantation in King William County, Virginia during the 1850s. Excerpts of the letters, written from Prince to Louise Paine, of Thomaston, Maine, were published in "Virginia Magazine of History and Biography" in October 1971. Prince frequently discusses friendships between people both in Maine and in Virginia, courtships between various men and women, and gives significant attention to dress. She also takes great pride in her social accomplishments such as learning to dance and in her work at the plantation school. She often relates to Paine that she is a well-liked teacher. Additionally, some of the letters reflect the escalating political tensions in the decade preceding the United States Civil War from Prince's perspective while living in Virginia, and later in Maine. The letters are also heavily influenced by religion, as Prince attempts to convince Paine to become a Baptist. Two letters are written from Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in 1858, and they continue the strong religious tone as Prince congratulates Paine for accepting religion into her life. She also briefly mentions her relationship with her roommates and her feelings about the school. The biographical information consists primarily of information provided by Prince's daughter, Henrietta Hanford Boyd.