Phillis
Wheatley
Phillis Wheatley
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Born 1753??? Gambia or Senegal?
Died Dec. 5, 1784
Brought from West Africa at about 8 years old
Purchased by John Wheatley in 1761
The Wheatley family discovered that she was
very intelligent and taught her to read and write.
• She read Latin and Greek classics,
contemporary English poets.
Phillis Wheatley
• At age 13, she published her 1st poem.
• 1773 published Poems on Various Subjects:
Religious and Moral in London.
• Published in London – Boston publishers
refused to publish her material.
• This is probably the first book ever published by
an African.
• Shortly after publishing her book, she returned
to America from London to attend the dying Mrs.
Susannah Wheatley – John’s wife.
Phillis Wheatley
• Had she not left England, she would likely
have been presented to the court of King
George III – celebrity status.
• 1776 Presented to George Washington.
• Freed in 1778 after the death of John
Wheatley.
• Married John Peters 1778, one month
after John Wheatley’s death.
Phillis Wheatley
• His grocery business went bankrupt, 2 of their
children died, and eventually he left her.
• She fell into obscurity, and died giving birth to
their 3rd child.
• Her poetry deals solely with New England, the
Revolution, Christianity, slavery, etc. We know
very little about her life in Africa before coming to
America.
• She writes that her only memory of Africa is of
her mother pouring water before sunrise.