Phillis Wheatley was born in 1753 in Gambia West Africa. When she was eight years old she was kidnapped from her home and put aboard a slave ship set for America. She suffered through the middle passage alone while aboard a ship of slaves that were deemed too frail and unfit to work in the southern colonies. They were taken to Boston Massachusetts.
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Once she arrived in Boston, Phillis was auctioned off and eventually sold to a man named John Wheatley. She was given the name Phillis after the slave ship “The Phillis” that brought her to America and the last name Wheatley after the family that purchased her. Phillis’ original purpose in the Wheatley home was to be a personal servant to John Wheatley’s wife, Susanna.
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Susanna grew extremely fond of Phyllis during her time in the Wheatley household, so she began educating her. In a time where it was dangerous for African Americans to learn how to read and write, Wheatley excelled in English, History, and Literature. She became enslaved and educated in the same household. After a time, she began to write, so the Wheatley family encouraged her to pursue the literary arts.
When Phillis was fourteen she transitioned to writing poetry. Her first poem that was titled “On Messrs. Hussey and Coffin.” It was published in The Mercury, a newspaper in Newport, Rhode Island. The poem, was about two men who almost drowned at sea.
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Her poem titled “An Elegiac Poem, on the Death of the Celebrated Divine George Whitefield” made her a major success. By the time she was around twenty years old, Wheatley had a large collection of poems that she wanted to publish. With help from Susanna Wheatley, they began the search for a publisher. Since America at the time was not compelled to support an African American author, Wheatley took her search to London where she eventually found a publisher.
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Her collection of poems titled Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral was published in 1773. It became the first collection of poetry by an African American to be published. It included a cover page signed by Jon Hancock. Word of her achievement made its way back to the United States and her fame grew immensely, especially in Boston. She also wrote a poem about George Washington, and she was invited to meet him.
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All of this time, Phillis was enslaved to the Wheatley’s, but after John’s death, she was freed.
Phillis Wheatley had to overcome extreme adversity, but through her resilience she paved the way for other African American and women poets. She has inspired countless people and is an extremely important figure in the course of history.