Phillis Wheatley Peters

Phillis Wheatley was a poet and the first African American woman to publish a book of poetry. Born in West Africa, likely in present-day Senegal or Gambia, she was kidnapped and enslaved as a child. In 1761, she was brought to Boston aboard the slave ship Phillis, from which she took her name. She was purchased by the Wheatley family, who recognized her intelligence and provided her with an education—a rare opportunity for an enslaved person at the time.

By the age of 12, Wheatley was reading classical literature, including Greek and Latin texts, and the Bible. Her poetic talent emerged early, and her works often reflected themes of religion, morality, and freedom. In 1773, she published her groundbreaking collection Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, which brought her international acclaim. Prominent figures, including George Washington, praised her work.

In 1775, she penned a poem entitled "To His Excellency General Washington," celebrating him as a virtuous and heroic leader in the struggle for independence. The poem was a patriotic tribute, likening Washington to the goddess Columbia, a personification of America.

Washington was deeply moved by Wheatley's eloquence and invited her to visit him at his headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Wheatley was emancipated shortly after the publication of her book, but her later life was marked by hardship. She married John Peters, a free Black man, but they faced financial struggles, and all three of their children died young. Wheatley herself died in poverty at the age of 31.