Phyllis Wheatley

Phillis Wheatley was born in Africa around the year 1753. When she was about seven years old, some bad men took her from her home. They put her on a ship and took her far away across the ocean. This was called slavery, and it was very unfair and cruel.

The ship landed in Boston in 1761. A family named the Wheatleys bought her. They named her Phillis after the ship she came on. Susanna Wheatley saw that Phillis was very smart. She let Phillis learn to read and write, which was rare for enslaved children at that time. Phillis studied the Bible, history, and poems by famous writers.

By the time she was twelve or thirteen, Phillis was writing her own poems! This was amazing because most enslaved people were never allowed to learn to read at all. Her first poem was printed in a newspaper in 1767. Soon she wrote more poems about religion, sadness, and important events.

Phillis wanted to publish a whole book of her poems. But many people did not believe an enslaved girl could really write such good poetry. A group of important men in Boston tested her to prove she wrote the poems herself. She passed the test.

Since it was hard to publish her book in America, Phillis sailed to London, England in 1773. A kind woman named the Countess of Huntingdon helped her. In London, Phillis met important people and was treated like a star. Later that year, her book Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral was published. She became the first African American woman to publish a book!

While she was in London, the Wheatley family decided to set her free. This meant she was no longer enslaved. When she came back to Boston, she kept writing. She even wrote a poem to General George Washington during the American Revolution. Washington liked it so much that he invited her to visit him!

Life after freedom was hard. Around 1778, Phillis married a man named John Peters. They struggled with money problems. Sadly, most of her children died when they were babies. Phillis tried to publish a second book of poems, but she could not find enough people to support it.

In her last years, Phillis lived in poverty. She had to work hard just to get by. In 1784, she became very sick, probably with a lung illness called pneumonia. She died on December 5, 1784, when she was about thirty-one years old. Her last living child died on the very same day.

Even though her life ended sadly, Phillis Wheatley's poems are still remembered today. She showed the world that enslaved people were just as smart and talented as anyone else. She is remembered as a brave and brilliant writer who helped change how people thought about slavery and equality.