Phillis Wheatley Essay

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Phillis Wheatley Being an African American, Phillis accomplished many things. Most of her accomplishments were ahead of her time. She was an accomplished poet, and a free woman. She was known not only in the United States but also in England. Phillis was the first African American woman to have a book published. The exact date of Phillis’s birth is unknown. However, it is presumed that she was born around 1753 in Gambia (present day Senegal), Africa. She was kidnapped in 1761, at nine years old. The captors placed her on a ship that was headed for the Americas. The ship was named ‘Phillis,’ that is how she got her name. When the ship arrived in Boston, she was purchased by John Wheatley, a wealthy merchant. She was bought to be a servant and attendant to John’s wife, Susanna. The Wheatley’s did not treat Phillis as a slave, but as a member of the family. She had her own room in the attic, ate at the table with the family, and did not have to do the chores that the other slaves were required to do. Phillis also went to church with the Wheatley’s at the Old South Meeting House. She was baptized in 1771. Phillis was not allowed to associate with any other slave children. Her only friend was Obour Tanner, another slave in a similar situation to Phillis’s. Phillis’s masters had 18-year-old twins, Nathaniel and Mary. The family saw how intelligent Phillis was and Mary became her tutor. She taught Phillis to read and write. Phillis was also taught geography, astronomy, history, Biblical and classical literature, and Latin. When she learned to write, Phillis kept correspondence with many people, even famous people. As her writing skills improved, she began to write poetry. By the age of 13, Phillis published her first poem in a Rhode Island newspaper on December 21, 1767. Wheatley’s first prominent poem was An Elegiac Poem, on the
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