Phillis Wheatley was born in 1753, Gambia Africa. As a child Phillis was captured and sold into slavery, and purchased by John Wheatley of Boston. Her genius impressed her owners, who arranged for her to be educated by private tutors in several subjects, including Latin and Greek. Phillis was so brilliant that she began to publish serious poems as a young teenager; Wheatley became a sensation in Boston.
Phillis Wheatley to succeed was that her owners was very fond of her and they never trained her as a domestic; instead they encouraged her to study theology and the English, Latin and Greek classics. She published her first poem in 1767, and six years later, she published a book, Poems on Various Subjects. That same year, John Wheatley emancipated her.
Wheatley’s contribution was important because she was the first African American woman; she was the first slave, and the third woman in the United States to publish a book of poems. She prepared for her future by at a young age writing on the walls and instead of getting in trouble they encourage her to write.
We should know that Phillis Wheatley received her freedom and married a free black man in 1778 but, despite her skills, was never able to support her family. Although she died in complete poverty, subsequent generations would pick up where she left off. Wheatley was the first black writer of consequence in America; and her life was an inspiring example to future generations of African-Americans.
Phillis Wheatley inspired me because if you put your mind to something then you can achieve it. She achieved her goal by learning to read and write and she became the first African American women and slave to publish a book of poems.
