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Phillis Wheatley is born.
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Brought to New England
Phillis Wheatley was brought as a slave to America. John Wheatley of Boston bought her as a present for his wife. She was going to be her maid. -
Learned to Read and Write English
She learned to read and write at nine years old and was good at Latin, Greek, and classics. Her masters encouraged her to read and write. This was unusual for a slave, because most masters did not want their slaves to be educated. -
Started writing poetry
Phillis Wheatley was quick to learn when John and Savannah Wheatley educated her. She learned about ancient history and theology. She became part of the family while still remaining a slave. -
Published her first poem.
At thirteen, Wheatley published her first poem in the Newport Mercury Newspaper. She modeled her work after famous English poets. A lot of her poems were about religious things because she was taught about the Bible from an early age. -
Phillis Wheatley becomes famous in Boston
She gathered attention when she wrote a poem on the preacher George Whitefield. This poem was published in major cities like New York and Philadelphia.Later, it was also published in England. -
Publishes her first book in London, England
In 1773, she accompanied Nathaniel Wheatley to England. She published thirty-nine of her poems in a book called Poems on Varius Subjects, Religious and Moral. This was the first book of poetry published by a black American. -
Wrote a letter and poem in support of George Washington.
He read her letter and replied to her. He said he would, " be so happy to see a person so favored by the muses." She was invited to visit him in Cambridge. -
John Wheatley died
Phillis was devastated by his death and his wife's (four years earlier). When they died, she had to support herself, She worked as a seamstress and a poet. -
Phillis Wheatley marries John Peters
He owned a grocery store, but the economy was bad. The couple fought constant poverty, She gave birth to three children, but they all died in infancy. -
Wheatley became a free woman
John Wheatley died leaving Phillis free. Historians are unsure whether she got her freedom before John Wheatley died, but she got her freedom between 1774-1778 -
Phillis Wheatley died.
