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Phyllis Wheatley
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| Kidnapped into slavery at an early age, she worked for the Wheatley family of Boston. She was treated as a member of the family and became educated. Remembered as a poet, Wheatley published her first poem at age 13, and later published a book while in London. She was the first published black writer in America, and wrote on the subject of Christianity and morality among other topics.
Wheatley was freed from slavery after her masters died, and married a free man. Although never able to support her family with poetry, Wheatley continued to write and seek publishers. Wheatley had a manuscript for a second book when she died in 1784. Her husband never had it published.
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"Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land/ Taught my benighted soul to understand/ That There’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too:/ Once Ii redemption neither fought now knew,/ Some view our sable race with scornful eye, / “Their colour is a diabolic die.”/ Remember, Christians, Negroes, Black as Cain,/ May be refin’d and join th’angelic train.” (from poem “On Being Brought From Africa to America”) |
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