{"id":2298,"date":"2023-07-18T14:09:30","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T08:39:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/?p=2298"},"modified":"2023-07-18T20:18:04","modified_gmt":"2023-07-18T14:48:04","slug":"phillis-wheatley-1753-1784","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/phillis-wheatley-1753-1784\/","title":{"rendered":"Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784)<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Phillis\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784)<\/strong><\/h2>

Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784)<\/strong> was an African-born American poet who became one of the most prominent literary figures of her time. Her life and works are remarkable because she achieved literary recognition and success during a period when African Americans, especially women, were enslaved and denied access to education.<\/p>

Phillis Wheatley was born in Senegal, West Africa,<\/strong> around 1753. She was kidnapped as a young girl, transported to America, and sold into slavery to the Wheatley family in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1761. The Wheatleys recognized her intellect and potential, and they provided her with an education, which was highly unusual for enslaved individuals at the time.<\/p>

Phillis Wheatley quickly learned to read and write English, as well as Latin and Greek. She demonstrated exceptional talent in poetry and began composing verse at a young age. Her early works were influenced by classical literature, and she often wrote poems on moral and religious themes.<\/p>

In 1770, when she was only 17 years old, Wheatley’s first published poem, “On Messrs<\/strong><\/span>. Hussey and Coffin,” appeared in the Newport Mercury newspaper.<\/span> This marked the beginning of her literary career. In 1773, her first book, “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral,”<\/span><\/strong> was published in London, making her the first African American and the first enslaved person to publish a book in the English language.<\/p>

The publication of her book brought Wheatley international acclaim. She traveled to England in 1773 to promote her work and met prominent figures such as the Earl of Dartmouth and Benjamin Franklin<\/strong><\/span>. Her poetry was praised for its elegance, religious fervor, and advocacy for freedom and justice. Some of her famous works include “On Being Brought from Africa to America,” “To the University of Cambridge, in New England,” and “To His Excellency General Washington.”<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

Despite her success as a poet, Wheatley continued to live in slavery, even after her book’s publication. She was eventually emancipated in 1778, after the death of her enslaver, Nathaniel Wheatley<\/span><\/strong>. However, she faced financial difficulties and struggled to support herself.<\/p>

Phillis Wheatley’s life was tragically cut short at the age of 31. She died in Boston on December 5, 1784, likely due to complications from childbirth. Despite her short life, she left a significant legacy as a pioneer in African American literature and an inspiration to future generations of writers. Her works continue to be celebrated for their artistic merit and their contribution to the abolitionist movement.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Harriet\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe (1811-1896)<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

She was an influential American author and abolitionist known for her impactful writings that contributed to the antislavery movement and sparked national conversations about the institution of slavery.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tClick here<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"fennimore\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

James Fenimore Cooper<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) <\/strong>was an American writer known for his contributions to historical fiction, particularly in the genre of frontier and adventure novels.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tClick here<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784) Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784) Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784) was an African-born American poet who became one of the most […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2301,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"googlesitekit_rrm_CAow3MbQCw:productID":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[475],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-literature"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Phillis_Wheatley.jpg?fit=683%2C1024&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2310,"url":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/harriet-elizabeth-beecher-1811-96-biography-famous-works\/","url_meta":{"origin":2298,"position":0},"title":"Harriet Elizabeth Beecher (1811-96) Biography & famous works","author":"witcritic","date":"July 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) was an influential American author and abolitionist known for her impactful writings that contributed to the antislavery movement and sparked national conversations about the institution of slavery. Here is a biography of Harriet Beecher Stowe and an overview of her\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "American Literature"","block_context":{"text":"American Literature","link":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/category\/world-literature\/american-literature\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe (1811-1896)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Harriet-Elizabeth-Beecher-Stowe-1811-1896.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":24,"url":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/age-of-chaucer\/","url_meta":{"origin":2298,"position":1},"title":"Age of Chaucer: Geoffrey Chaucer","author":"witcritic","date":"July 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Age of Chaucer (1340- 1400)Age of Chaucer\u00a0The 14th century in England, during the Middle English period, was a time of significant historical events and social changes. Here are some key highlights:The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453):- A series of conflicts between England and France, with intermittent periods of truce.- It had\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "History of English Literature"","block_context":{"text":"History of English Literature","link":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/category\/history-of-english-literature\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"chaucer","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Portrait_of_Geoffrey_Chaucer.jpg?fit=702%2C883&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Portrait_of_Geoffrey_Chaucer.jpg?fit=702%2C883&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Portrait_of_Geoffrey_Chaucer.jpg?fit=702%2C883&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Portrait_of_Geoffrey_Chaucer.jpg?fit=702%2C883&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26,"url":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/samuel-johnson-1709-1784-preface-to-shakespeare\/","url_meta":{"origin":2298,"position":2},"title":"Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) – Preface to Shakespeare","author":"witcritic","date":"July 25, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) - Preface to Shakespeare Samuel Johnson, the son of Michael, a bookseller, was born at Lichfield, Staffordshire, on September 18, 1709. At an early age, he contracted a tubercular infection from his nurse that left him physically handicapped with bad eyesight and partial deafness. Later, a bout\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Literary Criticism"","block_context":{"text":"Literary Criticism","link":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/category\/literary-criticism\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-HT5tm6YVCBI\/XyQT_2-_UaI\/AAAAAAAAAbc\/OaF2_H6iJG4UKun2id7677zLD_pxNcR2wCLcBGAsYHQ\/s320\/Samuel_Johnson_by_Joshua_Reynolds_2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1290,"url":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/life-history-and-major-works-of-toni-morrison\/","url_meta":{"origin":2298,"position":3},"title":"Life history and famous works of Toni morrison (1931-2019)","author":"witcritic","date":"June 12, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Toni Morrison- the great American African novelist Toni Morrison- the great American African novelistToni Morrison- Early lifeToni morrison Interview Morrison shared:Toni morrison worksThe Bluest EyeSong of SolomonBelovedSong of SolomonJazzParadise, Love, MercyLove Toni Morrison- Early life Toni Morrison, born Chloe Ardelia Wofford on February 18, 1931, in Lorain, Ohio, was an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Toni Morrison","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/toni-morrison-news-photo-533137304-1551212596.jpg?fit=1024%2C811&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/toni-morrison-news-photo-533137304-1551212596.jpg?fit=1024%2C811&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/toni-morrison-news-photo-533137304-1551212596.jpg?fit=1024%2C811&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/toni-morrison-news-photo-533137304-1551212596.jpg?fit=1024%2C811&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":457,"url":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/american-literature-overview\/","url_meta":{"origin":2298,"position":4},"title":"American Literature: Periods, Movements and Famous writers","author":"witcritic","date":"May 27, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"American literature1. Colonial and Revolutionary Period (1607-1790):Romanticism (1800-1860):3. Transcendentalism (1830-1860):4. Realism and Naturalism (1865-1914):5. Harlem Renaissance (1918-1930s):6. Modernism (1914-1945):7. Beat Generation (1950s-1960s):8. Postmodernism (1960s-present):9. Contemporary Literature (1980s-present):Famous Writers in American Literature American literature American literature refers to the body of written works produced in the United States, ranging from the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "World Literature"","block_context":{"text":"World Literature","link":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/category\/world-literature\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Washington_Irving_and_his_Literary_Friends_at_Sunnyside.jpg?fit=800%2C535&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Washington_Irving_and_his_Literary_Friends_at_Sunnyside.jpg?fit=800%2C535&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Washington_Irving_and_his_Literary_Friends_at_Sunnyside.jpg?fit=800%2C535&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Washington_Irving_and_his_Literary_Friends_at_Sunnyside.jpg?fit=800%2C535&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":316,"url":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/african-and-caribbean-literatures\/","url_meta":{"origin":2298,"position":5},"title":"Postcolonial Literature: African and Caribbean","author":"witcritic","date":"August 25, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Postcolonial Literature: African and Caribbean \u00a0 African Literature and Caribbean Literature \u00a0 African Literature \u00a0 Africa Birthplace of the human species between 8 million and 5 million years ago Vast continent Rich and diverse in its culture \u2013 Many languages and religions \u2013 Changing from one country to another as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "World Literature"","block_context":{"text":"World Literature","link":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/category\/world-literature\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Modern African Literature and Colonialism","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Eugene_Delacroix_-_Le_28_Juillet._La_Liberte_guidant_le_peuple-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C963&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Eugene_Delacroix_-_Le_28_Juillet._La_Liberte_guidant_le_peuple-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C963&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Eugene_Delacroix_-_Le_28_Juillet._La_Liberte_guidant_le_peuple-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C963&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Eugene_Delacroix_-_Le_28_Juillet._La_Liberte_guidant_le_peuple-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C963&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/witcritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Eugene_Delacroix_-_Le_28_Juillet._La_Liberte_guidant_le_peuple-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C963&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2298"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2388,"href":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2298\/revisions\/2388"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/witcritic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}