Phillis Wheatley

Phillis Wheatley (1753?-1784) was the first African-American woman to have her poetry published. Born in West Africa, she was purchased by a family in Boston and educated when her talent was noticed. Her 1773 volume Poems on Various Subjects Religious & Moral was widely acclaimed in both America and England. Shortly afterward, she was freed, but her husband’s poor financial circumstances and the Revolutionary War conspired to prevent her from publishing many more poems or earning a living.