“Phyllis Wheatley was only seven or eight years old when she was captured and taken from her home in West Africa. A slave ship brought her to Boston in 1761. John Wheatley, a prosperous tailor, and his wife, Susannah, purchased the young girl directly from the ship and named her Phyllis Wheatley, knowing nothing of the talents she would soon show the world. She became something of a child star, which was unheard of for a black child at the time. Her most famous poem was dedicated to George Washington, who had the pleasure of meeting her several times. Another noted poem is “On Being Brought From Africa To America.” In this poem, one can see the pernicious effects of the anti-African, pro-Christian teachings of her captors.
*Note, as Wheatley was abducted from Africa, she most likely looked nothing like the Euro-centric depiction of her, above.*
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