Phillis Wheatley: The Mother of African American Literature

"In every human Breast, God has implanted a Principle, which we call Love of Freedom; it is impatient of Oppression, and pants for Deliverance." This statement, written by a slave girl, embodies the collective consciousness of the period in which she lived.

It wasn't just the yearning of her people; it was the desire of slave and slave owner alike. Rich and poor both struggled against tyrannical bondage by the British. In a time when racial prejudices convinced most people that Negroes had no more intelligence than that of a work horse, one girl proved them wrong while at the same time giving a voice to a fetal nation.

Phillis Wheatley arrived in Boston in 1761. She was about six or seven years of age, and she was very frail and sickly. Surviving the voyage from Africa was very difficult. Men, women, and children were crammed into the lower decks of slave ships, sitting almost one on top of each other.

The decks were only separated by about four feet, so the slaves couldn't even stand up to stretch their legs. Diseases such as measles, dysentery, small pox, and yellow fever frequented the ships. Starvation and dehydration also weakened many. All in all, the average death rate was forty percent.

John Wheatley and his wife Susannah saw an advertisement for slaves to be sold. They went to the dock when the slave ship Phillis arrived. Susannah wanted a young girl slave girl to raise. She wanted someone who could care for her when she aged. Susannah instantly felt pity for the terrified and sickly girl clutching a piece of carpet for clothing. They paid just one shilling and took her home.

The Wheatleys resided on King Street, were part of the wealthy and educated set, and hobnobbed with the Boston elite. Much of their discussions surrounded the morality of slavery. The colonists were slowly realizing what it felt like to be held captive. The ever increasing dominance the Crown exerted upon the colonists was making some understand the error of their ways. While the Wheatley's didn't free their slaves, they did treat them better than most. In fact, Phillis was treated as though she was a member of the family.

One day Susannah discovered Phillis writing the letters of the alphabet. Phillis, startled and thinking that she was in trouble, tried to erase them. Susannah, however, had a different plan in mind. It was at this time that Mary Wheatley, the daughter of John and Susannah, began to tutor Phillis. After six months, Phillis could read and write. After sixteen months, she could get through even the most difficult passages of the bible. She was given her own room, paper, pencils, and even her own candle for late night reading.

She studied astronomy, geography, history, and literature. She began to write, and her first poem was published in 1767. Many others followed, and Phillis gained the attention of the New England aristocracy. Not only was she invited to dinners all over Boston, she was also welcomed to eat with the other guests at the same table. While Phillis would accept dinner invitations, she always asked to sit at a separate table. Being black, and a slave, she didn't think of herself as an equal to the set that had so suddenly taken notice of her.

Phillis and john began trying to have her collection of poetry published in a book. Unfortunately, despite Phillis' popularity, racism was still widely felt, and Boston publishers refused to believe she had in fact written the poems. Those in favor of her being published then suggested she try London.

The practice of keeping slaves had already been abolished in England, and ideas about racial equality were more progressive. It was for this reason that the Wheatley's decided to try publishers in London. Armed with the manuscript and an attestation that Phillis was indeed the author, Robert Calef journeyed to London to see the book published. Phillis had become the first African American person to see her work published.

Phillis accompanied Robert to London to make the rounds of the London literary circle. Scarred with the memories of her childhood voyage on a slave ship, her trip was terrifying. She was surprised by the welcome she received and was showered with gifts. Invitations were frequent in coming. Through all of this she was still working on her poetry, and she relished the freedom to stop the presses to revise her poems. Sadly, Phillis would not remain in London to see her book released. Susannah was ailing and wished for Phillis to care for her. While Phillis had been freed, she could not refuse the request of the only mother she could remember.

Phillis Wheatley was noticed by the likes of George Washington and John Hancock. Her volume of poetry rested in the libraries of such greats as Thomas Jefferson. It is easy to see why she is considered not only to be the mother of African American literature, but also as the mother of American literature as well. Sadly, Phillis never published another book. The obstacles she'd faced as a slave hadn't changed simply because she had been given her freedom. She married another "Free Negro," John Peters.

He ran a grocery store and practiced law in Boston; however he and Phillis left when the British besieged the town. They lived in poverty, had three children, and sunk further still. John was forced to go to debtor's prison. Phillis lost all of her children, and at the age of thirty-one she grieved herself to death. Several papers printed her obituary, and since then her book has seen twenty reprintings.