Phillis Wheatley (c. 1753–1784) was the first African American woman to publish a book of poetry and one of the earliest voices of African descent in American literature. Born in West Africa, likely in present-day Senegal or Gambia, she was captured and enslaved as a child and brought to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1761 aboard the slave ship Phillis, from which she took her name. Purchased by the Wheatley family, she was taught to read and write by her enslavers—an unusual circumstance at the time—and quickly demonstrated remarkable literary talent.

By her early teens, Wheatley was reading classical works by authors such as Homer, Virgil, and Milton, as well as the Bible. Her poetry drew heavily on neoclassical themes and often expressed Christian faith, moral reflection, and commentary on freedom and human dignity. In 1773, at around age twenty, she published Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral in London, becoming the first published African American poet.

Wheatley’s work garnered international attention and served as a powerful example of both intellectual and spiritual equality. Notably, she corresponded with prominent figures such as George Washington, who praised her verse. Despite her literary success, Wheatley faced financial hardships after gaining her freedom following her master’s death. She married John Peters, a free Black man, but endured poverty until her early death in 1784 at around age thirty-one.

Phillis Wheatley’s legacy endures as a symbol of Black intelligence, creativity, and resilience in the face of oppression.