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Birth
Phillis Wheatley was born in West Africa. Most likely present-day Senegal. She was transported to America as a slave at age 8 or 7. -
Journey to America and the Purchase of Phillis
Phillis' ship landed in British-occupied Massechusets on this day. She was purchased by a tailor named John Wheatley who thought she would be a good servant for his wife, Susanna. The family tought her how to read and write. By 12 years old, she was reading in Greek and Latin. The Wheatleys named her after the ship she came on, the Phillis -
Influences of Poetry
One day, when Phillis was alone, she started taking letters from books and mixing them up and writing them on the wall with a piece of coal. A slave went to go get Susannah, but she just smiled. Susannah then knew that Phillis like poetry and often showed her off to neighbors. -
Publishing
Phillis and her family traveled to london for a show for Phillis. She showed off her poetry in front of a lot of people including the Mayor of London and King George lll. -
Later life
On this day, Susannah Wheatley died of typhus. She also later made a poem for George Washington, who invited her to his house in thanks for the poem. -
Death
Phillis Wheatley died on this day of unkown causes. She died just 3 hours before her second infant died.
