Frontispiece of Poems on various subjects, religious and moral, Tisch Library Special Collections. 

Frontispiece and first page of Poems on various subjects, religious and moral,Tisch Library Special Collections. 

Phillis Wheatley was the first African American to publish a book of poetry in the United States and was one of the most widely known poets in 19th century America. Wheatley was captured from West Africa around 1753 and was transported to Boston where she was (re) named "Phillis" after the ship that carried her. The Wheatley family that purchased her as a domestic servant soon became aware of her intellectual prowess, and she was taught to read and write. 

Phillis published her poetry as early as age twelve, her work covering a wide variety of themes. Although the Wheatley family supported her education, they were still responsible for her continued enslavement. When American publishers refused to print literature by an African American, the Wheatleys took Phillis' work abroad to London, where she gained international recognition. Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, which she published in 1773, brought her fame throughout America and England. A year later, Phillis was manumitted. 

Phillis died on December 5th, 1784, leaving behind a legacy of 145 poems and a rich artistic heritage.