Phillis Wheatley: First African American Poet

Unlike Jefferson, George Washington proved to be a fan; in 1776, she wrote a poem and a letter to Washington, who praised her efforts and invited her to visit. I wonder how seriously we can take Jefferson's criticism, when he so badly misspelled her name; one wonders if he might be speaking of someone else.

We can sample Phillis' poetry online; her book of poems Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral is offered in its entirety, including the front material that shows how strong the controversy over her talent was. Though suffering the ambivalence of the Colonial mind-set during her lifetime, today Phillis Wheately is hailed as the first African American poet and as the fourth important American poet in the history of American poetry.

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Sources:

"Manuscript by First Black American Woman Poet Brings $68,500"

Phillis Wheatley, Poet: A Brief Biography

Phillis Wheatley: Precursor of American Abolitionism

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