Dejah King
Professor Pearson
Af. Am. History
11/01/18
Phillis Wheatley’s Contribution to American Revolution
“Proceed, great chief, with virtue on thy side,
Thy ev’ry action let the goddess guide
A crown, a mansion, and a Throne that shine,
with gold unfading, Washington! Be thine!”
– Part of Phillis Wheatley’s poem, “His Excellency, George Washington” in 1775
Introduction
A struggle for independence is a critical time for any nation. The people engaged in such a struggle for liberation require consistent support and public goodwill to offer a sense of purpose to their course. In the American struggle for independence, there was widespread support to drive out the colonialists and usher a period of not only for freedom for all but also for self-governance. Such massive support stemmed from diverse points including literature and popular culture. Individuals composed songs, poems, dance and music to actualize the purpose for struggle and liberate all the land. And yet, Carson et al., (47) hold that some African Americans played a critical role in the struggle for independence in an era where segregation and racism were visibly notorious on streets and neighborhoods. As Dudley stresses, the story of American Revolution remains incomplete without the mention of an African American slave girl Phillis Wheatley whose passion for poetry and writing made a significant contributions to the cause of seeking freedom by the American Patriots (4). This paper explores the life and literary success of Phillis Wheatley and how she shaped opinions during the American Revolution era.
Brief Biography of Phillis Wheatley
The history of Phillis Wheatley starts of in 1753 which is the documented year of birth. She was born in Gambia, West of Africa (Smith). She and others would be captured by the slave traders and put enroute to America. At only the age of 7, she was made to board the ship, Phillis across the Atlantic from which her first name was derived from. She arrived in America in 1761 soon afterward sold into the household of John and Susanna Wheatley in Boston (Vaile 2). Wheatley was a wealthy man and mainly took Phillis as gift and companion for his wife.
In this progressive and Christian household, Phillis was exposed to education and within a year into her arrival she was conversant with British literature and could read the Bible, Latin and Greek Classics (Michals). Under the guidance of their daughter, Phillis learned quite fast to read and write and was even relieved off her domestic duties. They recognized her talent and prowess in literature and accorded the necessary educational support. By the age of 11, Phillis could write good poetry. For instance, in 1773 she sojourned to England with Nathaniel Wheatley, the son of Wheatley’s and it gave her opportunity to seek better publishers for her poems. In London, she was accorded the chance to interact with socially prominent individuals such as Selina Hastings, and Lady Huntingdon who greatly motivated her art of poetry (Historyisfun).
Upon the death of Susanna and John shortly afterward, Phillis was set free and later in 1778 married John Peters who was a free black grocer who lived in Boston (Dudley 3). Together they had three children but they died at an early age. After the life under her captors, Phillis was released into a world of brutal racism and unending financial strains. She would seek employment as scullery maid in local boarding house. In December 1784, Phillis succumbed to death due to child birth complications at the age of 31 and buried in unmarked grave (Historyisfun). She did not live to enjoy the fruits of her heroism, spending last part of her life in perpetual poverty, misery and hardships.
Her Works
In England she managed to publish her first collection of poems entitled Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. This was the first book published by an African American woman in the history of the US and the second woman in US after Anne Bradstreet (Michals). Her poems reflected the influencers in life, borrowing from her mentors such as Thomas Gray and Alexander Pope. She wrote the poems both for white and black audiences and explored politics, religion, mythology, war, morals, love and many other facets of life. In religion for instance, she embraced Protestantism and wrote largely on the English way of live and royalty. For instance, “On the Death of a Young Girl,” was a thought provoking letter addressed to Reverend Samson Occom (Vaile 1) and wrote a poem “To the Right Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth (Luders-Manuel).”
In addition, it is evident that Phillis was indeed a poet of strong will and intellectual ability. She wrote a lot on her African roots taking the role of girls tasked with singing and performing. Her poems earned her great fame and she became a celebrity. She would read the Greek, British, Roman and Latin classics and use them to construct great poems. Enslavers and the African American folks alike loved her work so much. Under her name, according to Dudley (2), there are about sixty-five poems and slightly over two dozen letters. Nonetheless, it is of importance to point out that many other of her works were lost but today she is recalled as ‘a worthy Mother of the African American literary tradition’ (Dudley 2). Besides, Eleanor Smith in her Journal of Negro Education article, she described Phillis as ‘a child prodigy who grew to be the only representative black woman generally recorded as a product of the Revolutionary Period (Luders-Manuel).’ These among other literary decorations are evidence that Phillis was a brainy and impactful writer and poet in an era where inputs from African Americans were unheard of due to their low social status. Importantly, her works greatly motivated political, racial as well as spiritual movements in very spectacular ways.
Phillis Wheatley’s Role in Political struggles
"In every human Beast, God has implanted a Principle, which we call Love of Freedom; it is impatient of Oppression, and pants for Deliverance."
– Phillis Wheatley
First, the poems and letters targeted the ongoing efforts by the British colonies in America to rebel against the rule of Great Britain. Largely poems of this neoclassical poet made relations between the political dilemma and the shaping of the new world order where there would be self-governance (Waldstreicher 701). The slave-poet realized that she could address the plight and oppression of her people of African roots while also encouraging captors to fight for the good of the colonies. She held an optimistic view that when the colonies could attain the state of self-governance, issues such as racial segregation and oppressions could be intervened to save her people as well. She therefore took part in the civil debate encouraging the patriots to push for liberation and keep land free of oppression of any kind. For instance, Wheatley wrote emotionally about the sadness of real bondage in colonial America. She then acknowledged that the America society should strongly right all the wrongs in racial prejudices lest the rest of the world see it as hypocritical (Newman). Being savvy, politic and crafty she chose her words carefully to illuminate the hope, brilliance and brevity of life in newness. While she wrote on diverse topics, political revolution was at the core with an emphasis on freedoms and liberty (Newman).
Of critical importance, Phillis wrote poems and later to patriots and freedom fighters support the cause of revolution. In the poem, “His Excellency George Washington,” she used Roman mythology to urge Washington to be bold in the fight of freedom. Part of the lines in the last stanza include; “A crown, a mansion, and a throne that shine/With gold unfading, Washington! Be thine!” These lines offer a great motivation that Washington need to be relentless in the struggle as good fruits as mansion, crown, gold and a throne that shines await (Vaile). This direct contact to Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, led to her invitation to meet him and even read the poem in his presence in (Carson et al., 62). In early February 1776 Washington would reply to her letter praising her work and offering to meet. This direct connection to the elites added weight in the cause impacting heavily on the political revolution. In a separate poem to George III, she wrote;
Behold, Britannia! in thy favour’d Isle;
At distance, thou, Columbia! view thy Prince,
For ancestors renown’d, for virtues more
– (Smith)
In this part of the poem, she honors and salutes King George, acknowledging the virtuous nature of the Columbia colonies. Later appearing in March 1774 article in the Connecticut Gazette, Wheatley would encourage Washington for the fight in the revolution stressing that “…for in every human Breast, God has implanted a Principle, which we call love of Freedom; it is impatient of oppression, and pants for Deliverance…. (Smith)”She offered Washington as a guide for Columbia for her quest for freedom. In essence, Phillis letters and poems on revolution were about resilience, virtues, patriotism and greatness of America (Zuck 143).
Apart from Washington and George III, another high profile royal that she wrote a poem to was William, Earl of Dartmouth. It was entitled “To the Right Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth…” and part of the poem went;
No more America in mournful strain
Of wrongs, and grievance unredress’d complain,
No longer shalt though dread the iron chain,
Which wonton tyranny with lawless hand
Has made, and with it meant t’ enslave the land.
( Luders-Manuel)
Without a doubt the above poem is very powerful and bold hitting colonialists in directly. Part of the interpretation of the poem is that America had mourned for so long under the colonial iron chains, and it is time the tyrants pave way for freedom away from their oppressive lawless hands and forceful slavery. This was a powerful pronunciation from a slave girl who has stepped up to see the bigger picture. Phillis’ literary and artistic talents indeed came into play at a time when the nation sought unity and commitment for liberalization. By openly choosing to write in favor of America’s success in the revolt, her contributions to the struggle meant a lot. In fact, as a pioneer African American writer, Wheatley would aspire numerous Romantic Period poets and writers who also went bold in supporting the establishment of the new republic. In the words of Dudley (2), Phillis Wheatley was a woman who had less tolerance of tyranny and witnessing oppression by the colonials prompted her to side with America, defending it passionately yet it was the country she was sold in. She made use of the finest of her talent, composing dozens of poems and letters in support of the American revolution.
Conclusion
Phillis Wheatley was an African American slave girl born in Gambia in 1753 and sold across the Atlantic to Boston at the age of 7. At the Wheatley’s household she was given an education and her talent drew her to writing letters and poetry. Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral which were her first collection were published in London. She wrote on diverse topics from religion to morals, virtues and importantly the politics of liberalization. She wrote letters to patriots such as “His Excellency, George Washington” addressed to George Washington who commanded the Continental Army. She drafted other works that mainly targeted the greatness of America, need for struggle and patriotism. This paper has deeply explored the life and works of Phillis Wheatley who stood up for the freedom fighters using her artistic talent and poetic prowess to shape the revolution ideology. It is evident that she was an impactful poet and writer in the American revolution era.
Works Cited
Clayborne Carson, Emma J. Lapsansky-Werner, Gary B. Nash. The struggle for freedom : A History of African Americans. 2nd ed. Boston: Prentice Hall. 2011. Print
David Waldstreicher. Ancients, Moderns, and Africans: Phillis Wheatley and the Politics of Empire and Slavery in the American Revolution. Journal of the Early Republic Vol 37, Number 4, Winter 2017 Pp. 701-733 DOI: 10.1353/jer.2017.0068
David L. Dudley. Wheatley, Phillis. Oxford Research Encyclopedia- American Literature. Sep 2017.DOI: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190201098.013.497 < http://literature.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190201098.001.0001/acrefore-9780190201098-e-497>
Eleanor Smith. Phillis Wheatley: A Black Perspective. The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 43, No. 3, Black English and Black History-Continuing Themes (Summer, 1974), pp. 401-407
Francis Smith. The Poet-Slave and American Liberty. 11 July 2012. Web. 27 October 2018. < http://columbia.francissmith.info/?tag=revolutionary-war>
Historyisfun.org. Phillis Wheatley – A Journey. March 31, 2014. Web. 27 October 2018. < https://www.historyisfun.org/blog/phillis-wheatley-2/>
Michals, Debra. "Phillis Wheatley." National Women's History Museum. National Women's History Museum, 2015. Web. 27 October 2018. <https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/phillis-wheatley>
Richard Newman. The Black Book: Phillis Wheatley and the information revolution. OUPblog. February 21st 2014. Web. 27 October 2018. < https://blog.oup.com/2014/02/phillis-wheatley-african-american-writing-information-revolution/>
Shannon Luders-Manuel. The Privileged and Impoverished Life of Phillis Wheatley. JSTOR Daily. March 30, 2018. Web. 27 October 2018. < https://daily.jstor.org/the-privileged-and-impoverished-life-of-phillis-wheatley/>
Vaile, Sydney. Phillis Wheatley’s Poetic use of Classical form and Content in Revolutionary America, 1767- 1784. Philologia (2015) Vol 7(1). DOI: http://doi.org/10.21061/ph.v7i1.136
Zuck, Rochelle Raineri. "Poetic economies: Phillis Wheatley and the production of the black artist in the early Atlantic world." Ethnic Studies Review 33.2 (2010): 143-149.