Phillis Wheatley's Poems on Various Subjects

Her art reflects her strength of character

When Phillis Wheatley (1753–84) published Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral in 1773, she became a household name. As a young girl, she was kidnapped in Senegal, sold into slavery, shipped to Boston, and purchased in 1761 by the Wheatley family.  Dependent on the family who ensalved her for support and access to publishers, she felt reluctant to write directly about slavery. Instead, she used her skills as a poet to subtly weave a vision of freedom through her works.

Poems on Various Subjects Religious and Moral

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Object Details

Date
1773
Written by
Phillis Wheatley Peters, American, ca. 1753 - 1784
Illustrated by
Scipio Moorhead, ca. 1750 - unknown
Published by
Archibald Bell, British
Description
A first edition of the book Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, by Phillis Wheatley, while she was enslaved to Mr. John Wheatley of Boston. The book has a brown leather cover, the original morocco spine label, and a frontispiece featuring a portrait of Wheatley by Scipio Morehead. Along the top of the portrait are the words [PHILLIS WHEATLEY, NEGRO SERVANT TO MR. JOHN WHEATLEY OF BOSTON]. The book also has the armorial bookplate of Daniel P. Griswold, a small circular ticket from the Library of George W. Brinely, as well as a larger one from Henry Weston Sackett.
Place printed
London, England, Europe
Place depicted
Boston, Massachusetts, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Poetry
Slavery
U.S. History, Colonial period, 1600-1775
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Exhibition
Slavery and Freedom
On View
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 3, C3 053
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2012.46.46
Type
poems
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on paper with leather and wood
Dimensions
7 x 4 3/4 x 5/8 in. (17.8 x 12.1 x 1.6 cm)
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd57a20ed82-d93b-4a37-884e-3109eedcd868
Record ID
nmaahc_2012.46.46