On Being Brought From Africa To America Analysis

The 18th century in America became a time of growth in independence and freedoms. Although America began to separate itself from England, the colonies relied on another culture in order to thrive. Colonists relied on enslaved Africans to complete manual labor at plantations, cooking and cleaning within a household, and any other necessary tasks. Enslaved Africans endured harsh mistreatments with no compensation besides the necessary means of survival. African rarely received any form of education. However one enslaved African girl named Phillis Wheatley, received an education from her owners, the Wheatley family. Through her education, she found and embraced Christianity. Using her education she began writing poetry and publishing her works. In a poem titled “On Being Brought

back from Africa”, Phillis Wheatley uses her privilege as an educated African woman to appeal to white colonists in addition to Africans through Christianity.

The Wheatley family purchased a young African girl, who was enslaved and sent to Boston. Her owners named her Phillis after the ship carrying her overseas (121). The Wheatley family taught her to read and write using the King James Bible. Wheatley utilized her education and began writing poetry. At the age of twelve, she published her first poem, making her the first African-American female poet. Later in 1770, the poem titled “On the Death of the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield” raised international attention. This attention helped Phillis Wheatley publish a book of collected poems in 1773 including poems titled “On Being Brought from Africa to America”, and “Thoughts on the Works of Providence”. Her early education not only focused on literacy but religion, where it played a large role in her poetry. Writing an elegy for Rev. Mr. George Whitefield, an evangelist preacher who spoke to thousands of people to spread the word of God, portrayed Wheatley’s admiration for the preacher she had the opportunity to observe.

The 1700s in the Americas became a time of growth of independence and religious freedoms. People began separating from the original religious sects and began searching for other ways of worship. These included revivals, outdoor sermons, more inclusive baptisms. This allowed more people to experience religion, allowing people to decide for themselves which way of worship was right for them. Along with growing religious independence, the nation itself began to establish itself as a unified entity. The colonies began thinking of independence, away from the control of England. The use of slaves, common during this time, established the African race as inferior and almost inhuman. Enslaved people, given little opportunities of education and freedom, had little opportunities to experience freedom let alone religion.
In this context Phillis Wheatley, was a privileged African American woman. White women faced obstacles obtaining an education. Therefore, enslaved Africans rarely experienced the opportunity of education. Learning to read as an African woman was extremely unlikely let alone writing and speaking to other colonial citizens. However, Phillis Wheatley was very fortunate to receive an education from her owners, the Wheatley family. She learned to read and write. In her education she began reading the King James Bible and converted to Christianity. Wheatley found a talent in writing poetry where she spoke about her conversion to Christianity. She hoped to use her privilege to spread her religious understandings to other enslaved people and people within the same community. She did this by separating herself slightly from her African race and taking a mediated stance between the two races. This is evident in her poem called “On Being Brought from Africa to America”.

In “On Being Brought from Africa to America”, Phillis Wheatley uses specific language and word choice to distance herself from her race, all while giving a firsthand account of her conversion to Christianity.

“Twas mercy that brought me from my Pagan Land” referring to the mercy of the lord. Wheatley refers to Africa as a “Pagan Land” (122), portraying her thankfulness for leaving Africa. This depicts Africa as a moral less place, where citizens were not safe or happy. Once educated Wheatley saw her previous soul as “benighted”, meaning pitiful and ignorant. She then references the thoughts of white citizens saying, “Some view our sable race with a scornful eye, “Their colour is a diabolic die” (122). Although referencing the thoughts of others, Wheatley does not negate their insults, only states that “Negros, black as Cain” can be refined and converted. The reference to Cain refers to the story within the Bible of Cain and Abel, where Cain killed his brother Abel out of jealousy. This created a depiction of the African race as sinful, violent, and ultimately inferior. Wheatley saw herself separate from her race but with enough connection to hope for compassion and their

salvation.

Since Phillis Wheatley lived over 200 years ago, we have no detailed documentations of her thoughts or reasoning for converting to Christianity or writing each of her works. Enslaved at such a young age might have been highly influenced by her owners, who gave her an education and exposed her to Christianity. The Wheatley family also encouraged her to write. We may consider the concept of assimilation in this context. Phillis Wheatley adopted and associated herself with the Wheatley family becoming educated and converting to Christianity. This could have caused a separation in viewpoints between her and enslaved Africans. It is possible Wheatley subconsciously begun to assimilate with her white owner family. It is also possible Phillis Wheatley adapted for her protection in order to maintain the status quo. If she utilized her education to speak against the white colonists and advocate for her African culture and religion she might have been persecuted, discredited, or simply overlooked. However, an educated enslaved African woman advocating for Christianity and the conversion of Africans to Christianity differentiated Wheatley as an influential women with the ability to connect both races.

Phillis Wheatley took a position between enslaved Africans and white colonists in order to reach both groups with the intention of to advocating for Christianity. Receiving an education at such a young age allowed Wheatley to publish poetry beginning at age 12. This led her to publish a book with her collections, making Wheatley the first African America to do so. This gave Africans across America a person they associate themselves with and a guide to a newfound religion. Instead of protesting the suppression of African culture, she advocated for the conversion of Africans to Christianity. This appeased white colonists, even though she encouraged mercy for Africans, arguing that Africans can be refined and converted, displaying herself as proof. The poem “On Being Brought back from Africa” brought together all of these characteristics, depicting Wheatley’s conversion, appealing to colonial reasoning, and stating Africans can be converted and refined.

Utilizing her privilege as an educated African woman, Phillis Wheatley wrote “On Being Brought back from Africa” to appeal to Africans and white colonists through the topic or religion, specifically Christianity. Phillis Wheatley learned to read and write as an enslaved African, which rarely happened. In addition to her education, she was encouraged to write and publish her works advocating for Christianity. “On Being Brought back from Africa” Wheatley speaks to her conversion to Christianity as an African, but slightly separates herself from the African race in order to appeal to white colonists. Her overall argument is that Africans can be converted and refined, using herself as an example. Wheatley being an enslaved African herself holds a connection to all enslaved Africans, whereas her education and religious conversion allows her to connect to white colonists. However, since Wheatley received her education at such a young age and living as perceived inferior race we must consider if she was pressured into conversion and advocacy consciously or subconsciously