Introduction
The illustration that Phillis Wheatley portrays in history is an African-American woman who wrote poetry. Her life goes more into depths that what is perceived, however. Phillis Wheatley uses her poetry as a unique way to get out the truth. Through poems such as On Being Brought From Africa to America and the poem about Lee, she made statements about was what going on at that time; a revolution. Phillis Wheatley was known as a revolutionary mother, for she gave hope to slaves, ease to whites, and was an influence to America. She was not known for conflict or trying to start an argument, but she more known for personalizing her thoughts onto a piece of paper, read by all of America. Her ideas were used as an influence during the revolutionary war. Phillis Wheatley was not an ordinary slave, but she was accepted into society my the majority. The family who raised her, taught her how to read and write, and she slowly turned into a woman of the revolution.
Biography and Accomplishments
Phillis Wheatley was born in about 1753, in Gambia, Africa. She was kidnapped when she was seven or eight years old, in 1761, and brought to America. John Wheatley bought her at the Boston docks for his wife, Savanna, who was in need of a young servant. The Wheatley's gave her the name Phillis, and also let their 18-year old daughter teach her the English language. Their daughter, Mary, realized very quickly that Phillis was an entertaining mimic and could learn to read very fast. Phillis was given lessons from the Bible, which were meant to be quite difficult, but Phillis learned so quickly that the family didn't know what to do with it. Only after a few short months, this girl had already learned so much and was even found to know ...
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...h the Matthew Newkirk Memorial Fund]
http://womenshistory.about.com/library/bio/blbio_phillis_wheatley.htm
[Jone Johnson Lewis]
Engle, Paul: Women in the American Revolution; 1976: Follett Publishing Company, Chicago
Berkin, Carol: Revolutionary Mothers; 2005: Alfred A. Knoff, New York
Appendix
On Being Brought from AFRICA to AMERICA
Phyllis Wheatley
'Twas mercy brought me from my pagan land,
Taught my benighted soul to understand
That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too:
Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.
Some view our sable race with scornful eye,
"Their colour is a diabolic die."
Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain,
May be refined, and join th' angelic train.
[http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?documentprint=620]
Andrew Griscom, Betsy Ross’s great-grandfather, was a successful Quaker carpenter whom emigrated from England to New Jersey. {1} He was also of firm Quaker belief, and he was encouraged to move to Philadelphia to become an early participant in William Penn's "Holy Experiment”. {1}The “Holy Experiment” was a colony for the Quakers to practice their beliefs. {2} This colony became a place for Quakers to live without persecution and a center of religious freedom in the colonies.{2} Griscom set up his business in town and taught his son to be a carpenter. {2} Both Griscom's son and grandson became respected carpenters as well. {1}They both have their names inscribed on a wall at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia. {1}It seems that Andrew passed his skills on to his grandson as well, Samuel Griscom. {2} Samuel helped build the bell tower at the Pennsylvania State House or Independence Hall. {1}Without radios, televisions, or internet to provide the news, bells like this one was very important. {2}The bells announce births, deaths, and brought people together to hear important news. {2}Samuel married Rebecca James who was a member of a wealthy Quaker merchant family. {1} Rebeca and Samuel Griscom had a big family. Elizabeth Griscom was their eighth child out of seventeen and fourth-generation American. Elizabeth was born on January 1, of 1752 in west Jersey Pennsylvania, right outside of Philadelphia, and went by Betsy. {2}
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Wheatley was born in West Africa around 1750, and was captured when she was 7. John Wheatley purchased Phillis for his wife, Susanna; together they taught Phillis how to read and write, and as early as 12, Phillis was writing poetry and her first poem had been published. Wheatley’s poems implicitly advocated for racial equality, while condemning slavery. Her work received some negative feedback from political figureheads, such as Thomas Jefferson. White America classified a human as having the ability to read, write, and reason; therefore, leaving no room for the uneducated Africans, seeing Africans as nonhuman. Jefferson claimed Wheatley’s work was not literature because the moment he admitted Wheatley’s work was indeed literature, he would have had to admit she was a human being. The way Phillis Wheatley handled the adversity she faced is admirable. Wheatley definitely impacted American history, and “owes her place in history to advocates of inequality” (Young 1999
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As time passed, Phillis was considered more like a part of the family than a slave. Phillis received an extensive education, which was comparable to that of a wealthy white man (Mason 4). Mary, the Wheatley's daughter, was an aspiring teacher and taught the Arabic-speaking girl English and ...
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Gladys Smith was a small town girl that became famous as a young child. As a young child Gladys Smith no longer Gladys Smith, she was renamed by a director by the name of David Belasco. He changed her name from Gladys Smith to Mary Pickford from then on everyone has known her as Mary Pickford.
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