Phillis Wheatley: What It Means To Be An American

When picking an author that is the “epitome of what it means to be an American,” one author in particular stands out to me every time, and it is an author who is probably not considered by many to be an “American” author. Her name is Phillis Wheatley. Through her writings, Wheatley expresses her patriotism and overall respect for life in America, gaining her recognition by critics and fans alike, and a major spot in the topic of American Literature. Within my essay, I aim to prove how Wheatley deserves the title of being labeled an American, and how she embodies the topic of what it means to be an American.

Readers unfamiliar with Phillis Wheatley may wonder of her background and who she was in particular to be able to gain rights to be mentioned in early American literature. Wheatley was born in 1753 and was captured by Africans, and sold to an American family known as the Wheatley’s. She quickly became a member of the Wheatley family, living in the home, and being tutored on reading and writing.

Her writings became published throughout the colonies, and eventually a book published overseas, which gained her freedom in October of 1773. During the course of her life, our nation’s first president, George Washington, praised Wheatley for her writings of independence of America. She was a notable character, indeed, which led to her recognition within American literature.
In Wheatley’s first published work, On Being Brought from Africa to America, Wheatley says “Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there’s a God, that there’s a Savior too:” This is perhaps the first example of Wheatley’s patriotism, or being an American, as she says it is “mercy” that brought her to America, showing her appreciation for being here.

Appreciation of being in America is a notable trait of what it means to be an American, as a true American enjoys being here. She also notes her discovery of religion by being brought here, and while the “melting pot” is America’s trademark, her recognition of Christianity (75% of Americans recognize themselves as Christians) sparks yet another characteristic of her being an example of an American. Christian or not, her being comfortable with her religion, as she expresses in other poems, is a prime example of Americanism as we encourage everyone to freely express

themselves.
In an article written by Robert Kendrick, (Re-membering America: Phillis Wheatley’s Intertextual Epic), he mentions that “she develops a distinctly American epic intertextually within the body of her work.” A prime example of Wheatley developing this American epic and her patriotism in general is written within her poem, His Excellency George Washington. Within this writing she states, “The land of freedom’s heaven-defended race! Fix’d are the eyes of nations on the scales, for in their hopes Columbia’s arm prevails.” In this exclamation, Wheatley writes of her, and others, hopes that America prevails in the war, as freedom is seen as the outcome. These two sentences alone are the epitome of being an American, as she is exclaiming her hope and belief in America prevailing over the enemy. An American is someone who believes in their country, their leaders, and their defenders and Wheatley expresses this very same attitude. Also within this writing, Wheatley goes on to directly speak to George Washington, is which she tells him, “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.” Her direct message to Washington exemplifies patriotism as she praises and encourages her leader to be victorious, showing not only her respect, but love of the country in general. As mentioned earlier, Washington sends praise to her later in life for her writings of independence and her belief in him overall. As an American, it is difficult to not recognize Wheatley as an example of the same with her profound encouragement to our leaders while engaging in a war that ended up shaping our entire nation.
Within my writing, I have undoubtedly proved to myself and hopefully my reader that Wheatley not only deserves, but earned her place as an example of an American and what it means to be one. America was founded on exploration, so her critics’ claim of her being from Africa affects her place as an “American” is invalid. Her birthplace has nothing to do with her capability of representing America. Through her writings Wheatley expressed not only her appreciation, but patriotism for America, earning her a place within literature. Anne Applegate writes in her journal Phillis Wheatley: Her Critics and her Contribution, “for many reasons, her poetry is definitely worthy of consideration in the study of early American literature. Viewed in light of her background, her accomplishments are notable…..Phillis made a worthy contribution as a minor poet to American literature of the eighteenth century, and should be recognized not only as a notable Black writer, but also as a notable American author.” To keep Applegate’s claim going, Wheatley has beyond proved herself worthy of worldwide recognition. Unfortunately, she is mostly viewed as notable Black writer, and seldom gains appreciation as an established American author. Her respect, patriotism, and love of America should gain her recognition in every aspect. She should be mentioned as an example of an American, and also as a writer worthy of not only placement, but praise within the subject of American literature.