About Phillis Wheatley:

Kidnapped at the age of seven from West Africa, Phillis Wheatley was brought to Boston in 1761. She was purchased by John Wheatley to work as his wife’s personal servant. The Wheatley’s quickly noticed that Phillis was unusually gifted. Although she was a servant, they encouraged her to learn to read and write which she mastered in less than two years. She also read the Bible and learned Greek and Latin.