Phillis Wheatley (c. 1753–1784)

On December 5, 1784, Phillis Wheatley died in Boston at about age 31, after years marked by sickness, widowhood, and poverty. Though her final season was quiet and largely unsupported, her life remains a public testimony that the Lord sustains faith under affliction and can make a believer fruitful in unlikely soil.

Boston, Enslavement, and Learning

Kidnapped from West Africa as a child, Wheatley was carried across the Atlantic and sold in Boston in 1761, taking the name of the ship that transported her. In the Wheatley household—John and Susanna Wheatley—she was taught to read and soon mastered English as a second language with remarkable speed. Her early education, rare for an enslaved girl in colonial New England, became a providential means by which she could speak to a broader world about God’s rule, human dignity, and the hope of redemption.

Poems on Various Subjects (1773)

Her landmark volume, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, was published in London in 1773, aided by patrons and friends who recognized both her skill and her character. Wheatley’s poems often lift the eyes from earthly injustice to the certainty of divine governance, pressing readers to consider eternity and the claims of Christ. She also corresponded with leading figures of her day, including George Washington, showing unusual courage and clarity as she addressed matters of liberty and virtue while still bearing the burdens of her station.

Hardship, Perseverance, and Hope

After gaining her freedom, Wheatley’s later work struggled to find financial backing. She married John Peters, endured the loss of children, and faced severe material need in Boston. Yet her story illustrates that usefulness is not measured by comfort or applause. “And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Her endurance also echoes the Lord’s word: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Enduring Significance

Wheatley’s heroism was not loud, but steadfast: she stewarded hard-won learning, spoke with moral seriousness, and bore witness to grace under oppression. Her life urges believers to persevere, to honor the image of God in all people, and to offer every gift—language, intellect, and influence—for Christ.