Phyllis Wheatley

A young girl believed to be between the ages of six and eight came to America aboard a slave ship in 1761. This young girl, Phillis Wheatley, was believed to have come from Ethiopia or Senegal, West Africa, and left a substantial mark on American history. She was to overcome the inhumane institution of slavery to become one of this country’s greatest poets and the first black American woman to publish a book.