Phillis Wheatley, African-American Poet
Thursday, May 26:00—7:15 PMMeeting Room AFlint Public Library1 South Main Street, Middleton, MA, 01949
Meeting Room BFlint Public Library1 South Main Street, Middleton, MA, 01949
Meeting Rooms A+BFlint Public Library1 South Main Street, Middleton, MA, 01949
Did you know that the celebrated poet Phillis Wheatley lived in Middleton?
Join us for a presentation from Jeanne Pickering about Wheatley's life in town, and the meaning of her poetry in the context of sociopolitical environment in which she lived.
Kidnapped and enslaved in Boston during the Revolutionary Era, Phillis Wheatley was the first published African-American female poet in the United States. Her work highlighted the causes of equality and freedom and was widely read in America and England by Patriot leaders such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. In 1778, she married and little has been known about her life afterwards.
New research has revealed information about the three years of Wheatley's life after she married and left Boston. Jeanne Pickering will discuss these exciting revelations, including the unexpected consequences faced by Wheatley and her husband after they moved to Middleton.
About the Presenter
Jeanne Pickering is an independent scholar of eighteenth century New England slavery. She holds a MA in History from Salem State University and is the Vice-President of the Topsfield Historical Society.
Offered in partnership with the Middleton Historical Society
No Registration Required