Africans were brought over on slave ships,
as was Wheatley, having been kidnapped or sold
by other Africans, and were used for field labor
or as household workers. Later generations of
slaves were born into captivity. Most of the
slaves were held on the southern plantations,
but blacks were house servants in the North,
and most wealthy families were expected to
have them. The prosperous Wheatley family of
Boston had several slaves, but the poet was
treated from the beginning as a companion to
the family and above the other servants.
The Puritan attitude toward slaves was
somewhat liberal, as slaves were considered part
of the family and were often educated so that
they could be converted to Christianity. In the
South, masters frequently forbade slaves to learn
to read or gather in groups to worship or convert
other slaves, as literacy and Christianity were
potent equalizing forces. Later rebellions in the
South were often fostered by black Christian
ministers, a tradition that was epitomized by
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s civil rights move-
ment. Slaves felt that Christianity validated their
equality with their masters. The masters, on the
other hand, claimed that the Bible recorded and
condoned the practice of slavery.
Wheatley was bought as a starving child and
transformed into a prodigy in a few short years
of training. She did light housework because of
her frailty and often visited and conversed in the
social circles of Boston, the pride of her masters.
She was the first African American to publish a
full book, although other slave authors, such asCOMPARE
&
CONTRAST 1770s:Wheatley is the first recognized Afri-
can American poet. She is a curiosity and a
popular phenomenon, in London and Bos-
ton alike, and is sought out or commented
on by all the great people of the day. Never-
theless, she dies in poverty.
Today:Oprah Winfrey is the first African
American television correspondent; she
becomes a global media figure, actress,
and philanthropist. Unlike Wheatley, her
success continues to increase, and she is
one of the richest people in America.
1770s: Both Britain and America make
promises to enlist black troops for the war.
Washington refuses to use black soldiers,
however, until he sees the British recruiting
close to 10,000 with the promise of freedom.
Most black soldiers on both sides die; few
gain the freedom they expected.
Today:Since the Vietnam War, military serv-
ice represents one of the equalizing opportu-
nities for blacks to gain education, status,
and benefits. An example is the precedent
of General Colin Powell, who served aschairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during
the Gulf War (a post equal to Washington’s
during the Revolution). During the war in
Iraq, black recruitment falls off, in part due
to the many more civil career options open to
young blacks.
1770s: Thomas Jefferson pronounces the
poetry of Phillis Wheatley imitative and
states that Africans are unable to produce
art.
Today:African American women are regu-
larly winners of the highest literary prizes; for
instance, Toni Morrison won the 1993 Nobel
Prize for Literature, and Suzan-Lori Parks
won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
1770s:Most African Americans are enslaved
and uneducated. Wheatley is unusual in
being literate and able to participate in
white society.
Today:African Americans are educated and
hold political office, even becoming serious
contenders for the office of president of the
United States.On Being Brought from Africa to America