1773
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Key events
- September 1773Phillis Wheatley Publishes First Book of Poetry by a Black American
Phillis Wheatley, an enslaved woman in Boston, published Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral in London in 1773, the first book of poetry published by a Black American and only the third book published by an American woman. Her achievement prompted a celebrated examination by Boston's leading men who certified her authorship.
- September 1773Phillis Wheatley publishes her Poems
Phillis Wheatley becomes the first African American to publish a book of poetry, refuting claims about Black intellect.
- c. 1773· debatedSilver Bluff Baptist — the first Black church
Enslaved and free Black Baptists found Silver Bluff Baptist Church in South Carolina, often called the first Black church in America.
Resources from this period
Primary sources·1
Videos·1
Phillis Wheatley — Crash Course Black American History #7
CrashCourse