The U.S. Postal Service is releasing a new stamp featuring a portrait of Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784), the first author of African descent in the American colonies to publish a book.
Born in West Africa and brought to Boston on a slave ship, Phillis was enslaved by John Wheatley and educated in his household. In 1773, Phillis was freed from slavery and soon published her first poetry collection, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. She went on to correspond with several prominent figures, including George Washington, who praised her work and extended an invitation to meet. While she continued to pen individual poems, Phillis was unable to publish another book before her untimely death at age 31.
The Phillis Wheatley Stamps will be released on January 29.
