“Phillis Wheatly’s Poem on Tyranny and Slavery in the Colonies 1773”

Phillis was asked to write a poem for Legge in October 1772. It was named To the Right Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth. It was used to show the colonists hope for their new secretary of state of colonies to be less cruel. The poem also talks about Phillis’ life and her struggles. The poem was in her book Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral.

In the poem she talks about her difficult childhood. When she was a child, she was taken away from her parents and then was brought into slavery. It also describes her love of freedom. She discovered this love by being a slave. England’s relationship with the colonies is compared to the relation between a slave and his/her slave holder.

This is important to US History because Phillis Wheatly became the first English-speaking person of African descent to publish a book. Phillis’ owner was John Wheatly, he bought her in 1761. When the discovered her intelligence, they taught her how to read and write. With the help of the Wheatly’s, she was introduced to many important people. Although the Wheatlys are slave owners, they were very kind to offer her an education.

“The Creek Indians, Blacks, and Slavery”

The Creek Indians participated in slavery, but they had a different perception of it. They believed it did not matter what ethnicity you were. During the deerskin trades, they experience black slaves being owned by white people. Soon after their meeting, Creek Indians started buying slaves. The blacks introduced the Creek Indians to new ideas and skills.

All of these events where happening during 1700-1817. The blacks help to produce the Civil War of 1813-1814. After the lost, the Red Sticks and some blacks created communities among the Seminoles in Florida. The Seminoles are a very well known Indian Tribe. They are known for being