Primary sourceSpeech1768
To the King's Most Excellent Majesty
Phillis Wheatley · 1768
An early 1768 poem by Phillis Wheatley praising King George III for repealing the Stamp Act, showing her engagement with imperial politics.
Written by Wheatley herself, this early poem shows her political awareness and literary engagement at a young age.
About this source
What it is
Written in 1768 by Phillis Wheatley, this poem addresses King George III directly, thanking him for repealing the Stamp Act.
Why it matters
This early poem shows Wheatley, still a teenager, engaging with major political events of her time. It reveals her awareness of imperial politics and her willingness to address a monarch, even as an enslaved person with no political standing of her own.
Look closer
- Why might Wheatley choose to write about the repeal of the Stamp Act?
- What does her praise of the king suggest about her political views at this early stage?
- How might her status as an enslaved person have shaped the way she wrote about freedom and kings?
This speech is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Phyllis Wheatley on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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