Lesson 15:The Life of Phillis Wheatley

the newspaper printed “On Messrs. Hussey and Coffin.”It was Phillis’s first published poem. She was just 14years old.Phillis continued to write poetry. She wrote poemsabout events that led to the American Revolution. Shewrote about the Stamp Act. With this act, Britain taxedAmerican colonists for printed paper. Many colonists feltthat the tax was unfair. Phillis also wrote a poem about theBoston Massacre. At this event, British soldiers shot atprotesters. Another poem was about a boy who was killedby a British Loyalist.Phillis Wheatley wrote a poem about how Mister Hussey andMister Coffin almost died at sea in a storm.11