Phillis Wheatley: A Revolutionary Poet

What country was Phillis Wheatley originally from before coming to America?

• England

• Senegal

• Ghana

• France

What was Phillis Wheatley best known for?

• Leading soldiers in battle

• Writing poetry

• Inventing a machine

• Painting portraits

Who taught Phillis Wheatley how to read and write?

• Her parents

• The Wheatley family

• Her school teacher

• Her friends

During the American Revolution, what did Phillis Wheatley use her poetry to support?

• The British army

• The Patriot cause

• The French Revolution

• The Loyalists

Which of the following best describes how Phillis Wheatley’s early life influenced her writing?

• She wrote about her experiences as a slave and her journey to America.

• She wrote only about nature and animals.

• She focused on stories from England.

• She never mentioned her past in her poems.

How did Phillis Wheatley’s poetry contribute to the American Revolution?

• By encouraging people to fight for independence through her words

• By making maps for the army

• By building forts

• By cooking for soldiers

Why was it significant that Phillis Wheatley’s book of poems was published?

• She was the first African American woman to publish a book of poetry.

• She was the first person to write about the American Revolution.

• She was the first to invent a new style of poetry.

• She was the first to write poems in French.

Imagine you are a Patriot during the American Revolution. How might reading Phillis Wheatley’s poems make you feel about the fight for freedom?

• It might inspire you to believe in the cause and keep fighting.

• It might make you want to move to another country.

• It might make you dislike poetry.

• It might make you want to stop reading.

Phillis Wheatley wrote a poem to George Washington. What does this suggest about her role in the Revolution?

• She was involved in important conversations and supported leaders of the Revolution.

• She was a soldier in the army.

• She was not interested in the Revolution.

• She only wrote poems for children.

Why is Phillis Wheatley considered an important figure in American history?

• She showed that African Americans could be talented writers and thinkers, challenging ideas about race and freedom.

• She was the first president of the United States.

• She invented the printing press.

• She discovered a new continent.