Second lecture in the series, Freedom and Unfreedom in Essex County"Phillis Wheatley Peters: Poetry, Slavery and The American Revolution"

A lecture given by Jeanne Pickering, independent scholar of 18th century New England

Phillis Wheatley was a celebrated yet enslaved Revolutionary era poet and the first African-American woman published in America. Her poetry highlighted the causes of equality and freedom and was widely read in America and England by Patriot leaders such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. In 1778, she married and little had been known about her life afterwards. New scholarship has revealed that the Peters family moved to Middleton with unexpected consequences. Jeanne Pickering explains the meaning of Wheatley-Peters’ poetry within the social and political aspects of her time and the extraordinary events that followed her move to Middleton.  

Jeanne Pickering is an independent scholar of eighteenth century New England slavery. She holds a MA in  History from Salem State University and is the Vice-President of the Topsfield Historical Society.

The lecture is an in-person presentation. However, all registrants will receive an email the day before the event with a ZOOM option for participation. With this type of ZOOM presentation you will be able to ask questions or make comments in the chat room only. Your questions will be answered live on the ZOOM video after the lecturer has finished the presentation. 

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