Nov 12, 2009

To His Excellency General Washington | The Interaction Between George Washington and Phillis Wheatley in the Aftermath of Her Writing

In the following essay, Richmond examines
the interaction between George Washington and
Phillis Wheatley in the aftermath of her writing “To
His Excellency General Washington.”

So many visitors came flocking to General Washington’s headquarters at Cambridge early in 1776 that one chronicler of the proceedings there chose apologetically not to set down the long list.

“I cannot refrain, however,” he interjected, “from noticing the visit of one, who, though a dark child from Africa and a bondwoman, received the most polite attention of the Commander-in-Chief. This was Phillis, a slave of Mr. Wheatley, of Boston . . . She passed half an hour with the Commanderin- Chief, from whom and his officers, she received marked attention.”

Having...