Phillis Wheatley: Crash Course Black American History #7

Despite all the hardship of being a Black person in Colonial America, some Black people were able to defy the harsh conditions and create art. Today we're learning about a teenager who attained literacy and wrote poems that reached a large slice of the population and helped changed the ways that white Colonists thought about Black people.

VIDEO SOURCES

Catherine Adams and Elizabeth H. Pleck, Love of Freedom: Black Women in Colonial and Revolutionary New England (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010).
Vincent Carretta, Phillis Wheatley: Biography of a Genius in Bondage (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2011).
Woody Holton, Black Americans in the Revolutionary Era: A Brief History with Documents (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2009).
·Winthrop D. Jordan, White Over Black: American Attitudes Toward the Negro, 1550-1812 (Chapel Hill: Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, 1969).
Jessica M. Parr, Inventing George Whitefield: Race, Revivalism, and the Making of a Religious Icon (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi Press, 2015).
Claude Sumner, The Light and the Shadow: Zera Yacob and Walda Heywat: Two Ethiopian Philosophers of the Seventeenth Century 172–182 (2005).
Waddill v. Chamberlayne, 1735 Va. LEXIS 3 (Apr. 1, 1735).


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VIDEO SOURCES

-Catherine Adams and Elizabeth H. Pleck, Love of Freedom: Black Women in Colonial and Revolutionary New England (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010).
-Vincent Carretta, Phillis Wheatley: Biography of a Genius in Bondage (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2011).
-Woody Holton, Black Americans in the Revolutionary Era: A Brief History with Documents (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2009).
·-Winthrop D. Jordan, White Over Black: American Attitudes Toward the Negro, 1550-1812 (Chapel Hill: Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, 1969).
-Jessica M. Parr, Inventing George Whitefield: Race, Revivalism, and the Making of a Religious Icon (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi Press, 2015).
-Claude Sumner, The Light and the Shadow: Zera Yacob and Walda Heywat: Two Ethiopian Philosophers of the Seventeenth Century 172–182 (2005).
-Waddill v. Chamberlayne, 1735 Va. LEXIS 3 (Apr. 1, 1735).

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[pdxcorgidad]

"Slavery was what was being done TO them; it was not who they were."

[ajt]

Thank you for addressing the fact that the ability to write does not equate to someone’s humanity. There are millions of people around the world without access to literacy & their humanity matters too. ❤️

[Liam_Mellon]

I feel lucky to have known about Phillis Wheatley since I was young. Lucky because I didn't learn about her in school, I learned about her on a kids tv show called "Liberty's Kids" on PBS, which I only watched because we didn't have cable.

[MjSchreiber]

As a white guy that didn't get taught this history in an American History class I'm glad Clint Smith can teach this history to us. The United States education system wants to leave too many important things out, and this is absolutely important history that white people need to know. As well as black people of course.

[jackavle]

I really like Clint's speech cadence. 👍🏻

[Rangersly]

This might be my favorite Crash Course series so far.

[stax]

Once again, an excellent episode. I really do feel like many of these things should be part of general learning in schools.

[TriniTrent]

I'm learning so much from this series! I'm a Trinidadian living in Trinidad, and this is helping to broaden my perspective of the black experience.

[TheInternetIsDeadToMe]

I’m mixed race and from the UK. I really appreciate the information you provide. I’ve always felt like there was a huge gap in my understanding of Black history. Thanks so much for the education.

[LuinTathren]

And, yet, I was never taught about her in school.

[dianeevans-blake]

Excellent presentation! I was taught about her at Biddleville Elementary School, an all Black School in Charlotte, NC.
Our teachers were also very knowledgeable.

[cleverhandle]

Oh man. I know her work! I studied her and Paul Lawrence Dunbar in high school. I had such a great teacher bc it wasn’t technically offered but he went out and got me the books anyways and taught me their work.

[sorensharp]

I'm a junior in college and I didn't know Phillis ever existed until just now. And I think that's a damn shame.

[yamiswife]

I remember learning about her and reading her poetry

[happosaai]

Hi Clint! Thank you so much for putting this series out. Almost all of the history in these videos was never taught to me in school, and I'm both happy and horrified to finally start learning the truth.

[DavidJamesHenry]

Happy Juneteenth Eve, it's now a National Holiday

Now we must fight to make it a paid day off in all 50 states

[RobinHerzig]

Much respect to Clint Smith and this project. I'm learning so much + I love it.

[williambilyeu]

Library of America recently issued a volume of "African American Poetry" and many of the poets mentioned are also printed in their "American Poetry: The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries." They have also issued "Slave Narratives" and "Antislavery Writings."

[ButterflySeraph]

Clint: *pulls out bonnet and quill pen*
Me: My man just pulled out a Looney Toons effect right here

[Zarsla]

Sooo excited to learn more about her, learned a little about her and I wish I knew about her earlier.