Commemorating the Boston Tea Party’s 250th Anniversary
By: Angela Redding | Los Angeles, CA | Hollywood Beat magazine | December 30, 2023
Photos: Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum
The Dartmouth, the first of three Boston Tea Party ships loaded with tea, as well as Wheatley’s book Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, arrived in Boston 250 years ago.
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is pleased to present the newest addition to its collection: a first-edition of Phillis Wheatley’s well-known book Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, which was brought to Boston 250 years ago November 28th aboard the Dartmouth, the first of three Boston Tea Party Ships to dock in Boston Harbor. The 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, a significant occasion that irreversibly altered the trajectory of American history, fell on December 16, 2023.
Phillis Wheatley was a gifted poet who became well-known throughout the world and is now considered an important part of literature. She is only the third woman in America to publish a book of poetry and the first woman of African heritage who was formerly enslaved in both Britain and America.
What is the Relationship Between the Boston Tea Party and Ms. Wheatley?
The first of the three Boston Tea Party Ships, the Dartmouth, arrived in Boston on November 28th, precisely 250 years ago. A different kind of package was tucked away among the East India Company tea that the Dartmouth was carrying. This one would contain a shipment of Phillis Wheatley‘s recently released Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. In its day, this book caused a literary sensation. In 1765, Ms. Wheatley penned her first poem. Six years later, in 1773, the year of the Boston Tea Party and her emancipation from slavery, she published her renowned collection of poems.
This book was purchased by the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum at a Texas auction that specialized in historic relics.
The Plan is to Create a Permanent Exhibition of Phillis Wheatley, Showcasing Her Life and Connection to the Boston Tea Party
“We are thrilled to have secured this significant new acquisition of a first edition copy of Phillis Wheatley’s famous book in this, the 250th Boston Tea Party anniversary year,” says Shawn P. Ford, VP and Executive Director of the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum. He continues, “We will begin designing and programming a new and permanent exhibition of Phillis Wheatley, telling her story and connection to the Boston Tea Party, with this newly acquired gem of a book as the centerpiece. This new exhibit will be unveiled at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum in late 2024 or early 2025. In the meantime, we will be hosting a temporary pop-up exhibit at the museum that launches today to be sure her story gets told leading up to the 250th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party next month.”
A Pop-up Exhibition in Abigail’s Tea Room Featuring Wheatley’s Poetry
From November 28 to December 5, the date of Ms. Wheatley’s death in 1784, The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum staged a temporary pop-up exhibition in Abigail’s Tea Room that featured the recently acquired book of poetry.
A replica of Phillis Wheatley‘s dress, as seen in the frontispiece of her book, and a recent photography exhibit featuring the author during different phases of her life, captured by Boston, Massachusetts-based Haitian-American professional photographer Valerie Anselme.
A Brief Overview of Phillis Wheatley’s Life and Work
Around 1753, Phillis Wheatley was born in West Africa, most likely in what is now Senegal or the Gambia. She was taken prisoner at the age of seven, shipped to the Americas apart from her family, and bought by the Wheatley family in Boston. ‘Phillis’ was the new name given by the family in honor of the ship that had carried her over the Atlantic.
Phillis worked as a servant for the Wheatley family, who taught her how to read and write. She studied various subjects, such as British literature, Greek, and Latin. She even learned to translate both languages and write poetry. Some of her early poems were published in local newspapers and pamphlets. By the time she turned 18, she had written enough poems to fill a book.
When she was 20 years old, Phillis was given the responsibility of accompanying Nathaniel, the eldest son of the family, to England. It was there that she successfully published her poetry collection in 1773, becoming the first African American and African American woman to achieve this feat.
Her book, a success, was praised for its classical themes, Christianity, and African heritage, while critics criticized her sophisticated writing style. She also spoke out against slavery.
Phillis, legally freed in 1778, married John Peters but faced racism and hardships during the War of Independence. They struggled with ill health, low income, and infant deaths.
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