Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral

…enslaved in Boston, dedicated her Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral (1773), the first African American book, to proving that “Negros, Black as Cain,” were not inherently inferior to whites in matters of the spirit and thus could “join th’ angelic train” as spiritual equals to whites. Composing poems…

Her first book, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, in which many of her poems were first printed, was published there in 1773. Wheatley’s literary talent and personal qualities contributed to her great social success in London. That she was enslaved also drew particular attention in the…