It was a poem dedicated to King George III which praised his decision to cancel the stamp act. (I) In 1770, she later became an instant hit and gained admiration for her work on a poem she wrote regarding the death of George Whitefield. He was an evangelical preacher. Her literary skills surprised many white people. They did not associate blacks with having such intelligence and literary capabilities. Many people were in such disbelief, that Phillis had to defend her works in a court of law to prove that she was indeed the author of her poetry. Although she was granted her due as a poet in 1773, Boston publishers refused to publish her work. She went to London to get her book published along with the help of Wheatley’s son, Nathaniel. 'Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral', featuring thirty-nine of Phillis Wheatley’s poems, became her first published work. (II) She gained popularity in both England and the United States.
After Mr. and Mrs. Wheatley died, she gained freedom from slavery. She was declared free as of October 18, 1773. She wrote a poem praising the accomplishments of George Washington and sent it to him. He was so impressed, that he invited her to his headquarters in 1775. In April of 1778, Phillis married a free black man named John Peters and moved away from Boston. Although they had three children together, they had an unhappy marriage. She eventually