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But she was born in West Africa
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Ex Libris: The New York Public Library

But she was born in West Africa and sold into slavery when she was seven and brought here...

But she was born in West Africa and sold into slavery when she was seven and brought here and purchased by the Wheatley family of Boston, who taught her to read and write and seemed to have encouraged her poetry

Full Transcript

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But she was born in West Africa
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and sold into slavery when she was seven
00:00:05.005 --> 00:00:07.707
and brought here and purchased
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by the Wheatley family of Boston,
00:00:09.333 --> 00:00:10.458
who taught her to read and write
00:00:10.458 --> 00:00:12.079
and seemed to have encouraged her poetry.
Duration
14 seconds
Views
16
Timestamp in Movie
02:55:02
Uploaded
Oct 29, 2025
Genres
documentary
Production
Zipporah Films,JustFilms / Ford Foundation,PBS

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Movie Summary

A look within the walls of the New York Public Library.
She arrived in Boston on the 11th of July 1761 - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:14
She arrived in Boston on the 11th of July 1761
When the Wheatleys died, - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:07
When the Wheatleys died,
Peters was imprisoned for debt - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:12
Peters was imprisoned for debt
So her poems are her only legacy. - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:06
So her poems are her only legacy.
Schomburg has Arthur Schomburg's own copy of an elegiac poem - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:12
Schomburg has Arthur Schomburg's own copy of an elegiac...
And the personal chaplain of Selina Hastings, - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:09
And the personal chaplain of Selina Hastings,
Wheatley's Whitefield elegy brought her into national fame, - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:09
Wheatley's Whitefield elegy brought her into national...
And her reputation was reinforced - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:17
And her reputation was reinforced
So what we have here on display - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:05
So what we have here on display
As I say, his copy of the first poem Wheatley published, - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:12
As I say, his copy of the first poem Wheatley published,
His London magazine with the poem "Recollection," - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:12
His London magazine with the poem "Recollection,"
That book, which was published the year Wheatley died - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:13
That book, which was published the year Wheatley died
In a famous poem about her enslavement, Wheatley wrote, - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:32
In a famous poem about her enslavement, Wheatley wrote,
In 1776 Wheatley wrote a letter and a poem - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:28
In 1776 Wheatley wrote a letter and a poem
Unless there is other business before the board, - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:09
Unless there is other business before the board,
Yes, that's, I always forget the smile part. - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:05
Yes, that's, I always forget the smile part.
Eyes wide open, smiles. - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:05
Eyes wide open, smiles.
You've talked about reparations, - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:18
You've talked about reparations,
That's... that's... Either these are explorations - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:08
That's... that's... Either these are explorations
But here, and probably surprising to many, - Ex Libris: The New York Public Library 00:09
But here, and probably surprising to many,