Biography of 18th century poet Phillis Wheatley is winner of George Washington Prize

[September 26, 2024]  NEW YORK (AP) — The author of a new biography of Phillis Wheatley, one of the country's first major poets, has received a $50,000 history award. 

David Waldstreicher's “The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley: A Poet's Journey Through American Slavery and Independence" is this year's winner of the George Washington Prize, which honors works arising from the Revolutionary War era. Wheatley was the first American Black woman to publish a book and was among the most famous writers of her time, her many admirers including Washington.

The Washington prize is jointly presented by Washington College, the Gilder Lehman Institute of American History and by the maintainers of Washington's home in Mount Vernon, Virginia.

“Phillis Wheatley was admired by George Washington, and she led an extraordinary American life. Despite enslavement to a Boston merchant family, she rose to become an unforgettable poet. Her exquisite verse was fearless in questioning issues such as slavery and discontent with British rule," Doug Bradburn, president and CEO of Mount Vernon, said in a statement. "David Waldstreicher’s compelling biography offers a long overdue account of Wheatley’s life and works, expanding our understanding of America’s complex history.”

The prize was created in 2005, with previous winners including Ron Chernow, Annette Gordon-Reed and Rick Atkinson.

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