After Phillis Wheatley received her freedom, she continued to live and look after Susannah Wheatley, whose health was continuously failing. In March of 1774 she passed.
As a free person, Phillis' writings took on a more advocacy tone against slavery and more openly in favor of the colonialist cause. Simultaneously, the tensions between Britain and the colonies were becoming more strident.
Phillis was anxiously waiting for her books to arrive so that she could earn a living by selling them. She was the first African American to be published and the second American Woman. In May of 1774 they finally came. It was a good thing they came then, because in June of that year the British set up a blockade preventing shipments from entering the colonies.
About a year after Susannah Wheatley's death, the American Revolution was underway. In October of 1775 Phillis wrote a poem about George Washington. He was impressed enough to invite her to his headquarters. The historical record shows that during March of 1776, George Washington received Phillis Wheatley in his headquarters for about 30 minutes.
On July 4th of that same year—which would become the most famous in American history—the Declaration of Independence would be issued.
Phillis as a free person was on her own and had to fend for herself. Times were tough for everyone in the colonies, let alone persons of color. She soon realized that the education and training that she had received was not adequate to make it as a free person.
Then John Wheatley died in early 1778. Now Phillis was without any of the people who had looked after her. She was on her own now more than ever.
During Phillis' correspondences with her friend, Obour Tanner, she met a man named John Peters. He was a free black who often delivered the messages between them.
Phillis and John Peters later married and had three children. Phillis' health was still frail. So too was the health of her children, all of whom died in infancy.
The Peters also fell on rough times economically. All of this took its toll on Phillis. Her continuously poor health suffered greatly because of the demands of the times and conditions under which she had to live.
On December 5, 1884, Phillis' ordeal came an end. She died in her boarding house bed at the tender age of 31.