Meetings

Our chapter meetings are held at 2:00 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month, September through May.

Our History

The newest chapter in the Virginia DAR, Phillis Wheatley Chapter, NSDAR, was organized on October 11, 2020 by Shannon Combs-Bennett in Haymarket, Virginia.

Behind the Name

Phillis Wheatley was the first enslaved poet, and among only a handful of women from the American Colonies who were published. There were doubts that any slave, or woman, could produce such works. On October 8, 1772, Wheatley, then about 18 years of age, was interviewed by 18 gentlemen of Boston including the Reverend Samuel Mather and John Hancock. There is no transcript of this review, but all present signed the attestation that the poems attributed to Phillis Wheatley were her works.

Most known for her poetry, including “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral” published in 1773, Phillis also kept up a vigorous correspondence with great minds and powerful people. She corresponded with the Reverend Samson Occom, a Mohegan who was also a Presbyterian minister. In 1775 she sent a copy of a poem entitled "To His Excellency, George Washington" to the General. The following year, Washington invited Wheatley to visit him at his headquarters in Massachusetts.

Membership

New members are welcome! Please use the Contact form below to request information and meeting location.