Though most slaves were not allowed any sort of education, this was not the case for Phillis Wheatley, a seven-year old girl who was kidnapped into slavery in 1760. Her owners taught her to read Greek, Latin and passages from the Bible. They recognized her writing talents, and encouraged her to write poetry. In 1773, Wheatley became the author of the first volume of poetry ever published by an African American: Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. This book of poems, 39 in all, reflected the education she received as a child, and often had religious themes. When her owners died, Wheatley was freed. She built a family of her own and continued to write poetry. Unfortunately, none of her other poems have been found, leaving Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral as the only example of her talents.