Emigrating from Germany in 1759, Phillips worked off his passage as an indentured servant in Charleston, South Carolina. He moved to the North in 1759, becoming a merchant in New York City and then moving to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Phillips left Germany in 1759 and spent time in Charleston, South Carolina, working off his passage as an indentured servant. He then made his way north, eventually settling in New York City and later moving to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.