Sojourner Truth

By: Tammie Gaines

Sojourner Truth was born in Hurley, New York, 1797 to the name Isabella Baumfree. She was one of thirteen children who was born into slavery. She was sold many times until she escaped with her infant daughter in 1827. In 1843, she changed her name to Sojourner Truth due to religious feelings in which she was convinced that she heard heavenly voices. Sojourner means traveler and truth means being real or genuine. Sojourner stood nearly six feet tall and she was a brilliant speaker who spoke out against slavery and women rights. Her voice was low, so low that listeners termed it masculine and her singing voice was very beautiful. Whenever she spoke in public, she sang. She was a civil rights activist who helped many slaves escaped from plantation owners. She is known for her famous speech “Ain’t I A Woman” that was given 1851 at a woman’s convention in Akron, Ohio in which she challenged the notion that men are superior to women. During the Civil War she worked to support black Union soldiers, and after the war she continued to travel and preach on spiritual topics. Also, she continued to be an advocate for the rights of blacks and women. Sojourner was active until 1875, when her grandson and companion fell ill and died. She returned to Michigan where her health deteriorated and she later died at the age of 84 in 1883 of infected leg ulcers.
Sojourner Truth was a unique woman who fought the hard battle for the rights of blacks and women. She spoke in public spreading the word in order to achieve equality for the rights of these two groups. She was a brilliant speaker and activist who chose to help two minority groups of people gain equality.


Picture of Sojourner Truth retrieved from: http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0768462.html and http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112391/sojourner_truth.htm
"http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/.html." The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia.
© 1994, 2000-2006, on Fact Monster. © 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Fact Monster. 17 Feb. 2010 .