Sojourner Truth (c. 1797–November 26, 1883) was the self-given name, from 1843, of Isabella Baumfree, an American abolitionist and women's rights activist. Truth was born into slavery in Swartekill, New York. Her best-known speech, which became known as Ain't I a Woman?, was delivered in 1851 at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (514x628, 92 KB) The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... 1797 (MDCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Highland is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in Ulster County, New York, United States. ... This article is about the state. ... is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the city of Battle Creek, Michigan. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Largest metro area Metro Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... A poster featuring an illustration of a stereotypical uniformed maid A domestic worker, or simply domestic, is a servant who works within their employers household. ... This article is about the abolition of slavery. ... For other uses, see Author (disambiguation). ... is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the abolition of slavery. ... The term women’s rights typically refers to freedoms inherently possessed by women and girls of all ages, which may be institutionalized or ignored and/or illegitimately suppressed by law or custom in a particular society. ... Slave redirects here. ... Highland is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in Ulster County, New York, United States. ... This article is about the state. ... Aint I A Woman? is a speech by Sojourner Truth, delivered in 1851 at the Womens Convention in Akron, Ohio. ... Nickname: The Rubber Capital of the World Location within the state of Ohio Country United States State Ohio County Summit Founded 1825 Incorporated 1835 (village) - 1865 (city) Government  - Mayor Don Plusquellic (D) Area  - City  62. ...

Early years

Truth was born around 1797 into slavery on the Hardenbergh estate in Swartekill, New York,^[2] one of thirteen children, to James and Elizabeth Baumfree, who were slaves of a Colonel Hardenbergh. She spoke only Dutch until she was sold.^[3] After the colonel's death, ownership of the family slaves passed to his son, Charles Hardenbergh. Highland is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in Ulster County, New York, United States. ... This article is about the state. ...

In 1806, Hardenbergh sold Truth for $100 to John Neely, near Kingston, New York. She suffered many hardships at the hands of Neely, whom she later described as cruel and harsh and who once beat her with a bundle of rods. Neely sold her in 1808, for $105, to Martinus Schryver of Kingston, a tavern keeper, who owned her for 18 months. Schryver sold her in 1810, for $175, to John Dumont of New Paltz, New York.^[2] Although this fourth owner was kindly disposed toward her, his wife found numerous ways to harass Truth and make her life more difficult. Kingston is a city in Ulster County, New York, United States. ... This article is about the state. ... Kingston is a city in Ulster County, New York, United States. ... New Paltz is both a village and town in the U.S. state of New York. ... This article is about the state. ...

Around 1815, Truth met and fell in love with a slave named Robert from a neighboring farm. Robert's owner forbade the relationship; he did not want his slave to have children with a slave he did not own, because he would not own the children. Robert was savagely beaten and Truth never saw him again. Soon after that, Truth had a daughter, named Diana (1815).^[4] In 1817, Truth was forced by Dumont to marry an older slave named Thomas. They had four children, Peter (1822), James (1823), Elizabeth (1825), and Sophia (1826).^[3]

Freedom

The state of New York began, in 1799, to legislate the abolition of slavery, although the process of emancipating New York slaves was not complete until July 4, 1827. Dumont had promised Truth freedom a year before the state emancipation, "if she would do well and be faithful." However, he changed his mind, claiming a hand injury had made her less productive. She was infuriated. She continued working until she felt she had done enough to satisfy her sense of obligation to him by spinning 100 pounds of wool. is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1827 (MDCCCXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Late in 1826, Truth escaped to freedom with her infant daughter, Sophia. She had to leave her other children behind because they were not legally freed in the emancipation order until they had served as bound servants into their twenties.^[3]

I did not run off, for I thought that wicked, but I walked off, believing that to be all right.^[3]

She found her way to the home of Isaac and Maria Van Wagenen, a Quaker family,^[5] who took her and her baby in. Isaac offered to buy her services for the remainder of the year (until the state's emancipation took effect), which Dumont accepted for $20.^[3] She lived there until the New York State Emancipation Act was approved a year later.

Truth learned that her son Peter, then 8 years old, had been sold illegally by Dumont to an owner in Alabama. With the help of Quaker activists, she took the issue to court and, after months of legal proceedings, got her son back.^[2]

Truth had a life-changing religious experience during her stay with the Van Wagenens, and became a devout Christian. In 1829 she moved with her son Peter to New York City, where she worked as a housekeeper for Elijah Pierson, a Christian Evangelist. In 1832, she met Robert Matthews, also known as Matthias Kingdom or Prophet Matthias, and went to work for him as a housekeeper.^[2] In a bizarre twist of fate, Elijah Pierson died, and Robert Matthews and Truth were accused of stealing from and poisoning Pierson. Both were acquitted and Robert Matthews moved west.^[3] For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Robert Matthews (1778–1841) was a United States religious con artist whose aliases included Robert Matthias, Jesus Matthias, Matthias the Prophet, and Joshua the Jewish Minister. ...

In 1839, Truth's son Peter took a job on a whaling ship called the Zone of Nantucket. From 1840 to 1841, she received three letters from him, though in his third letter he told her he had sent five. When the ship returned to port in 1842, Peter was not on board and Truth never heard from him again.^[2]

"The Spirit calls me"

On June 1, 1843, Truth changed her name to Sojourner Truth and told friends, "The Spirit calls me, and I must go." She left to make her way traveling and preaching about abolition. In 1844, she joined the Northampton Association of Education and Industry in Massachusetts. Founded by abolitionists, the organization supported women's rights and religious tolerance as well as pacifism. There were 210 members and they lived on 500 acres (2 km²), raising livestock, running a sawmill, a gristmill, and a silk factory. While there, Truth met William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and David Ruggles (an African-American printer). In 1846, the group disbanded, unable to support itself.^[3] In 1847, she went to work as a housekeeper for George Benson, the brother-in-law of William Lloyd Garrison. In 1849, she visited John Dumont before he moved west.^[2] is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1843 (MDCCCXLIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Nickname: Motto: caritas, educatio, justitia Location in Hampshire County in Massachusetts Coordinates: , Country State County Hampshire Settled and Charter granted 1654 Incorporated as a city 1884 Government  - Type Mayor-council city  - Mayor Mary Clare Higgins Area  - City  35. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... The term women’s rights typically refers to freedoms inherently possessed by women and girls of all ages, which may be institutionalized or ignored and/or illegitimately suppressed by law or custom in a particular society. ... Freedom of religion is the individuals right or freedom to hold whatever religious beliefs he or she wishes, or none at all. ... Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes or gaining advantage. ... For the 1922 film starring Oliver Hardy, see The Sawmill. ... Gristmill with water wheel, Skyline Drive, VA, 1938 A gristmill is a building where grain is ground into flour. ... William Lloyd Garrison William Lloyd Garrison (December 12, 1805–May 24, 1879) was a prominent United States abolitionist, journalist, and social reformer. ... Frederick Douglass, ca. ... David Ruggles organized New York City underground railroad in the 1830s and helped more than 600 former slaves to freedom. ... George Benson was an American Quaker abolitionist from Connecticut who assisted Prudence Crandall in her education efforts. ...

Truth started dictating her memoirs to her friend, Olive Gilbert, and in 1850, William Lloyd Garrison privately published her book, The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave.^[3] That same year, she purchased a home in Northampton for $300.

In 1851, she left Northampton to join George Thompson, an abolitionist and speaker. In May, she attended the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio where she delivered her famous speech Ain't I a Woman, a slogan she adopted from one of the most famous abolitionist images, that of a kneeling female slave with the caption "Am I Not a Woman and a Sister?"^[6][2] Nickname: The Rubber Capital of the World Location within the state of Ohio Country United States State Ohio County Summit Founded 1825 Incorporated 1835 (village) - 1865 (city) Government  - Mayor Don Plusquellic (D) Area  - City  62. ...

Reminiscences by Frances Gage

Akron Convention, Akron, Ohio, May 1851

"There were very few women in those days who dared to "speak in meeting"; and the august teachers of the people were seemingly getting the better of us, while the boys in the galleries, and the sneerers among the pews, were hugely enjoying the discomfiture, as they supposed, of the "strong-minded." Some of the tender-skinned friends were on the point of losing dignity, and the atmosphere betokened a storm. When, slowly from her seat in the corner rose Sojourner Truth, who, till now, had scarcely lifted her head. "Don't let her speak!" gasped half a dozen in my ear. She moved slowly and solemnly to the front, laid her old bonnet at her feet, and turned her great speaking eyes to me. There was a hissing sound of disapprobation above and below. I rose and announced "Sojourner Truth," and begged the audience to keep silence for a few moments."

"The tumult subsided at once, and every eye was fixed on this almost Amazon form, which stood nearly six feet high, head erect, and eyes piercing the upper air like one in a dream. At her first word there was a profound hush. She spoke in deep tones, which, though not loud, reached every ear in the house, and away through the throng at the doors and windows."^[7]

Over the next decade, Truth spoke before dozens, perhaps hundreds, of audiences. From 1851 to 1853, Truth worked with Marius Robinson, the editor of the Ohio Anti-Slavery Bugle, and traveled around that state speaking. In 1853, she spoke at a suffragist "mob convention" at the Broadway Tabernacle in New York City; that year she also met Harriet Beecher Stowe.^[2] In 1856, she traveled to Battle Creek, Michigan, to speak to a group called the Friends of Human Progress. In 1858, someone interrupted a speech and accused her of being a man; Truth opened her blouse and revealed her breasts.^[2][3] Image File history File links SisterSlave. ... Image File history File links SisterSlave. ... Frances Dana Barker Gage (October 12, 1808 – November 10, 1884) was a leading American reformer, feminist and abolitionist. ... The term womens suffrage refers to an economic and political reform movement aimed at extending suffrage — the right to vote — to women. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe. ... “Battle Creek” redirects here. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Largest metro area Metro Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ...

"Ain't I a Woman?"

Truth delivered her best-known speech in 1851 at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention. The speech has become known as Ain't I a Woman? after Truth's refrain.^[8] Aint I A Woman? is a speech by Sojourner Truth, delivered in 1851 at the Womens Convention in Akron, Ohio. ...

The speech as shown here has been revised from the 19th century dialect in which Truth spoke.

--Sojourner Truth

On a mission

Truth sold her home in Northampton in 1857 and bought a house in Harmonia, Michigan, just west of Battle Creek.^[3] According to the 1860 census, her household in Harmonia included her daughter, Elizabeth Banks (age 35), and her grandsons James Caldwell (misspelled as "Colvin"; age 16) and Sammy Banks (age 8).^[2] The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. ...

Truth's carte de visite, which she sold to raise money (see inscription).

During the Civil War, Truth helped recruit black troops for the Union Army. Her grandson, James Caldwell, enlisted in the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. In 1864, Truth was employed by the National Freedman's Relief Association in Washington, D.C., where she worked diligently to improve conditions for African-Americans. In October of that year, she met President Abraham Lincoln.^[2] In 1865, while working at the Freedman's Hospital in Washington, Truth rode in the streetcars to help force their desegregation.^[2] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (580x938, 127 KB) Oggetto From de. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (580x938, 127 KB) Oggetto From de. ... Two examples of carte de visite photographs taken during the American Civil War. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... The 21st Michigan Infantry, a company of Shermans veterans. ... The Storming of Fort Wagner, the most famous operation performed by the 54th Massachusetts Regiment The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that participated in the American Civil War which was the first formal Army unit to be comprised of African-Americans. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation). ... Freedmans Hospital was established in 1862; it was founded by the secretary of the famous Civil war between the North and South United States of America. ... Desegregation is the process of ending racial segregation, most commonly used in reference to the United States. ...

Truth wrote a song, "The Valiant Soldiers", for the 1st Michigan Colored Regiment, it was composed during the war, and was sung by her in Detroit and Washington D.C. It is sung to the tune of "John Brown" or the "Battle Hymn of the Republic".^[10] The 102nd Regiment United States Colored Troops was an African American infantry unit of the Union Army during the American Civil War. ...

In 1867, Truth moved from Harmonia to Battle Creek. In 1868, she traveled to western New York and visited with Amy Post, and continued traveling all over the East Coast. At a speaking engagement in Florence, Massachusetts, after she had just returned from a very tiring trip, when Truth was called upon to speak she stood up and said, By 1853, when the popular song Spirit Rappings was published, Spiritualism was the object of intense curiosity. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Florence, Massachusetts is a village located in the northwestern portion of the city of Northampton, near Westhampton and Williamsburg. ...

Children, I have come here like the rest of you, to hear what I have to say."^[11]

In 1870, Truth tried to secure land grants from the federal government to former slaves, a project she pursued for seven years without success. While in Washington, D.C., she had a meeting with President Ulysses S. Grant in the White House. In 1872, she returned to Battle Creek and tried to vote in the presidential election, but was turned away at the polling place.^[8] A land grant is a gift of land made by the government for projects such as roads, railroads, or especially academic institutions. ... This article describes the government of the United States. ... Ulysses S. Grant,[2] born Hiram Ulysses Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885), was an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States (1869–1877). ... For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ...

Truth spoke about abolition, women's rights, prison reform, and preached to the Michigan Legislature against capital punishment. Not everyone welcomed her preaching and lectures, but she had many friends and staunch support among many influential people at the time, including Amy Post, Parker Pillsbury, Frances Gage, Wendell Phillips, William Lloyd Garrison, Laura Smith Haviland, Lucretia Mott, and Susan B. Anthony."^[11] By 1853, when the popular song Spirit Rappings was published, Spiritualism was the object of intense curiosity. ... Parker Pillsbury (September 22, 1809 - 1898) was an American advocate for abolition and womens rights. ... Frances Dana Barker Gage (October 12, 1808 – November 10, 1884) was a leading American reformer, feminist and abolitionist. ... Wendell Phillips Statue in the Boston Public Garden. ... William Lloyd Garrison William Lloyd Garrison (December 12, 1805–May 24, 1879) was a prominent United States abolitionist, journalist, and social reformer. ... Laura Smith Haviland was one of the most important women in the history of the Underground Railroad. ... Lucretia Coffin Mott (January 3, 1793 – November 11, 1880) was an American Quaker minister, abolitionist, social reformer and proponent of womens rights. ... Susan Brownell Anthony (February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906) was a prominent, independent and well-educated American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century womens rights movement to secure womens suffrage in the United States. ...

Truth died on November 26, 1883, at her home in Battle Creek, Michigan. Her remains were buried there at Oak Hill Cemetery beside other family members. Her last words were "Be a follower of the Lord Jesus."^[12] is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Cultural/modern references

• 1862 -- William Story's statue, The Libyan Sibyl", inspired by Sojourner Truth, won an award at the London World Exhibition.^[3]
• 1892 -- Albion artist Frank Courter is commissioned to paint the meeting between Truth and President Lincoln.^[2]
• 1975 -- Philosopher Peter Singer uses Truth's quotes in his book Animal Liberation ^[13]
• 1981 -- Truth is inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York.^[2]
• 1981 -- Feminist theorist and author, bell hooks, titles her first major work after Truth's "Ain't I a Woman?" speech.
• 1983 -- Truth is in the first group of women inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in Lansing.^[2]
• 1986 -- U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative postage stamp honoring Sojourner Truth.^[2]
• 1993 -- Sweet Honey in the Rock records "Sojourner's Battle Hymn," a song adapted from Truth's own "The Valient Soldiers," which Truth had written as a marching song for colored regiments in the Civil War to the tune of Julia Ward Howe's "Battle Hymn of the Republic." ("The Battle Hymn" itself was written to the tune of the 12th Massachusetts Regiment's marching song, "John Brown's Body," which was itself written to the tune of the Methodist hymn, "Say Brothers, Will You Meet Us?")^[14][15]
• 1997 -- The NASA Mars Pathfinder mission's robotic rover was named "Sojourner" after her.^[16]
• 1998 -- S.T. Writes Home appears on the web offering "Letters to Mom from Sojourner Truth," in which the Mars Pathfinder Rover at times echoes its namesake.
• 1999 -- The Broadway musical The Civil War includes Sojourner Truth: Ain't I a Woman. On the 1999 cast recording, it was performed by Maya Angelou.
• The leftist group the Sojourner Truth Organization is named after her.
• The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America commemorates her as a renewer of society on March 10, with Harriet Tubman.
• In the computer game Civilization IV, Sojourner Truth is one of the Great Prophets.
• 1990s - In the James Patterson series of novels involving Detective Alex Cross, the Cross children attend Sojourner Truth School, and his grandmother frequently speaks highly of her.

William Wetmore Story (1819 - 1895) was a U.S. sculptor. ... Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809–April 15, 1865), sometimes called Abe Lincoln and nicknamed Honest Abe, the Rail Splitter, and the Great Emancipator, was the 16th (1861–1865) President of the United States, and the first president from the Republican Party. ... For other persons named Peter Singer, see Peter Singer (disambiguation). ... The National Womens Hall of Fame was created in 1969 by a group of people in Seneca Falls, New York, the location of the first American womens rights convention, now known to historians as the 1848 Womens Rights Convention. ... Gloria Jean Watkins (born on September 25, 1952), better known as bell hooks, is an African-American intellectual, feminist, and social activist. ... Aint I a Woman?: Black women and feminism is a 1981 book by bell hooks, ISBN 089608129X. Hooks examines the effect of racism and sexism on black women, the civil rights movement, and feminist movements from suffrage to the seventies. ... The history of the Michigan Womens Hall of Fame is available online at michiganwomenshalloffame. ... This article is about the American space agency. ... The Mars Pathfinder was launched on December 4, 1996 by NASA aboard a Delta II just a month after the Mars Global Surveyor was launched. ... The Civil War is a musical written by Gregory Boyd and Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics by Jack Murphy and music by Wildhorn. ... Maya Angelou (pronunciation ),[1] born Marguerite Ann Johnson April 4, 1928 in St. ... Sojourner Truth Organization was a new communist organization, which came into existence in the winter of 1969-70. ... The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. ... Harriet Tubman (c. ... This article or section may contain excessive or improper use of copyrighted images and/or audio files. ... For other people named James Patterson, see James Patterson (disambiguation) James B. Patterson (born March 22, 1947) is an award-winning American author. ... Alex Cross is a notable fictional character in a series of books by novelist James Patterson. ...

Books

• Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave (1850).
  • Dover Publications 1997 edition: ISBN 0-486-29899-X
  • Penguin Classics 1998 edition: ISBN 0-14-043678-2. Introduction & notes by Nell Irvin Painter.
  • University of Pennsylvania online edition (html format, one chapter per page)
  • University of Virginia online edition (html format, 207 kB, entire book on one page)
• Paul E. Johnson and Sean Wilentz, The Kingdom of Matthias: A Story of Sex and Salvation in 19th-Century America (New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994) ISBN 0-19-509835-8
• Carleton Mabee with Susan Mabee Newhouse, Sojourner Truth: Slave, Prophet, Legend (New York and London: New York University Press, 1993) ISBN 0-8147-5525-9
• Nell Irvin Painter, Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol (New York and London: W. W. Norton & Co., 1996) ISBN 0-393-31708-0
• Erlene Stetson and Linda David, Glorying in Tribulation: The Lifework of Sojourner Truth (East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 1994) ISBN 0-87013-337-3
• William Leete Stone, Matthias and his Impostures- or, The Progress of Fanaticism (New York, 1835) Internet Archive online edition (pdf format, 16.9 MB, entire book on one pdf)
• Gilbert Vale, Fanaticism - It's Source and Influence Illustrated by the Simple Narrative of Isabella, in the Case of Matthias, Mr. and Mrs. B. Folger, Mr. Pierson, Mr. Mills, Catherine, Isabella, &c. &c. (New York, 1835) Google Books online edition (pdf format, 9.9 MB, entire book on one pdf or one page per page)

HTML, short for Hypertext Markup Language, is the predominant markup language for web pages. ...

References

External links

Wikisource has original works written by or about:

Sojourner Truth

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Sojourner Truth

• Works by Sojourner Truth at Project Gutenberg
• On the trail of Sojourner Truth SUNY New Paltz Sojourner Truth Library
• Sojourner Truth Institute
• Sojourner Truth Will Become the First Black Woman Honored with a Bust in the U.S. Capitol
• Poem form of Ain't I a Woman?
• bio at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Learning to Give site
• S.T. Writes Home - Letters to Mom from Sojourner Truth (the Mars Pathfinder Rover)