By: Bhawan Sandhu and Lila Wright Sojourner Truth By: Bhawan Sandhu and Lila Wright

Who Is She? Sojourner Truth was an abolitionist, women’s rights activist, and civil rights activist in the 1800s. She gave herself the name we know her by in 1843. Her original name was Isabella Baumfree. She was a slave in New York, born as one in 1797. She was a very famous and important lady, and we hope you learn great things about her.

Her early years Sojourner Truth was born in Swartekill, Ulster County, New York, in 1797 (estimated). She had as many as 11 siblings. Wow. Her parents names were James and Elizabeth Baumfree. She grew up speaking Dutch, as did her family and owner. When she was nine, she was sold at an auction for $100, with a flock of sheep. In the next two years, she was sold twice, and learned to speak English once she arrived in West Park, New York.

Sojourner and her family

Teenage Truth She fell in love with another slave named Robert, from a nearby farm, when she was 18, and had a daughter. When she was 20, she married an older slave named Thomas. Together they had one son and two daughters. She was such a young mommy!

Sojourner Truth Video

Adult Sojourner In 1826, Sojourner Truth gained freedom by walking to the North. She was carrying her baby daughter, Sophia, when she became free; but she didn’t stay in one spot. She went around the Midwest and East regions of America, preaching about human rights. She wrote a speech called “Ain’t I A Woman?” and read it in 1851 at the Woman’s Convention.

“Ain’t I A Woman?”

Truth said… Sojourner has many famous quotes. Here is one of them. This means: Why should men have all the rights when women create the men in the first place? It’s very unfair. This quote shows how differently women and men were treated. People like Sojourner Truth changed the world with their words. Now, men and women have the same rights.

Truth also said… Here is another of Sojourner’s famous quotes. This means: Her enemies are lies, and her truthfulness can overcome them. This quote show how it is a better idea to stay truthful than to go through life telling lies, because lies can be proved wrong as the truth cannot.

What did she accomplish? She was the first black woman to win a court case. It was against a white man. She changed the way people thought about black people’s and women’s rights. She made the public transportation companies change their rules by winning another court case.

Her Death Sojourner Truth died in her house on November 26, 1883. Even though her tombstone says she was 105 when she died, records claim that she was 86. She was a wonderful person, and she had an amazing impact on life.

References http://www.biography.com/people/sojourner-truth-9511284 https://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/sojourner-truth/ http://www.sojournertruth.org/Library/Archive/LegacyOfFaith.htm