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Sojourner Truth by Jennifer Wolf

Sojourner Truth, a nineteenth century women's rights activist, led an amazing life. She was born into slavery around 1797, and spent years waiting for freedom. Truth was a religious woman, and after being freed, she kept close ties with the church (Fitch 12). After Truth's separation from slavery, she was able to fight for women's rights and against slavery. She also made great strides as an African American women, winning court cases and with public speeches.

Truth was set free in July of 1827 (Fitch 12). Freedom did not always make life easier for African Americans though. Sojourner struggled in getting her son, Peter, back from Alabama. However, Truth battled out and won in court, granting her custody of her son (Fitch 14). The other one, she had sued the Folgers for their accusations against her. Also a case she won (Fitch 14-15). These two court cases are important for the advancement that Sojourner Truth made as an African American woman.

Truth began speaking for women's rights about 1850. Her most famous speech "Ain't I a Woman?" was given at a Women's Rights Convention in 1851, in Akron, Ohio (Nadellaraja). Originally, attendants of the convention feared what Truth may have said, and disapproved because she was an uneducated woman. Continueing working for her cause, Truth started traveling through the East making speeches (Fitch 19). These made huge impacts on the societies and views of the people.

Besides her work for women and slaves, two event have made her famous, first, her meeting with president Lincoln in 1864. Her second event was her attempts to ride in streetcars in Washington D. C. (Fitch 24). Truth also published a narrative of her life, which she dictated to a friend, Olive Gilbert (Fitch 9). Truth made many steps for women and slaves. Although Truth was not able to meet all of her goals such as, getting land for slaves, voting, and pursuing her causes. She worked until the end in 1883 (Fitch 26).

Another friend to Truth, Dana Gage, gave her own rendition of Truth in an Anti-slavery paper after the "Ain't I a Woman?" speech. Gage portrayed Truth as a strong, powerful, and ambitious to make changes in society (Fitch 9). Her height seemed to contribute to the power and strength that her "six-foot frame" sends out (Nadellaraja). She uses these features to make some of her points within the famous speech. Truth is seen as a symbol among liberals (Painter 177).

Sojourner Truth was only one woman of the many that fought for women's rights and slavery. Women's rights are still a controversial issue today, and society should appreciate that this woman worked to achieve equality. Please check out the links below to other abolitionists and the Afro-American Almanac. Family Honor
Works Cited


Fitch, Suzanne Pullon, and Roseann M. Mandziuk. Sojourner Truth as Orator: Wit, Story, and Song. Westport: Greenwood, 1997.

Nadellaraja, Aravind. "Ain't I a Woman?" July 1999. http://www.as.udayton.edu/clusters/WomenAndCulture/sojourner.htm, April 8, 2002.

Painter, Nell Irvin. Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol. New York: W.W. Norton, 1996.


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Additional Links:

Afro-American Almanac
Sojourner Truth Memorial by: Mt. Holyoke College
Abolitionists