Sojourner Truth has been hailed as the leading figure of the women’s rights and abolition movement. She addressed many angry crowds. It was her passion that made her do it. Her legacy as a feminist and advocate for racial and gender equality continues to resonate today.
Did you know Sojourner Truth wasn’t Truth? Isabella Baumfree is her real name. Isabella was a 1797-born New Yorker born in Ulster County. Her parents were James Baumfree and Elizabeth Baumfree. Col. Johannes Hardenbergh was the owner of her, her siblings, as well as her parents. Under his ownership, they worked on his land, and operated his gristmills. Isabella was not going to stay with her family for very long. Isabella had just turned nine when her parents removed her. Imagine the horror. Col. Johannes Hardenbergh was her previous owner. John Neely bought her. She was purchased by John Neely at $100. Some people at the plantation were Dutch-speaking, while others were English-speaking. Isabella was unable to understand Neely’s commands when he spoke English. Isabella was beaten by Neely in return. He became very upset when she did not follow his orders. Neely finally gave up on her and sold Isabella. Isabella’s second sale was to Martinus Schryver. This time she was sold at $105 dollars. She was very dedicated to him. It was shocking to learn that she had been sold a year later. Schryver bought Isabella from Thomas Dumont. Thomas Dumont, or John as he is also known, was Isabella’s most pleasant owner. He treated Isabella much better than any slave owner would. Yet, he still owned her and made her work. Dumont liked her hardwork and had her stay on his plantation many years. His farm or plantation was located on the Hudson River’s banks, in what is now West Park. Occasionally, slaves would come from other farms to meet. Isabella immediately fell for a man. Robert was his name. He was from a local farm. They asked anyway. Robert’s owners denied it, as Isabella’s childen wouldn’t be his new slaves. Dumont finally forced her into marrying one of his slaves. She felt really unhappy. Isabella was miserable. She loved them all very much. Isabella wanted to stop them from being slaves and did everything she could to make it happen. The baby that she gave birth to died. Isabella’s existence is a wonder. Dumont had promised Isabella’s freedom in 1825 because of her hard work. She was ecstatic. She worked with him for one more full year before she was ready leave. Dumont changed last-minute his mind. She’d have to keep working for him. Isabella became furious. Isabella was furious. She didn’t want Dumont to keep her and make her work. She wanted to be free, as he had promised. She took action. She left her farm by walking after she finished work. She also took Sofia with her. Dumont was away and the slaves weren’t brave enough to stop her. Dumont was not far from the farm of his VanWageners neighbors. Isaac and Maria, a married couple, were opposed to slavery. They considered it to be evil.
Isabella, her daughter, and their dog hid with them to avoid Dumont. Dumont discovered the truth and demanded payment from the VanWageners. They paid $20 for her and let her go. Isabella had become a woman of her own! She was, but not her children. She did not know what to do. Peter, the son she had sold, was found to have been illegally sold. She was determined to take action. She discovered that selling slaves across state borders was illegal. Isabella just couldn’t bear to have her son involved in such a mess. She took the case to court. It was an unusual victory. Isabella’s courage was admired by all. Rarely did a slave or woman take a male, especially a black man, to trial. Isabella was the symbol of triumph and hope to many. Isabella and Peter, her now-free son, moved to New York. She realized that she would need to work in order for her to be able take care of their son. She decided to work as a maid in a Grears family. She was treated with kindness. She was a very hard-working woman and spent eight years at Grears. She was let go in 1843.
She decided to do so after working with the Grears. So, she did. She changed the name of Isabella Baumfree from Sojourner Truth. Sojourner Truth is a traveler, which she will be. She left the city and began her mission. She traveled through New England and held prayer sessions at every stop. She was content in knowing that God had asked her to do this. Truth thought she was not enough. Frederick Douglass introduced Truth to a group he believed she would be comfortable in. Finally, she decided to join Northampton Association. This community was based in Massachusetts on the principles of freedom and equal rights.
She met with Frederick Douglass and other social reformers. “Childrens, who made you white?” Wasn’t it god? Who turned mine black? Wasn’t it the same God that made mine black? Is it my fault that I am black? They fought it. Sojourner Truth was gaining popularity fast. Some people loved her, others didn’t. Olive Gilbert, who was an author at the time, wrote about Sojourner Truth in 1850. Narrative of Sojourner Truth was the title. Truth felt honoured to be the subject of a biography. She continued her journey west. She would stop to tell hostile crowds about her life. Sojourner had a certain charm. Her speeches often calmed the crowds. After she finished, they seemed to have a big impact on everyone. Truth observed that, although they could be leaders of the abolitionists’ movement, women were not allowed vote or hold office. Truth was outspoken in her support of women’s right after she realized that she had been discriminated against twice.
Truth decided that she would become active in women’s movements. So, Truth went to Akron, Ohio, for the first ever Women’s Rights Convention. She was given the opportunity to speak at this convention. She delivered the now famous “Ain’t I a Woman?” address. “Then the talk is about that thing in your head. What are they calling it? This is all it is, honey. What does it have to say about negroes and women’s equality? You wouldn’t be nice to not let me fill my small cup with water if yours can hold a quart and mine only a pint. What is your Christ’s origin? Where did Christ’s origins begin? God and woman! The man had nothing with Him.” She earned enough from her autobiography. She purchased a barn in Battle Creek, Michigan. She converted the house into a barn. She chose to continue speaking even though her home was Battle Creek. The Civil War began in 1861. Truth spoke to black troops and encouraged them. She felt comfortable in Battle Creek as many abolitionists were living there. The Civil War lasted a long time, but it finally ended. Freedom-Bureau is the result.
Freedom-Bureau, an organization that helps ex-slaves to create a new and better life. Some of them were no longer slaves, but they didn’t understand how to interact with people who weren’t slaves. Truth travelled to Washington D.C. and met Abraham Lincoln. She discovered that he had been a fan for a long time. She felt honored. Sojourner felt honored to have been a part of the group that helped these people. Truth was influenced by Freedom-Bureau’s idea to start her program. So, she did. She was hurt when she saw the poverty of ex-slaves. She was determined to make a difference. Truth has always been a woman of action. She did it in a lot of situations. She asked Congress for land shortly after. She wanted these people to live on their land and farm it. Congress rejected this idea. She was not deterred. She produced the very popular program. Truth had enjoyed a rich life before she became ill and old. She got an infection in her leg because of all the sores that she had from working for years. She took them to the Battle Creek Sanitarium for treatment. Dr. John Harvey Kellogg tried everything to help. He couldn’t cure them completely. The attempt was a failure. Sojourner returned to her home where she remained until November 26, 1883, when she died. She had a life of significance to many people.
Many lives are still influenced by Sojourner. She was known as a fighter. Fighting for your beliefs. Fighting for the right thing. Even if people don’t like you, if your beliefs are strong, you will know that you have done the right thing. Never give up easily. God gave her pain a meaning, a cause for struggle and, at the end of it all, a reward for faithfulness. Even today, many people still remember Sojourner Truth. Now, she’s considered to be one of most significant black women of the nineteenth Century. After the Civil War, black men, woman, and children would still have to struggle for freedom. She knew it would take a lot of time and commitment to achieve a social change. She had such strong faith which helped to get her through the bad times and give thanks to God for those that were good. She was also motivated by her faith to continue speaking out about equality for the rest of her life. When people speak against injustices and despise oppression, Sojourner’s ideals of freedom and justice are kept alive.
