Sojourner Truth And The Truth Essay

During the late 1840s, Sojourner acquired a reputation as a powerful speaker. Oliver Gilbert was a friend of the Benson’s and they reached out to him to help write Truth’s Narrative. He started making Truth’s narrative at Northampton and had it published by William Lloyd Garrison. A man by the name of Yerrinton printed Truth’s narrative. Truth was supported through donations and the sale of The Narrative of Sojourner Truth, originally published in Boston in 1850. Strangely, Truth sold her 128-page book for 25¢ per copy. Truth travelled for years at a time and surprisingly she was able to take care of herself, while only producing 25¢ for every book she sold.

In the last paragraph, the author states that Sojourner Truth “accomplished amazing things”. The author develops this claim by saying that Truth was a considered a female hero to some people. In the article, Sojourner Truth, the author states that Truth was “an abolitionist, an emancipated slave, & a woman’s rights activist. She was one of the best-known African American women of the 19th century” (1st paragraph).

Sojourner Truth went around and met a lot of people, which one reason made her speech aint I a woman famous.

Sojourner Truth once remarked, in reply to an allusion to the late Horace Greeley, "You call him a self-made man; well, I am a self-made woman” (Gilbert, v). This quote digs deeper into the leadership of what Sojourner Truth’s journey was all about. Truth’s greatest commitments for women’s suffrage stood alongside of her remark to Greely. No woman was just to be a housewife or slave to her own family, but to be able to enjoy the world as man did. Sojourner Truth was an important figure in American History because she helped create a pathway for the ideas of feminism and the justices of racial equality.

Sojourner truth and Harriet Tubman made a huge impact during slavery times. Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman were two women who were born into slavery. They both suffered from bad treatment from their owner. Also, they both later in their lives ran away from their enslavement. Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman both took part in issues dealing with civil rights and were abolitionists. They both went different ways in helping other slaves with obtaining their freedom. Sojourner Truth was an abolitionist lecturer, who perished in a way that showed her real personality and who she really was. Harriet Tubman was the conductor of the Underground Railroad her method of helping slaves escape. She also became a spy during the civil war. Truth and Tubman were abolitionists that had the same goals to help slaved people, but went about the situation in different ways.

Sojourner Truth was an extremely strong and courageous woman. She proceeded through many hardships and Truth even escaped the bondage from slavery. After that she spoke out for women’s rights and was even the first African American woman to take a white man to court and win. Throughout her eighty six years of life Sojourner Truth she stumbled through numerous hardships, escaped slavery, and spoke out on women’s rights.

Sojourner Truth, one of the elite black females in women history is atypical of her slaves because her name alone is still being discuss in today’s society. By changing in her name to Sojourner Truth, her name alone is atypical from

" I feel safe in the midst of my enemies, for the truth is all powerful and will prevail." Said Sojourner Truth during one of her battles for freed slave rights. Truth was born as a slave in which after 30 years she escaped. After she dedicated her life to helping freed slaves get their rights along with women's rights. Sojourner Truth is a hero to not only women, but to everyone because she changed America for women and color people by being brave, determined, and Godly.

And how came Jesus into the world? Through God who created him and woman who bore him. Man, where is your part? But the women are coming up blessed be God and a few of the men are coming up with them. But man is in a tight place, the poor slave is on him, woman is coming on him, and he is surely between-a hawk and a buzzard.”( 7) Not only did she give speeches but also during the civil war she also, “...put her reputation to work during the Civil War, helping to recruit black troops for the Union Army.”(4) She later again moved on, this time she got to meet the president and talk to him about her beliefs/experiences. In the end Truth died accomplishing so much. Truth is a catalyst for change based on the quote” Truth is remembered as one of the foremost leaders of the abolition movement and an early advocate of women’s rights. Although she began her career as an abolitionist, the reform, property rights and universal suffrage. Abolition was one of the few causes that Truth was able to realized during her lifetime. Her fear that abolitionism would falter before achieving equality for women proved prophetic. The constitutional Amendment barring suffrage discrimination based on sec was not ratified until 1920, nearly for decades after Sojourner Truth’s death.”(4) Truth was an amazing women who will and is always a catalyst for change no matter what someone says about her,

Sojourner Truth played a vital role in inspiring people to stand up against slavery and injustice. She stood up for herself and every African-American. She had the courage to stand up and leave her slave owner. She stood up for herself and her son in court when he was sold illegally to a slave owner in a different state. She had the moxy to become a public figure and talk about injustice against women and African-American slaves. In the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, no one had ever heard of a woman slave taking a stand to control her and her family’s life. Sojourner Truth was before her time.

Though her abolition works are often her most well-known and one could argue she had only a minor effect because she had but a single role in an expansive movement, she was far more than a one-track activist. She worked to break the idea that treating women as equals meant only white women. In “Ain’t I A Woman?” she questions why she is not treated as men say women should be. She is maddened by the supposedly deserved pampering of women, though she had not once been given such. She labored without receiving any due respect and grieved over her children without any assuaging, and was then working for both blacks and women as a whole (Gage n.p.). As both a feminist and abolitionist, she dared challenge that only equal rights for colored men would not be enough. She pointed out that if only black men got their rights, then the colored women would become submissive, the lowest class once again, and the problem would be the same as before (Truth n.p.). Depth and detail meant as much to her as a bigger picture, grand scale did. At one convention Sojourner attended, a friend read her an excerpt from an misogynist newspaper article which complained about women wanting more than the offices they had now, and she realized she had not been allowed to fulfill the small amount given, and this sparked within her a need to stand up

Sojourner Truth is an ex-slave and fiery abolitionist who dazzles listeners with her wit and originality. She is straight talking and unsentimental, Truth became a national symbol for strong black woman. Like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, she is regarded as a radical of immense and enduring influence; however, she is more remembered more for her myths than her personality. In the book, Sojourner Truth A Life, A Symbol, the author Nell Irvin Painter, goes beyond the myths, words, and photographs to uncover the life of a complex woman who was born into slavery and died a legend. Inspired by religion, Truth transforms herself from a domestic servant named Isabella into a nomadic preacher named Sojourner. Her words of empowerment have inspired black women and poor people of the world over to this day.

Truth was an illiterate woman of remarkable intelligence. Sojourner became a national symbol for not only strong black women, but to white women as well. She helped all women who were unhappy with the limitations imposed upon them. She was one of the most outspoken advocates, active in both the campaign to extend equal rights to all women and abolition (America). She is also known for other moving statements such as “An abolition affair!" and "Woman's rights and niggers!" (Biographical) She also “put protestors in their place”(Newsweek).

Sojourner Truth is an abolitionist and she was also a part of the suffrage group. She was born Isabell Baumfree in 1797. She changed her name to Sojourner Truth later in life which was in 1843. She was also separated from her family when their owner died. She was sold with a flock of sheep for $100 when she was young. In 1826, she escaped with her infant daughter to freedom.

To many people the name Sojourner Truth may sound old, outdated or may even sound obsolete, all things considered that it is one name that should live on in within the hearts