A Brief History
On November 26, 1883, at the age of 86, Sojourner Truth, perhaps the greatest African-American woman advocate of Civil Rights died of natural causes, ending one of if not the greatest life of fighting for African-American rights.
Digging Deeper
Born a slave in 1797 New York as Isabella Baumfree, Truth grew up speaking only Dutch, and was sold with a flock of sheep for $100 in 1806. Her new master was cruel and harsh, never hesitating to beat young “Belle” with sticks. Luckily, Belle was again sold in 1808 ($105, inflation it seems), her new owner selling her only a year and a half later. This 4th owner was kinder than the others, though his wife made Belle’s life difficult.
In 1815 Belle fell in love with another slave on a neighbor’s property, but that man refused relations between the 2 for the reason if a female slave he did not own had children, he would not get to own that offspring! When the lovebirds secretly met, the neighbor found out and beat his slave so severely Belle’s owner himself had to intervene. The would be couple never saw each other again, a tragedy that was part of slavery. It turned out the slave later died of this beating. Belle did later marry and have several children, one fathered by her owner.
The State of New York was moving toward abolition of slavery and Belle’s owner promised to release her a year before abolition went into effect, but he reneged on that promise, infuriating the woman. Belle walked off her owners land to a nearby farm with only her youngest child, and this man bought the final year of Belle’s servitude from her owner for $20. In 1827 Belle became a legally free woman.
In a land mark court case in 1827 Belle found out that her 5 year old son had been sold to a plantation owner in Alabama, an illegal transaction , causing Belle to sue for custody of her son, winning the case. This lawsuit was the first and highly unusual case of a Black woman suing a White man and winning the case.
Belle became a Christian and worked variously as a housekeeper, once finding herself accused of murdering the head of the household, but was acquitted. In 1843 Belle had another religious epiphany and became a Methodist, and changed her name to Sojourner Truth. She then began her long mission of fighting for the abolition of slavery and for Human and Civil Rights for African-Americans. In 1850 her book (memoirs), The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave was published, and her 1851 famous speech, Aint I a Woman?, brought her further fame. The landmark speech was delivered at the Akron, Ohio Women’s Rights Convention. Truth made it clear that Human and Civil Rights were being demanded for women of all races, as well as for African-American people. (Written accounts of her speech vary, especially as to imposing on her a Southern dialect, which of course was not at all how she spoke.) Truth was now a popular speaker at suffragist and abolitionist meetings, as well as women’s rights events. Several of her speeches along the way became famous.
Truth moved to Michigan and partnered with Seventh-day Adventists to continue her anti-slavery struggle, and during the Civil War she worked to recruit Black men to fight for the Union Army. In 1864 Truth worked in the nation’s capital for the Freedman’s Relief Association, and met President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. With abolition the law of the land, Truth continued to fight for land rights for Blacks, voting rights, women’s suffrage, prison reform, and even lectured against capital punishment. Many influential White people of the day were among her supporters, notably including Susan B. Anthony.
After her death in 1883, Truth was buried in Battle Creek, Michigan, prominent citizens acting as pallbearers. This great American woman is gone, but certainly not forgotten. The Episcopal and Lutheran Churches remember her in their respective Calendar of Saints. Along with other prominent women that strove for Civil Rights. Her legacy extends far and wide numerous schools named in her honor, as well as Sojourner-Douglas College in Baltimore. The image of Truth will appear on the new $10 bill (along with other women of the Civil Rights movement) sometime prior to 2020. Below are listed some of her many honors (taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sojourner_Truth):
Cultural references and commemorations
Other honors and commemorations include (by year):
- 1862 – William Wetmore Story‘s statue, “The Libyan Sibyl”, inspired by Sojourner Truth, won an award at the London World Exhibition.[6]
- 1892 – Albion artist Frank Courter is commissioned to paint the meeting between Truth and President Abraham Lincoln.
- 1969 – The leftist group the Sojourner Truth Organization is named after her. The group folded in 1985.
- 1971 – Sojourner Truth Library at New Paltz State University of New York is named in Truth’s honor.
- 1976 – Interstate 194 is named for her in Michigan.
- 1979 – The artwork The Dinner Party features a place setting for Truth.
- 1980 – The Inter Cooperative Council at the University of Michigan and the residents of the then Lenny Bruce House rename it as Sojourner Truth House in her honor.
- 1981 – Truth is inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York.
- 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.
- 1986 – The U.S. Postal Service issues a commemorative postage stamp honoring Sojourner Truth.
- 1987 – Truth is commemorated in a monument of “Michigan Legal Milestones” erected by the State Bar of Michigan.
- 1997 – The NASA Mars Pathfinder mission’s robotic rover is named “Sojourner” after her.
- 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 – A 12-foot-high monument is built to honor her in Battle Creek, Michigan.
- 1999 – The Broadway musical The Civil War includes an abridged version of Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech as a spoken-word segment. On the 1999 cast recording, the track was performed by Maya Angelou.
- 2002 – Scholar Molefi Kete Asante lists Sojourner Truth on his list of 100 Greatest African Americans.
- 2002 – A statue was installed in Florence Massachusetts to honor Sojourner Truth in a small park located on Pine Street and Park Street, on which she lived for ten years.
- 2004 – The King’s College, located inside the Empire State Building in New York City, names one of their houses “The House of Sojourner Truth“.
- 2009 – Truth becomes the first black woman honored with a bust in the U.S. Capitol. The bust was sculpted by noted artist Artis Lane. It is in Emancipation Hall of the Capitol Visitor Center.
- v2014 – Truth was included in the Smithsonian Institution‘s list of the “100 Most Significant Americans”.
- 2014 – Asteroid (249521) Truth is named in her honor.
- 2015 – A statue of Sojourner Truth is unveiled at the University of California, San Diego. The statue resides in Marshall College.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Carter, Molly. “Sojourner Truth: The Forgotten History of the Slave Who Fought For Women’s Rights.” Ammo.com. Accessed November 18, 2020. https://ammo.com/articles/sojourner-truth-slave-womens-rights-equality-forgotten-history.
McKissack, Fredrick and Patricia C. McKissack. Sojourner Truth: Ain’t I a Woman? (HRW Library). Scholastic Paperbacks, 1994.
Painter, Nell Irvin. Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol. W. W. Norton & Company, 1997.
Truth, Sojourner. The Narrative of Sojourner Truth (Dover Thrift Editions). Dover Publications, Incorporated, 2016.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="14944 https://www.historyandheadlines.com/?p=14944">92 Comments
Its great to see how much this strong women’s life is celebrated and honored. Its women like her in history that give women today the strength to fight for their rights and get involved in movements. She went through a lot of struggle in her life but for every struggle she came back with a stronger fight toward something better
This was a very informative article. It is cool that a lot of places honored her and names the school after her. She had that big of an impact on the womens civil rights movement.
She was incredibly brave to have fought like she did for women rights! Without her who knows where womens rights would be today.
She was a true African American hero and I am inspired by her bravery and accomplishments.
I could not imagine becoming free in the North and losing your son to a slave trade to the South.. Bella sure had an interesting life and will forever be remembered in history for her movement in womens civil rights.
wow. i just cant even imagine a life like this
A life like this would be extremely discouraging and the will that Sojourner had through out her journey was incredible. The fact that she won her law suit was incredible and probably would change the court system forever.
To read about all of the horrible things that Truth endured throughout her life was very disheartening. Despite these hardships, she continued to pursue equal rights and fought for what she believed in. What a resilient character in American history!
Still hard to believe that people were property. She experienced so many bad things which in turn made her do good things. A determined woman who never gave up.
Sojourner Truth overcame so much and she left an amazing legacy that will always be remembered for her courageous fight day by day.
Could you imagine being sold? not only once but many times. That is amazing to me and I still do not understand how we every treated other human beings in that way. Those are people and we treated them as just objects. She was a hero for many and is one person that will not be forgotten throughout history.
So wonderful to see her still being recognized. I hope she realized the amazing impact she had and the legacy she left of a strong African American woman who survived through the worst kind of adversity to fight for women’s rights and African American rights.
To be sold just sounds crazy. I can’t imagine what this women went through and felt during this time. Again these are the articles that we need to be sharing with the youth now.
Definitely hard times back in those days and the anguish they dealt with is sad.
I admire the bravery that Sojourner exhibited during this time period where she could literally be executed for challenging the demands or decisions of a white person. I also noticed how long of a life she lived at the beginning of this article, which was highly unusual since the average life expectancy was around age 50 during her time of death. She had such a large impact on this country and I am happy to hear that she will be the first woman to be represented on a piece of American currency! It is well deserved.
What a story. I never knew Sojourner wasn’t her real name nor did I know she only spoke Dutch at one point. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when she met President Lincoln. This woman fought her whole life making changes for her self and other. Being place on the U.S $10 bill only proves her impact she has had on American history.
I never knew that she had such an influence on multiple occasions for civil society right of blacks and for women. She definately had a strong spirit for enduring all the pain and heartbreak she had to go through in her lifetime. She surely deserves to be remembered and honored. I believe that was her purpose. To leave a mark and a memory.
What an impressive individual she was. Not many have had such a profound effect on so many different people during the course of their lives. The fact that she sued a white man and won at that point in history is astonishing.
Truth was such an amazing woman and had accomplished some really amazing things. It was very sad to read the things that took place during slavery and how her son was sold illegally and she sued the white man who sold him and actually won. Such amazing and interesting story.
Clearly, this woman had gone through several difficulties in her lifetime. I was shocked to read that this woman had a child with a man who owned her. Sojourner Truth has received a large amount of recognition as one of the greatest women involved in the civil rights movement. I was interested to read that she will soon be appearing on the $10 bill.
I find it amazing how he don’t hear about her when we talk about civil rights. Most of us if not all know about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but we don’t hear about Sojourner Truth. They both did the same type of work though Sojourner was before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I think when we think of civil rights movements Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is the first and generally the only person who we think of, I think we should think of both of them when the topic is mentioned.
It is unbelievable that slavery existed and still existed. I will never understand why anyone would ever want to enslave anyone. Thanks for such people as Sojourner Truth. Sojourner Truth had a strong spirit that was willing to fight, even though all the harsh environments that she had to endure. She deserves to have a memorial in her name.
Since I work in law, the fact that she won a case against a white man is unbelievable. I love stories like this when people change the U.S. Court systems. That case, I am sure, was used in reference and potentially helped many other slaves win back custody of their children. What a great woman Truth was.
One of my favorite things to learn of our history is who and how that person changed or set precedent for things to change in our history. Sojourner Truth is a woman that has accomplished so much within her life and still continues to do o this day.
Sojourner Truth is a great part of our country history and should never be forgotten. Our children should know the struggles that people went through to make this country better. This lady faced large struggles in her life, but yet she was able to fight through her struggles, never giving up on the hope that one day she would be a free woman. Truth to me is the greatest African American woman advocate of Civil Rights movement.
With the list of things that Sojourner Truth fought far, it is awesome to see the prison reform as one of those things. Because I work in a prison now, where the treatment of the offenders keeps going in a more positive way and it is awesome to see that even back in the 1800’s this was a case being fought. I am always inspired by the great women of this country who fought against the odds for things that they believed in.
Reading about individuals like this who fought so hard to make things better in our society is truly inspiring. Hopefully people will continue to fight to make the world a better place in similar ways.
There were several great woman back in the day and yes Sojourner Truth was amazing and with everything she went through. I like the fact they are willing to put these special women on money soon because they need to be heard just like back in the day
How romantic that Belle fell in love with another slave but it was sad that the man refused relations between the 2 for the reason if a female slave he did not own had children, he would not get to own that offspring!
Sojourner Truth was one of the greatest African American women in history.
I am glad I got to read this article and learn about this great woman and all she accomplished. I look forward to seeing the important women in history being depicted on money.
When I read stories or watch movies such as this one about Sojourner Truth (Isabella Baumfree) I have a great deal of respect for these women. To sand up for what you believe in, in a non-violence manner, knowing that you will have consequences for your actions is remarkable. There has been significant changes because of women such as Truth.
Unfortunately, like several men and women alike, it seems as though the strongest and most influential individuals do not get the recognition they deserve until it is too late, and their time has passed. Sojourner Truth was an amazing, power source that was ahead of her time in many aspects.
Sojourner Truth was bravery defined. I cannot articulate what she did in the cultural and financial climate that existed. Even Thomas Jefferson reneged on his brave statements when it came time to pay the bills.
I am so glad that this amazing woman gets such recognition for the fight she fought for her entire life.
It sounds like Sojourner Truth was a remarkable woman. I would not have wanted to be in her shoes. It was upsetting to hear about her experience about the other slave that she fell in love with and how they never saw each other after he was severely beaten because his master found out. Slavery is a dark time in our nation’s history and I’m sure there are countless stories like Sojourner’s.
It takes a strong woman to speak out against what is right and against the popular opinion. I could never imagine living in the days of slavery. If I had lived back them I like to think I would have been a part of the underground railroad. I’m proud to see another woman fighting for woman’s rights even against all odds and devoting her life to it.
WOW! After reading this article, being pregnant with my first child I could not even imagine becoming free in the North and losing your son in a slave trade to the South.Still having the will and power to speak against her opinion even though many people were against her beliefs.
Such a strong woman. I couldn’t imagine being around then and seeing all that happen. Powerful seeing this woman fight so hard like this.
What an amazing woman. From slavery to being named in the “100 Most Significant Americans”. To be able to set forth goals and continue to accomplish them after everything she endured is quite noble. I could never imagine being a part of her world during that time.
This was my favorite articles out of all the articles we were instructed to read. Mrs. Truth is amazing!
All around an amazing story we need more people like this in todays world
I am amazed by this woman! The Freedmen’s Bureau was a huge financial contributor while establishing public education for newly freed slaves and poverty stricken southerners. I was elated to see her list of accomplishments, especially contributions to The Freedmen’s Relief Association. I am so thankful for all of Truth’s contributions to this country!
This is a really powerful story! I liked reading about such a strong and influential woman.
Sojourner Truth’s story and legacy are often forgotten about when the early days of the Civil Rights Movement are discussed. Furthermore, she made her famous “Ain’t I A Woman” speech in 1851.Why are women still fighting for the same equal human and civil rights as men over 160 years later?
An amazing woman to leave her owner and be on her and to fight against people who were trying to bring her down.
such a wonderful person I hate that slaves were treated so bad.
Talk about obstacles! This woman has overcome them all with always keeping her head high! From being a slave, to winning custody against a white man, being accused of murder. I am glad we are honoring her in history!
I can not imagine having to overcome your entire life. But she did more than overcome. She persevered and helped many others along the way. She did have an enormous amount of motivation.
It was sad and depressing to see how slave in early period was treating not at the same standard level. Human beings are not merchandise, but people were buying some other people for labour. One of person was treating as slave and got killed and beat by other people
I couldn’t even imagine what it was like to be a slave. Those people had to have been very strong minded to handle to everyday torture they faced.
Very interesting that Belle was able to sue a white man for custody. I wonder what the terms of her son’s purchase were that made it illegal.
It was a sad incident by knowing Belle was live in the era of slavery, but her life was better than some other people. She was becoming one of the christian and later she was having speech talking about how people should be treat the same made her become famous.
Sojourner Truth was an incredibly strong-willed American, and it is nice to see that she was honored in so many ways throughout the 20th century. She certainly deserves the praise for her impact in advancing civil rights for African-Americans in the United States.
I was very impressed that Truth sued a white man and won. At that time, it would have been very difficult to do so if you were colored, and in this case a colored woman. It makes me wonder why the interaction was illegal. It must have been bad and fairly obvious of a misdemeanor because it most cases the judge would still go with the white man even if he was in the wrong.
Sojourner Truth was an inspiration and a hero! Although now deceased, her bravery to stand up for what was right and just will never be forgotten. It makes me sick to my stomach to read that, as a human being who should be seen as having worth and dignity, she was sold along with some sheep for a mere $100. I don’t understand how someone gets to determine a person’s worth like that and sell them as if they were just another house item. What made people think that they should be able to own someone?
Slavery was a terrible terrible thing and it is unthinkable that people were sold like sheep and cattle. Sojourner Truth was a very amazing person and it is wonderful that she devoted her life to getting rights for others. I never knew she was accused of murder.
Sojourner Truth is truly a fascinating person. She was a woman that had been through many struggles, yet, still fought for what she wanted, and what was right. This kind of determination is inspiring.
In general, I’m confused how people came about choosing who should own who, but it is very admirable how someone is so willing to stand up for others to be free. We talk about things like this as if it is common because we only learn about the heroes/ heroines. If I were in that situation I wouldn’t has stood up out of fear.
It takes special, brave people to stand up and face the consequences of speaking out.
I think it is inspiring that someone like Soujourner Truth would put herself in harms way, and go out of her way to help others and help get them rights. It truly is an example of determination.
I think it is really cool that she got a lot a awards and acknowledgements from what she went through throughout her life. This is an inspiring story.
She truly accomplished a lot, and continues to inspire people to this day
Its awful that she was treated so terribly and couldn’t even be with the man she loved. I think its great that she is being put on the $10 bill. She is easily one of the most honorable characters of American history.
I like this article a lot because heroine stories are not spread nearly enough times as they should be, and African American heroines are even more rare. Young women of all ages need to here more inspiring stories of heroines to learn how to be brave and how one should be treated. This article provides exactly that inspiration, braveness, and knowledge.
She had accomplished so much in her lifetime. It is really cool that she is being more recognized and will be on the ten dollar bill soon.
The love story in this article is heartbreaking. However, she was a great hero that accomplished so much in her life.
This was very interesting because I had not really ever heard of her before. I enjoy learning about new important figures in American History, but I am not sure how I had never heard of her, she made some amazing accomplishments!
This story is crazy! I think it was amazing that her 4th slave owner was somewhat nice. Also, messed up that she lost her lover because the neighborhood found out and beat him…
It was truly incredible to see the acknowledgements and her accomplishments throughout her life, people like her need to be remembered.
What an interesting story about an amazing hero. It is heartbreaking to know that was sold to her first owner with a flock of sheep for $100. It is so sad that things like that happened.
What an incredible woman. Reading through her timeline and seeing that she is being honored in recent years is amazing.
I do not remember learning about her which is sad because it seems that she was a very important person of history. It is terrible what she had to go through but it is good to see all the ways she is being honored.
I think its amazing that she went through so much hardship that ultimately ended in her favor, and that she had the courage to devote herself to fighting for the abolition of slavery and for Human and Civil Rights for African-Americans.
This woman suffered through a lot. I found it interesting that the slave at the neighbor’s got beat so badly that he later passed away for just meeting up with the young woman.
It is absolutely amazing what she did and I thought it was nice that her 4th slave owner was actually nicer to her. I love learning about history especially historical figures in our history and I remember briefly learning about Ms. Truth previously in history classes but I find it crazy we don’t learn more about her.
I do not remember learning about this woman but reading about her experience in slavery was hard. I was happy to read that she became a Christian even though she went through a lot in her lifetime
I remember learning about Sojourner Truth in history classes in high school, but I never realized how truly influential she was! To have accomplished as much as she did was already hard since she was a woman, but being an African American woman made it even more difficult, yet she still accomplished so much.
She is a pretty awesome woman! I really liked reading about her life.
What a fascinating tale around a stunning saint. It is terrible to realize that was sold to her first proprietor with a rush of sheep for some money . It is sad to the point that things like that happened.
It was truly incredible to see the acknowledgements and her accomplishments throughout her life.
Fantastic woman.
She is amazing! However, the love story mentioned at the beginning is heartbreaking. How unfair.
Seems she not only took big step into equal rights for African Americans, but for women as well. She is definitely a figure head in the movement to civil rights
I think it is horrible that elle boyfriend was beaten because they were in love.. But it is terrible but sort of good that elle got sold for a sheep to finally make it to a owner that was nicer than the other ones.
Sojourner Truth has been a huge advocate for women’s rights and civil rights in America. It’s amazing how she was able to overcome some adverse situations to get her word out about the wrongdoings to other Americans.
It is amazing the actual willpower it must have taken to stand up for a not so popular cause, let alone going through the suffering she has.
The impact Sojourner Truth had as an advocate for the woman’s civil rights movement was astonishing. For her to ave such an impact in our history was amazing.
It’s incredible what she did not just for civil right but women’s rights as well! She must have been so brave for standing up and wanting to make a difference.
Sojna Struth is a great person. She has done a lot of useful things for america. She persevered in helping many other people along the route. Her influence on the promotion of African Americans’ civil rights in the United States must be commendable.
I love how she continuously fought for slave and women rights. Sojourner Truth definitely faced prejudice, but she was courageous and persevered through it all.
I am ashamed to see I have never heard of Sojourner Truth. It is amazing you don’t hear more about her when it comes to civil rights movements. The work she did during the civil war and even winning a court case against a white man back in the day was unheard of. I think she is more instrumental in civil rights movement then Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.