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Sojourner Truth

BIRTHDAY November 26, 1797

ABOUT HER
Sojourner Truth was born into slavery under the name Isabell Hardenburgh and had many owners as she was growing up. She was forced to marry another slave named Thomas and had 13 children, most of which were sold away from her. At the age of 30 she gained her freedom.

As a free woman she changed her name to Sojourner Truth and began touring the country on foot speaking out against slavery and for women's rights, putting herself sometimes in great personal danger. As difficult as this was, she said it was not as difficult as slavery. She supported herself by selling her own autobiography.

Sojourner Truth had a deep belief in god and was an extremely eloquent speaker. She stood 6 feet tall and towered over most men and women at the time. She spoke in front of Presidents Lincoln and Grant. Her most famous speech "Ain't I a Woman," delivered in 1851 for women's rights made even a white and prejudiced audience listen.

In 1836, Sojourner Truth became the first black person to win a slander case against a white.

AWARDS/HONORS

  • First black to win a slander case against a white person

QUOTE
"Look at my arm. It's plowed and planted and gathered into barns and no man could head me - and ain't I a woman?"

"That man over there says that woman needs to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches. . . . Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles . . . and ain't I a woman?"

"What did your Christ come from? From God and a woman. Man had nothing to do with him."

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sojourner Truth, Nell Irvin Painter
Journey Towards Freedom, Jacqueline Bernard
Sojourner Truth, Peter Krass
Sojourner Truth, Victoria Ortiz

LINKS TO LEARN SO MUCH MORE
http://www.churchstreetumc.org/lrr063096.html
http://www.ai.mit.edu/people/ellens/DP/truth.html
http://www.inform.umd.edu/EdRes/Topic/WomensStudies/ReadingRoom/History/Biographies/truth-sojourner
http://www.eelab.newpaltz.edu/bldgs/library.html
http://esther.la.asu.edu/asu_tes/TES_Editor/PATHFINDER/sojourner_stamp.html
http://www.wwnorton.com/catalog/fall96/truth.htm
http://esther.la.asu.edu/asu_tes/TES_Editor/TESNEWS/4_VOL/No_3/sojourner_person.html
http://tqd.advanced.org/2667/Truth.htm


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