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Table of Contents
Sojourner Truth was an African-American abolitionist, preacher, women’s rights campaigner, and novelist who was born into slavery before fleeing to freedom in 1826. Truth proclaimed abolitionism and equal rights for all after attaining her freedom. She rose to prominence after delivering a speech with the famous refrain, “Ain’t I a Woman?” during a women’s conference in Ohio in 1851.
See the fact file below for more information about Sojourner Truth, or download the comprehensive worksheet pack, which contains over 11 worksheets and can be used in the classroom or homeschooling environment.
Key Facts & Information
Early Life
- Around 1797, Sojourner Truth was born into slavery. James and Elizabeth Bomfree, her parents, were enslaved by Charles Hardenbergh, an Esopus, New York resident. The baby daughter of James and Elizabeth is called Isabella. She was sold to John Neely for $100 at an auction when she was approximately nine years old, together with a group of sheep.
- Isabella was one of ten or twelve children in her family. Several of her siblings were sold away from the family when she was a youngster, a tragedy that haunted her for the rest of her life.
- She never learned to read or write. When Isabella was five years old, she began working for her enslaver alongside her mother, knowing all of the housekeeping skills that would make her a prized enslaved lady when she grew older.
- She endured cruel punishments, hard physical labor, and four purchases and sales. Isabella developed feelings for Robert, an enslaved person from a nearby farm. But because they had different owners, they were forbidden from marriage. Instead, Isabella was compelled to marry Thomas, another enslaved person owned by Dumont. Ultimately, she gave birth to five kids: James, Diana, Peter, Elizabeth, and Sophia.
- Before New York’s statute liberating enslaved people was about to go into effect in 1827, Truth fled with her newborn Sophia to the Van Wageners, a local abolitionist family in 1827. For $20, the family purchased Truth’s freedom, and with their assistance, she was able to win her case for the return of her five-year-old son Peter, who had been forcibly sold into slavery in Alabama.
- Truth relocated to New York City in 1828 to work for a local clergyperson. By the early 1830s, she had become a captivating speaker and had taken part in the religious revivals that were sweeping the state. In 1843, she stated that the Holy Spirit had called her to proclaim the truth, and she changed her name to Sojourner Truth.
Sojourner Truth’s Legacy
- After becoming a Christian, she adopted the moniker Sojourner Truth. This new moniker reflected a new mission to spread the word of God and speak out against slavery. Truth had additional constraints as a women’s rights activist that white women did not, and battling a suffrage movement that did not want to be associated with anti-slavery efforts, fearing it would harm their cause.
- Isabella’s spirituality was profoundly influenced by the Van Wagenens, and she became a devout Christian. She and Peter came to New York City in 1829 to work as housekeepers for evangelist preacher Elijah Pierson.
- Three years later, she left Pierson to work for another preacher, Robert Matthews. When Elijah Pierson died, Isabella and Matthews were suspected of poisoning him and stealing from him, but they were acquitted.
- Living in a religious community further fueled Isabella’s fervent Christianity and her desire to spread the gospel and convert people. She changed her identity to Sojourner Truth and set out on a mission to preach the gospel and fight against slavery and tyranny in 1843, feeling that it was her religious duty to do so.
- Truth met Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison while working as a traveling preacher. The fact was urged to deliver talks about the perils of slavery by Garrison’s anti-slavery group. She never picked up a pen or a piece of paper.
- Sojourner Truth spoke “Ain’t I a Woman?” today regarded as one of the most well-known abolitionists and women’s rights addresses in American history, during the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. She advocated for women’s and African-Americans’ rights during and after the Civil War.
Sojourner Truth During the Civil War
- Like another well-known escaped enslaved person, Harriet Tubman, Truth assisted in enlisting Black troops in the Civil War. For the National Freedman’s Relief Association in Washington, D.C., she organized individuals to give food, clothing, and other goods to Black people refugees.
- President Abraham Lincoln became aware of her abolitionist work and called her to the White House in October 1864. He also showed her a Bible donated to him by African-Americans in Baltimore.
- As she was about to leave, Lincoln rose and took her hand, saying, “I would be pleased to have you call again.” Truth thanked him once more for his advocacy for the abolition of slavery, tucked her autography book under her arm, and left the presence of the gentleman who had treated her “with the utmost kindness and cordiality.”
- Truth rode on streetcars that were exclusively for white people when she was in Washington, displaying her bravery and contempt for segregation. She made a concerted effort to locate occupations for emancipated African-Americans who were suffering from poverty after the Civil War.
- After relocating to Battle Creek in 1857, Sojourner Truth assisted Black people in using the Underground Railroad to reach freedom. Black History Month, which takes place in February, is a time to recognize and pay tribute to black Americans who have made significant and enduring contributions to American culture.
Sojourner Truth’s Later Years & Death
- Truth relocated to Battle Creek, Michigan, where several of her daughters were residing, in 1867. She persisted in advocating for women’s suffrage and spoke out against prejudice. She was apprehensive about the view of certain civil rights activists, like Frederick Douglass, that Black men’s equal rights came before those of Black women.
- She gathered thousands of signatures on a petition in the late 1860s to give formerly enslaved people land, but Congress never acted on it. Truth lived her latter years in Michigan, where she was eventually nearly blind and deaf.
- At home, Truth passed away on November 26, 1883. Her memorial gravestone claims she was 105 years old, while records indicate she was just 86. “Is God Dead?” is inscribed on her gravestone. She once posed a question to a hopeless Frederick Douglass to encourage him to maintain his faith.
- Truth left behind a legacy of words and melodies in addition to her autobiography, The Narrative of Sojourner Truth, which she dictated to Olive Gilbert in 1850 since she had never learned to read or write. She also left a legacy of valor, faith, and dedication to defending what is just and deserving.
- Truth’s life of Christianity and equality is perhaps best summarized by her own words in 1863: “Children, who made your skin white?” Wasn’t it God? Who turned mine black? Isn’t it the same God? So, am I a fault because I have dark skin? Doesn’t God love both black and white children equally? And, after all, didn’t the same Savior die to save both? ”
Sojourner Truth Worksheets
This is a double bundle addition which includes over 30 ready-to-use Sojourner Truth worksheets that are perfect for students to learn about Sojourner Truth, who was an African-American abolitionist and women’s rights activist. She was born into slavery in Swartekill, Ulster County, New York, but escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826.
Complete List of Worksheets Included
- Sojourner Truth Facts
- Isabella’s Biography
- Contemporaries
- Sojourner’s Journey
- Behind Truth
- Ain’t I a Woman?
- With the President
- Slavery 101
- Women in Black History
- Truth Says
- In Memoriam
Complete List of Worksheets Included
- Introduction
- Sojourner Truth Facts
- Meeting the President
- Fighting for Abolition
- Research
- Coloring Activity
- Promoting Women’s Rights
- Truth and Civil War Spelling Check
- Vocabulary Quiz
- Poetic Freedom
- Drawing Challenge
- Freedom Endeavors
- Word Search
- Finish the Story
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sojourner Truth famous for?
Sojourner Truth was an African American abolitionist, preacher, women’s rights campaigner, and novelist who was born into slavery before fleeing to freedom in 1826. Truth proclaimed abolitionism and equal rights for all after attaining her freedom. She rose to prominence after delivering a speech with the famous refrain, “Ain’t I a Woman?” during a women’s conference in Ohio in 1851.
What was Sojourner Truth’s most famous quote?
Sojourner Truth spoke “Ain’t I a Woman?” today regarded as one of the most well-known abolitionists and women’s rights addresses in American history, during the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. She advocated for women’s and African Americans’ rights during and after the Civil War.
Why did Sojourner Truth change her name?
After becoming a Christian, she adopted the moniker Sojourner Truth. This new moniker reflected a new mission to spread the word of God and speak out against slavery. Truth had additional constraints as a women’s rights activist that white women did not, and battling a suffrage movement that did not want to be associated with anti-slavery efforts, fearing it would harm their cause.
Why is Sojourner Truth a hero?
After relocating to Battle Creek in 1857, Sojourner Truth assisted Black people in using the Underground Railroad to reach freedom. Black History Month, which takes place in February, is a time to recognize and pay tribute to black Americans who have made significant and enduring contributions to American culture.
What did Abraham Lincoln say to Sojourner Truth?
As she was about to leave, Lincoln rose and took her hand, saying, “I would be pleased to have you call again.” Truth thanked him once more for his advocacy for the abolition of slavery, tucked her autography book under her arm, and left the presence of the gentleman who had treated her “with the utmost kindness and cordiality.”
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