Preview

Sojourner Truth Research Paper

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2247 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Sojourner Truth Research Paper
Sojourner Truth once declared, at the Women’s Rights Convention in 1851, “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these together ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again” (“Sojourner Truth” Encyclopedia). This statement brought a wave of protest from the men in the crowd and left most women with renewed hope for receiving equal rights. Sojourner Truth was a woman’s rights activist and African American abolitionist, on top of being a freed slave. Sojourner Truth had the “worst of both worlds” being that she was African American, and also a woman. She spoke at a countless amount of conventions, largely inspired by Lucrietta Mott. Rather than using weapons, Truth would use her incredible talent of speech to get her points across. Truth was an extremely opinionated woman who would not give up on an issue until she thought the result was satisfactory. Without Sojourner Truth’s hard work and dedication to the issues that she cared about, America would not be shaped today how it is (“Sojourner Truth” Encyclopedia).
1. Her Early Life
Sojourner Truth, with a birth name of Isabella Baumfree, was born on an unknown date of 1787 in Swartekill, New York. Born into slavery to James and Elizabeth Baumfree, the family of at least fifteen was owned by the Hardenbergh in Esopus, New York. Sojourner Truth was sold for the first time at age nine to a violent man, getting separated from the rest of her family. In 1815, Sojourner Truth fell in love with a slave on a neighboring farm and had a child, but their love was forbidden and the two never saw each other again. Truth was then forced to marry another slave and they had three children together (“Sojourner Truth” 2013). Sojourner Truth faced many hardships at such a young age that contributed to her lifelong stance against slavery.
2. Her Road to Fame In 1799, New York successfully negotiated the abolition of slaves. Sojourner Truth’s master went back on


Cited: CLIFT, ELEANOR. " 'And Ain 't I A Woman?." Newsweek 142.18 (2003): 58. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. Butler, Mary. “The Words of Truth.” SojournerTruth. Sojourner Truth, 1997. Web. 15 February 2013. Mentzer, Brooke. "Sojourner Truth." Writing 26.6 (2004): 24-25. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. "Sojourner Truth". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 13 Feb. 2013 Sanders, Viv. "African American Women And The Struggle For Racial Equality." History Review 58 (2007): 22-27. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. "Sojourner Truth." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Feb 13 2013, 12:49 Women in History. Sojourner Truth biography. Last Updated: 2/13/2013. Lakewood Public Library. Date accessed 2/13/2013 .
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Velma Colvin Research Paper
    • 616 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Velma Colvin Research Paper

    She was studying black history month in her segregated school and studied about the black leaders in which includes Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth. Harriet Tubman escaped slavery at a very young age to become an abolitionist. She also helped a lot by leading former slaves to their freedom by using the underground railroad method. Sojourner Truth is best known for her speech “Ain’t I A Women?”. “Ain’t I A Woman?” talks about how women deserve the same equal rights as men.…

    • 616 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Compare and Contrast Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth
    • 428 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Compare and Contrast Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth

    Tien Nguyen 10/01/12 English 102 ROUGH DRAFT Back to when the America came to Africa to capture many people over there and enslaved them to serve the high class of the America. That was started everything from the segregation to abolitionists. After about 400 years of slavery and bondage, it was time for descendants of African slaves can reconcile America’s bloody history of human bondage. Many African Americans was standing up and fighting back and Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth were known as the first out of so many brave people. Both Douglass and Sojourner just like many other African Americans were born into slavery and experienced many horrible treatments from their masters until they can escape themselves. D.…

    • 428 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Similarities Between Mary Wollstonecraft And Sojourner Truth
    • 112 Words
    • 1 Page

    Similarities Between Mary Wollstonecraft And Sojourner Truth

    In the history advocate of women's rights, Mary Wollstonecraft and Sojourner Truth are two most inspiring women who changed the world. Both of them believe that it’s important to stress the equality between men and women. They try to vindicate women's rights through their stories and experiences to show passion to audience. Truth is consider one of the most important women because she tries to spread awareness about slavery and women’s rights , she tries to protect people of becoming a slave whether those people are white or black to have freedom through her famous speeches ‘’ Ain’t I a women ‘’ and ‘’ Keeping the tings going while things are stirring…

    • 112 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    SOAPSTone Analysis Ain T I A Woman
    • 358 Words
    • 2 Pages

    SOAPSTone Analysis Ain T I A Woman

    SUBJECT Sojourner Truth One can assume that she is tough, fearless, and uneducated. She has worked hard, had a difficult life, and supports women gaining more rights. She was also a slave at one point in her life. She wanted the same rights as men. She was an African American it was even harder but she wanted to gain the rights that all the women deserve.…

    • 358 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Sojourner Truth Speech
    • 767 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Sojourner Truth Speech

    Sojourner Truth: “Ain’t I A Woman” Speech Analysis Sojourner Truth was an outstanding lady that fought for equality for all Americans, especially blacks and women. She was born a slave in the year of 1797 (“National Women’s History Museum”). She spent the earliest parts of her life on an estate in New York, owned by Colonnel Johannes Hardenbergh (“Sojourner Truth”). There were a series of laws passed in the state of New York including the Gradual Emancipation and the New York Anti-Slavery Law of 1827 (“Museum Open”). Sojourner’s master did not want to free her, so in turn she ran away. During this time is when she changed her name and began to speak out for the rights she felt she was entitled to. One of her most famous speeches occurred during the Women’s Rights Convention which was held in Akron, Ohio in 1851. This iconic speech later became known as, “Ain’t I A Woman.”…

    • 767 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Abigail Adams & Sojourner Truth
    • 1175 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Abigail Adams & Sojourner Truth

    It was Isabella Baumtree’s religious faith that transformed her into Sojourner Truth, one of the most famous nineteenth century black women. She was an uneducated former slave who actively opposed slavery and was very outspoken about her beliefs. After gaining her freedom from slavery, Sojourner went in search of her minor son who had been sold by HER former owner. After this attempt failed she took Dumont to court and won her case. In another instance, she was accused of poisoning members of a cult she had formerly belonged to. She took them to court for slander and won the case; she was the first black person to win such a case against whites.…

    • 1175 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Reform Movements in 1850's America
    • 281 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Reform Movements in 1850's America

    One of the largest reform movements that had the greatest effect on the United States was what took place within and around the institution of slavery. The country became split 50/50 over the very delicate issue of the abolishment of slavery which, if abolished, would affect the economy and social structure of the United States with a colossal magnitude. The majority of the ones who favored the abolishment of slavery believed so because they supported democracy; which in essence secured equal treatment, basic rights and opportunity for its citizens . Abolitionists such as Sojourner Truth, a freed black woman who gained her freedom in 1829, spread her ideas about ridding the country of slavery and promoting women's suffrage through literature and public speeches. Advocates such as this woman spread their ideas, promoting democracy which helped to gradually change the American mindset towards a more equal society.…

    • 281 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Sojourner Truth: A Feminist Analysis
    • 190 Words
    • 1 Page

    Sojourner Truth: A Feminist Analysis

    Over 160 years ago, an emancipated slave from New York stood in front of a woman’s rights convention and delivered what is now considered one of the most famous—as well as one of the oldest—feminist pledges. While the speech itself and its author will not be discussed (the scope and extension of this paper would need to be much greater to do it justice), the date of its delivery is of importance: 164 years have passed since Sojourner Truth spoke those immortal words and yet her whole speech still holds validity today. It seems unbelievable, even preposterous, that the war in which Truth so bravely battled still rages. Although the progress that has been made cannot be rejected or overlooked, there is no denying that there is still a long…

    • 190 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Personality Psychology - Sojourner Truth
    • 2195 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Personality Psychology - Sojourner Truth

    Sojourner Truth (c.1797 – 26 November 1883) Sojourner Truth dedicated her life to fighting slavery, and advocating equal rights for women. She first began speaking in 1827, giving personal testimony of the evils and cruelty of slavery; and later as a staunch supporter of suffrage, also advocated for equal rights for women. At the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio, she delivered her speech “Ain’t I a Woman” which is now revered among classic text of feminism. She lived her life in the water-shed years of American abolition of slavery and became a leader and recognized as an icon for equality of rights and freedom.…

    • 2195 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Sojourner Truth, a Women's Rights Activist
    • 963 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Sojourner Truth, a Women's Rights Activist

    Sojourner Truth was born in 1797 on the Colonel Johannes Hardenbergh estate in Swartekill, in Ulster County, a Dutch settlement in upstate New York. Her given name was Isabella Baumfree, also spelled Bomefree. She was one of 13 children born to Elizabeth and James Baumfree, also slaves on the Hardenbergh plantation. She spoke only Dutch until she was sold from her family around the age of nine.…

    • 963 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    African-Americans in Social Welfare
    • 2219 Words
    • 9 Pages

    African-Americans in Social Welfare

    4. Franklin, John Hope, Moss, Alfred A. (2000). From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans. New York: McGraw Hill. 8th ed. Vol. 2. p. 506-569.…

    • 2219 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The History of Sojourner Truth
    • 1218 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The History of Sojourner Truth

    Bibliography: /b><br><li>Arnold, Mary "Sojourner Truth," Kutztown University of Pennsylvania: Dec 8, 1999. Available <a href="http://www.kutztown.edu/faculty/reagan/truth.html">http://www.kutztown.edu/faculty/reagan/truth.html</a>.<br><li>Hart, Albert Bushnell, Slavery and Abolition, New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1957, page 209.<br><li>"Mars Robot 'Sojourner ' Named by Black Girl to Honor Abolitionist Sojourner Truth," Jet, July 28, 1997.<br><li>Meltzer, Milton, Voices from the Civil War, New York: Thomas Crowel Publishing, 1989, pages 188-189.<br><li>Quarles, Benjamin, "Truth, Sojourner," Collier 's Encyclopedia, USA: McMillian Education Company, 1985, V22 Page 501.<br><li>Scruggs, Otey M, "Truth, Sojourner," The World Book Encyclopedia, Chicago: World Book incorporate, 1990, V19 page 474.<br><li>"Sojourner Truth 1797-1883 Abolitionist," December 8, 1999; available <a href="http://library.org/10320/Truth.htm">http://library.org/10320/Truth.htm</a>.<br><li>"Truth, Sojourner," Encyclopedia Americana, New York: Grolier Incorporated, 1989, V27 Page 185.…

    • 1218 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Sojourner Truth Research Paper
    • 904 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Sojourner Truth Research Paper

    “If my cup won’t hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn’t you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full? (National Park Service- Sojourner Truth)... this small passage was taken from a speech that has been repeated throughout time. The woman who spoke these words was known as Sojourner Truth. Truth’s speeches about the equality between women and men gave not only a powerful message, but it also intensified her fight for women and civil rights. After being released from slavery, she made it her mission to fight for her vision of equality within gender and races. Truth goes on to speak at numerous conventions, helping African Americans rebuild their lives after slavery, and being an activist for change. Although, Sojourner…

    • 904 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analysis of "And Ain't I a Woman?" by Sojourner Truth
    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Analysis of "And Ain't I a Woman?" by Sojourner Truth

    Analysis of “And Ain’t I a Woman?” Speech by Sojourner Truth Introductory Paragraph In 1850, Sojourner Truth delivered a speech at the Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio that left an impression on the entire country. Her main point in this speech was the equality of women and men, and she emphasizes the rights of African American women as well.…

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Life of Sojourner Truth
    • 1981 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The Life of Sojourner Truth

    Heather Hawthorne History 377 Dr. Schmider October 1,2003 The Life of Sojourner Truth Sojourner Truth wasn 't just a heroine to blacks, slaves, and women. She was also an abolitionist and a champion of women 's rights speaking throughout the country. She acted on her strong feelings about life and the way it should be. But, in my hometown of Battle Creek, Michigan where Sojourner Truth spent her last years, she is known for her powerful speeches that traveled the nation advocating for the fair treatment of freed slaves.…

    • 1981 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More