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Sojourner Truth: The Great Antislavery Advocate

By Hasien Jacobs

English 102

March 27, 2017

For Assistant Professor Donald Scott

Research Proposal

Thesis Question: What motivated Sojourner Truth to become an anti-slavery advocate and what methods did she use?

Thesis Answer: Sojourner Truth became an anti-slavery advocate in 1826, when she learned that her son, Peter, had been illegally sold into slavery in Alabama, while living in New York, Isabella attended the many camp meetings held around the city, and she quickly established herself as a powerful speaker, capable of converting many with, a symbol for faith in nonviolence and God's power to right the wrongs of slavery.

Born into slavery in 1797, Isabella Baumfree, who later changed her name to Sojourner Truth, would become one of the most powerful advocates to fight for human rights in the nineteenth century. In addition, she was separated from her family and sold several times before ending up on the farm of John and Sally Dumont. Nevertheless, the conditions for most slaves in the rural North were the same. Therefore, Isabella lived isolated from other African Americans. Although, she suffered from physical and sexual abuse by her enslavers (Women’s Rights, Web). Even though, her master failed to honor his promise to free her or to uphold the New York Anti-Slavery Law of 1827 Isabella ran away. She later informed her master, by saying “I did not run away, I walked away by daylight….”. Her spiritual beliefs guided her through and to her freedom safely (Foner, Garraty, Web). Furthermore, she births a child who was illegally sold under fraudulent acts of her old slave master.

Meanwhile, she encounters happiness with a man she would, later on, marry and take on a different life with him standing by her in the fight for freedom for all African Americans. Isabella became more in-depth with her fight and became a member of the judicial process and also joined a church that would help her succeed in her mission for all to be free. Isabella learns that her pastor is more powerful and well-known than she thought and all of his teachings is more benefit to her than just words. Last but not lease, Isabella was forced to leave the city by those who promise to protect her and keep her safe it was clear that everything she undertook in the city was now proven a failure. Finally, Isabella ventured out independently and finds herself surrounded by people of less intelligence and no form of ideas but of the same color.

Thesis Question: What stimulated Sojourner Truth to want to be an anti-slavery advocate and what methods did she use?

Thesis Answer: Sojourner Truth became an anti-slavery advocate (1) in 1826 when she learned that her son, Peter, had been illegally sold into slavery in Alabama. (2) While living in New York, Isabella attended the many camp meetings held around the city, and she quickly established herself as a powerful speaker, capable of converting many with (3) a symbol for faith in nonviolence and God's power to right the wrongs of slavery.

1. Truth’s son, Peter was illegally sold into slavery in Alabama.

a. Previous to Isabel's leaving her old master, he had sold her child.

b. The law expressly prohibited the sale of any slave out of the State

c. minors were to be free at twenty-one years of age

2. Sojourner Truth established herself as powerful speaker

a. Attended camp meetings to help her succeed with her mission of freedom and nonviolence.

b. Her involvement within the church helped build her leadership skills and knowledge of being an anti-slavery advocate and a woman right activist.

3. Faith and nonviolence with the power of GOD.

a. Sojourner Truth decided to walk a spiritual path in which she couldn’t be violent no matter what type of violence she had to face.

b. Sojourner Truth was a person who didn’t believe in physical abuse, fighting words, terroristic acts or the use of weapons; she practiced and demonstrated nonviolence.

When she was younger, In the evening, when her mother's work was done, she would sit down under the sparkling vault of heaven, and calling her children to her, would talk to them about the only Being that could effectually aid or protect them. Her teachings were delivered in Low Dutch, as follows: -- My children, there is a God, who hears and sees you.' 'A God, mau-mau!

Sentence Outline

Where does he live?' asked the children. 'He lives in the sky,' she replied; 'and when you are beaten, or cruelly treated, or fall into any trouble, you must ask help from him, and he will always hear and help you.' She taught them to kneel and say the Lord's prayer. She entreated them to refrain from lying and stealing and to strive to obey their masters(Olive, The Web).Furthermore, she births a child who was illegally sold under fraudulent acts of her old slave master(Foner, Garraty, Web). Meanwhile, she encounters happiness with a man she would, later on, marry and take on a different life with him standing by her in the fight for freedom for all African Americans.

Sojourner Truth: The Great Antislavery Advocate

Born into slavery in 1797, Isabella Baumfree, who later changed her name to Sojourner Truth, would become one of the most powerful advocates to fight for human rights in the nineteenth century. In addition, she was separated from her family and sold several times before ending up on the farm of John and Sally Dumont. Nevertheless, the conditions for most slaves in the rural North were the same. Therefore, Isabella lived isolated from other African Americans. She suffered from physical and sexual abuse by her enslavers (Olive, The Web). Even though, her master failed to honor his promise to free her or to uphold the New York Anti-Slavery Law of 1827 Isabella ran away. She later informed her master, by saying “I did not run away, I walked away by daylight….”. Her spiritual beliefs guided her through and to her freedom safely.

Isabella became more in-depth with her fight and became a member of the judicial process and also joined a church that would help her succeed in her mission for all to be free. Isabella learns that her pastor is more powerful and well-known than she thought and all of his teachings is more benefit to her than just words. Last but not lease, Isabella was forced to leave the city by those who promise to protect her and keep her safe it was clear that everything she undertook in the city was now proven a failure. Finally, Isabella ventured out independently and finds herself surrounded by people of less intelligence and no form of ideas but of the same color.

A little previous to Isabel's leaving her old master, he had sold her child, a boy of five years, to a Dr. Gedney, who took him with him as far as New York city, on his way to England; but finding the boy too small for his service, he sent him back to his brother, Solomon Gedney. This man disposed of him to his sister's husband, a wealthy planter, by the name of Fowler, who took him to his own home in Alabama. This illegal and fraudulent transaction had been perpetrated some months before Isabella knew of it, as she was now living at Mr. Van Wagener's. The law expressly prohibited the sale of any slave out of the State,--and all minors were to be free at twenty-one years of age; and Mr. Dumont had sold Peter with the express understanding, that he was soon to return to the State of New York, and be emancipated at the specified time.(Olive, The Web).

In 1826, Isabella was living with the Van Wagenens, white Methodists, She had not been there long before her old master, Dumont, appeared, as she had anticipated; for when she took French leave of him, she resolved not to go too far from him, and not put him to as much trouble in looking her up--for the latter he was sure to do--as Tom and Jack had done when they ran away from him, a short time before. This was very considerate in her, to say the least, and a proof that 'like begets like.' He had often considered her feelings, though not always, and she was equally considerate.

When her master saw her, he said, 'Well, Bell, so you've run away from me.' 'No, I did not run away; I walked away by day-light, and all because you had promised me a year of my time.' His reply was, 'You must go back with me.' Her decisive answer was, 'No, I won't go back with you.' He said, 'Well, I shall take the child. ‘This also was as stoutly negative.

Mr. Isaac S. Van Wagener then interposed, saying, he had never been in the practice of buying and selling slaves; he did not believe in slavery; but, rather than have Isabella taken back by force, he would buy her services for the balance of the year--for which her master charged twenty dollars, and five in addition for the child. The sum was paid, and her master Dumont departed; but not till he had heard Mr. van Wagener tell her not to call him master, --adding, 'there is but one master, and he who is your master is my master.' Isabella inquired what she should call him? He answered, 'Call me Isaac Van Wagener, and my wife is Maria Van Wagener.' Isabella could not understand this, and thought it a mighty change, as it most truly was a master whose word was law, to simple Isaac S. Van Wagener, who was a master to no one. With these noble people, who, though they could not be the masters of slaves, were undoubtedly a portion of God's nobility, she resided one year, and from them she derived the name of Van Wagener; he being her last master in the eye of the law, and a slave's surname is ever the same as his master; that is, if he is allowed to have any other name than Tom, Jack, or Guffin. Slaves have sometimes been severely punished for adding their master's name to their own. But when they have no particular title to it, it is no particular offense.

When she learned that her son, Peter, had been illegally sold into slavery in Alabama. Previous to Isabel's leaving her old enslaver, he sold her five-year-old son. This illegal and fraudulent transaction had been perpetrated some months before Isabella knew of it. The law expressly prohibited the sale of any slave out of the State, --and all minors were to be free at twenty-one years of age; and Mr. Dumont had sold Peter with the express understanding, that he was soon to return to the State of New York, and be emancipated at the specified time (Olive, the Web). An outraged Isabella had no money to regain her son, but with God, on her side, she said she felt "so tall within as if the power of a nation was within [her]." She acquired money for legal fees and filed a complaint with the Ulster County grand jury. Peter was returned to her in the spring of 1828, marking the first step in a life of activism inspired by religious faith (Olive, The Web).

The state of New York, which had begun to negotiate the abolition of slavery in 1799, emancipated all slaves on July 4, 1827. The shift did not come soon enough for Truth. After John Dumont reneged on a promise to emancipate Truth in late 1826, she escaped to freedom with her infant daughter, Sophia. Her other daughter and son stayed behind. Shortly after her escape, Truth learned that her son Peter, then 5 years old, had been illegally sold to a man in Alabama. She took the issue to court and eventually secured Peter's return from the South. The case was one of the first in which a black woman successfully challenged a white man in a U. S court.

Sojourner Truth's early years of freedom were marked by several strange hardships. Having converted to Christianity, Truth moved with her son Peter to New York City in 1829, where she worked as a housekeeper for Christian evangelist Elijah Pierson. She then moved on to the home of Robert Matthews, also known as Prophet Matthias, for whom she also worked as a domestic. Matthews had a growing reputation as a con man and a cult leader. Shortly after Truth changed households, Elijah Pierson died. Robert Matthews was accused of poisoning Pierson in order to benefit from his personal fortune, and the Folgers, a couple who were members of his cult, attempted to implicate Truth in the crime. In the absence of adequate evidence, Matthews was acquitted. Having become a favorite subject of the penny press, he subsequently moved west. In 1835 Truth brought a slander suit against the Folgers and won.

While living in New York, Isabella attended the many camp meetings held around the city, and she quickly established herself as a powerful speaker, capable of converting many. In 1843, she was "called in spirit" on the day of Pentecost. The spirit instructed her to leave New York, a "second Sodom," and travel east to lecture under the name Sojourner Truth. This new name signified her role as an itinerant preacher, her preoccupation with truth and justice, and her mission to teach people "to embrace Jesus, and refrain from sin. After experiencing a religious conversion, Isabella became an itinerant preacher and in 1843 changed her name to Sojourner Truth. During this period, she became involved in the growing antislavery movement (This far by faith, web). Truth embraced evangelical religion and became involved in moral reform and abolitionist work. She collected supplies for black regiments during the Civil War and immersed herself in advocating for freed people during the Reconstruction period.

Sojourner Truth was a powerful and impassioned speaker whose legacy of feminism and racial equality still resonates today. She is perhaps best known for her stirring “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech, delivered at a women’s convention in Ohio in 1851 (Foner, Garraty, Web). Sojourner Truth first met the abolitionist Frederick Douglass while she was living at the Northampton Association. Although he admired her speaking ability, Douglass was patronizing of Truth, whom he saw as "uncultured." Years later, however, Truth would use her plain talk to challenge Douglass. At an 1852 meeting in Ohio, Douglass spoke of the need for blacks to seize freedom by force. As he sat down, Truth asked: "Is God gone?" Although much exaggerated by Harriet Beecher Stowe and other writers, this exchange made Truth a symbol for faith in nonviolence and God's power to right the wrongs of slavery. Until old age intervened, Truth continued to speak passionately on the subjects of women's rights, universal suffrage, and prison reform. She was also an outspoken opponent of capital punishment, testifying before the Michigan state legislature against the practice.

On June 1, 1843, Isabella Baumfree changed her name to Sojourner Truth, devoting her life to Methodism and the abolition of slavery. In 1844, she joined the Northampton Association of Education and Industry in Northampton, Massachusetts. Founded by abolitionists, the organization supported a broad reform agenda including women's rights. Members lived together on 500 acres as a self-sufficient community. Truth met a number of leading abolitionists at Northampton, including William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and David Ruggles.

Although the Northampton community disbanded in 1846, Sojourner Truth's career as an activist and reformer was just beginning. In 1850 her memoirs were published under the title The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave. Truth dictated her recollections to a friend, Olive Gilbert since she could not read or write, and William Lloyd Garrison wrote the book's preface. That same year, Truth spoke at the first National Women's Rights Convention in Worcester, Massachusetts. She soon began touring regularly with abolitionist George Thompson, speaking to large crowds on the subjects of slavery and human rights. She was one of the several escaped slaves, along with Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, to rise to prominence as an abolitionist leader and a testament to the humanity of enslaved people.

In May of 1851, Truth delivered a speech at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in Akron. The extemporaneous speech, recorded by several observers, would come to be known as "Ain't I a Woman?" The first version of the speech, published a month later by Marius Robinson, editor of Ohio newspaper The Anti-Slavery Bugle, did not include the question "Ain't I a woman?" even once. Robinson had attended the convention and recorded Truth's words himself. The famous phrase would appear in print 12 years later, as the refrain of a Southern-tinged version of the speech. It is unlikely that Sojourner Truth, a native of New York whose first language was Dutch, would have spoken in this Southern idiom.

Truth continued to tour Ohio from 1851 to 1853, working closely with Robinson to publicize the antislavery movement in the state. As Truth's reputation grew and the abolition movement gained momentum, she drew increasingly larger and more hospitable audiences. Even in abolitionist circles, some of Truth's opinions were considered radical. She sought political equality for all women and chastised the abolitionist community for failing to seek civil rights for black women as well as men. She openly expressed concern that the movement would fizzle after achieving victories for black men, leaving both white and black women without suffrage and other key political rights.

Sojourner Truth put her reputation for working during the Civil War, helping to recruit black troops for the Union Army. She encouraged her grandson, James Caldwell, to enlist in the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. In 1864, Truth was called to Washington, D.C., to contribute to the National Freedman's Relief Association. On at least one occasion, Truth met and spoke with President Abraham Lincoln about her beliefs and her experience.

True to her broad reform ideas, Truth continued to agitate for change even after Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. In 1865, Truth attempted to force the desegregation of streetcars in Washington by riding in cars designated for whites. A major project of her later life was the movement to secure land grants from the federal government for former slaves. She argued that ownership of private property, and particularly land, would give African Americans self-sufficiency and free them from a kind of indentured servitude to wealthy landowners. Although Truth pursued this goal forcefully for many years, she was unable to sway Congress.

On her death, the tomb was inscribed with words “is God dead?”. She died on 26, November, 1883 where she was at her home on college street on November. Her funeral service was reported to have been attended by about 1,000 people which was held at the congregational-Presbyterian church. She was later buried at Oak Hill cemetery which is at Battle Creek.

Conclusion

Truth was embraced by a community of reformers including Amy Post, Wendell Phillips, William Lloyd Garrison, Lucretia Mott and Susan B. Anthony—friends with whom she collaborated until the end of her life, Sojourner Truth died at her home in Battle Creek, Michigan, on November 26, 1883 (Foner, Garraty, Web).

Sojourner Truth was eminent in her time for her talking and singing capacity. As a man who could neither read nor compose, she had individuals perused to her, particularly the Bible, and from this she built up her special voice about how the world functioned and how it could be made strides. She seems like a sensible evangelist in a considerable lot of her discourses.

Maybe Sojourner's most renowned discourse, and the one many individuals today know her for, was a discourse she conveyed in 1851 at a Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. It is an intense discourse however it was recorded by a few unique individuals at the time. The most well-known record of it is by Frances Gage, the leader of the tradition, who was there however didn't record the discourse until 12 years after the fact. She put the discourse in southern lingo, however Sojourner never lived in the south and, in the event that anything, would have had a Dutch intonation, as Dutch was her first dialect. A columnist of the time recorded the discourse in an unexpected way. Both adaptations are underneath.

Sojourner Truth passed on her "Ain't I a Woman?" talk in Akron, Ohio during the Women's Rights Convention in year 1851. Her brief, essential talk which was rated to be an exceptional censure to various antifeminist disputes of the day. Moreover, it also advanced toward getting to be, and continues serving, as an incredible explanation of women's rights. Truth advanced toward getting to be, and even today still picture of robust womankind.

Back in the year 1851, Truth went to the Ladies' Rights Tradition situated at Ohio. According to Frances Gage, the pioneer of the Tradition, on the second day a couple of male ministers showed up and battled that women should not have a vague right from men. The ministers' reasoning: women were delicate, men were rationally superior to women, Jesus was a man, and our first mother trespassed.

Sojourner had rose she would have passed on her short, magnificent speech which was invoking statutes of Christians amidst contractions from a segment of woman who feared she would talk about invalidation. In her talk, she used a strong and compelling closeness basically to uncover the clerics disputes. Showing her especially manufactured arms and insinuating the constant labor that she was executed as a slave. She professed articulated the saying “And aint I a Woman?” with some regards to the fact that Jesus was a man, He had begun from a woman. Nevertheless, she turned down the wrongdoing of eve which was a conflict and she said that if one woman could bring down the entire world into a saga, then the women united can bring it to the prior original place.

Works Cited

Narrative of Sojourner Truth Truth, Sojourner, d. 1883 Gilbert, Olive 144 p., ill.Boston J. B. Yerrinton and Son, Printers 1850
Sojourner Truth Biography, web
Foner Eric and Garraty John A., The Reader’s Companion to American History, 1991, web.
This far by faith, web.
Women’s Rights, web.
Gilbert Olive, Truth Sojourner,1883