Sojourner Truth

Date of Birth: 1797

Zodiac Sign: Unknown

Date of Death: November 26, 1883

Biography

Sojourner Truth, born Isabella Baumfree in 1797, was an African-American abolitionist and women’s rights activist. Born into slavery in Swartekill, New York, she escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. After going to court to recover her son, she became the first black woman to win such a case against a white man. In 1843, she changed her name to Sojourner Truth and began traveling to preach about the abolition of slavery and equal rights for women. Her speeches were powerful, drawing from her personal experiences of enslavement and her deep religious faith. She is perhaps best known for her extemporaneous speech on racial inequalities, “Ain’t I a Woman?”, delivered in 1851 at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention. Sojourner Truth’s work laid the foundation for civil rights and women’s rights movements in the United States.

5 Interesting Facts about Sojourner Truth

1. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery and was owned by several different masters throughout her early life.

2. She escaped slavery with her daughter in 1826, a year before New York’s emancipation law freed all remaining enslaved people in the state.

3. Truth was deeply religious and believed she was called by God to travel and preach about abolition and women’s rights.

4. She dictated her memoirs to Olive Gilbert, which were published in 1850 as “The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave.”

5. Truth was also an advocate for prison reform, property rights, and universal suffrage.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Sojourner Truth

1. “Ain’t I a woman?”

2. “Truth is powerful and it prevails.”

3. “I feel safe in the midst of my enemies, for the truth is all-powerful and will prevail.”

4. “I am not going to die, I’m going home like a shooting star.”

5. “Life is a hard battle anyway. If we laugh and sing a little as we fight the good fight of freedom, it makes it all go easier.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Sojourner Truth did not accumulate significant wealth and did not achieve a high net worth. Her contributions were primarily social and moral rather than financial.

Children

Sojourner Truth had five children: James, Diana, Peter, Elizabeth, and Sophia. She famously took legal action to recover her son Peter after he was illegally sold into slavery in Alabama, marking a significant victory in her life.