the narrative of sojourner truth a northern slave

In 1843 Sojourner Truth converted to Methodism and changed her name from Isabella Baumfree to Sojourner Truth. After recovering her son, Sojourner Truth moved to New York City with him, where she began work at Elijah Pierson’s home in 1829. Sojourner Truth sued him, successfully, and became the first black woman to win a case against a white man in the US court system. Shortly after the anti-slavery laws were enacted, Dumont sold her son illegally, to an owner in Alabama. Dumont came after her and the Van Wagenens offered him $20 to pay for Isabella’s work until the anti-slavery laws went into effect, which he accepted. Truth escaped to New Paltz, New York, where she started work at Isaac Van Wagenen’s house. So she escaped, taking her infant daughter, Sophia, with her. Dumont promised Truth that he would free her in 1826, but did not follow through. New York put legislation in place to emancipate slaves by July 4, 1827. In 1817 Dumont forced Truth to marry Thomas, an older slave, and they had three children together.

When she was about 18, Sojourner Truth fell in love with a neighboring slave, named Robert however once his master found out, they were forbidden from seeing each other. Eventually she was purchased by John Dumont, who lived in West Park, New York. Over the next couple of years, Sojourner Truth was bought and sold several times. He was cruel and unkind and beat her regularly. In 1806, after Hardenbaugh and his son, Charles, had both died, she was sold at the age of 9, with a flock of sheep for the price of $100. Her mother was the daughter of two slaves from modern-day Guinea. Her father was James Baumfree, a captured man from what is today known as Ghana.

Sojourner Truth was born Isabella Baumfree, around 1797 (although the actual date is unknown), on the estate of Colonel Johannes Hardenbaugh, in Ulster County, New York. She dedicated her life to the abolition of slavery as well as to advocating for women’s rights. Sojourner Truth is most widely known for her speech “Ain’t I a Woman?” given in 1851 at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention, held in Akron, Ohio. Sojourner Truth was an African-American woman, born into slavery, who after escaping became an abolitionist and itinerant (traveling) minister.

The narrative of sojourner truth a northern slave