Sojourner Truth

1. Sojourner Truth A great woman in American history

2. Sojourner Truth

3. Some Childhood • Isabella Boumfree was Sojourner’s name as a slave. Her exact birth date is unknown, for she was a slave. Some resources say that Bella’s mom was called Elizabeth. Some say that her dad was called Boumfree, and since slaves were not given last names, Boumfree was the name that the family gave them selves. Bella was a big child, wore size twelve boots, was almost six feet tall at eleven years old, and had a lot of body strength. Bella was very smart, but she could not go to school, thus making her not able to read or write. Isabella loved to listen to the stories that Elizabeth would tell about her little babies lost in the terrors of slavery. Bella had one sibling left, and that was her little brother Peter. When Bella turned nine, Peter was sold at an auction for one hundred dollars. Bella was heartbroken. She cried more, and worked less. Pretty soon, her owner decided to sell her.

4. Masters Who Aren’t Fair • Isabella’s new master was a fisher and a trapper. He was slightly nicer than her old master, yet his wife was horrible. She would scream at Bella if she did one slight mistake. Bella married a fellow slave named Robert, and had three kids: Peter, Diana and Elizabeth. Once her masters caught whiff of Robert and the kids, they were furious. So furious, that Robert went off one day to work in the fields and never came back. Bella was still forced to work. But in that year, a law was passed that slaves could be free. Bella was ecstatic, and ran to ask her master if she could be free. He said yes, she could be free in two years. Bella worked super hard, sewing, *threshing, cleaning, and taking care of the poultry. When the year finally came, the master realized how much work she really could do. He did not let her be free! Isabella decided to run away. • *Threshing is separating the grains from the straw of a crop.

5. Preaching Isabella ran and ran through the woods, trying to get away. She had to get to where she was going fast, for her owner would soon notice, and might send dogs after her. Isabella ran through brambles, bushes, streams, rivers and small towns. Finally, she arrived in New York. Bella decided to change her name to Sojourner Truth. Sojourner means to be a traveler, and as she says “I am to travel up and down the lands.” Truth because, “I am ‘ta tell people the truth.” Since Truth was a free slave, she was able to visit her children. But, Peter, her five year old son, was gone. He had been sold illegally, and Truth was going to get him back. She broke down the door of the courthouse. She stood up on the platform and told the truth. In the end, Truth won. Peter was hers again. When Peter was eighteen, he went on a fish boat. Peter sent letters to Sojourner Truth, and that was all mother and son could do to get contact. Then, one year, no more letters could get to Truth. She waited and waited, but no more came. This was all the proof Truth needed to decide that Peter was dead. One time, when Truth was at church, men were saying that women were not like men, therefore saying that woman were not to be treated like men. They were to be treated like dirt in your composter. This was enough for Truth. She stood up and said her speech ‘Ain’t I a Woman?’ this is her most famous speech. Just then, people realized that she was the future. She was to change the world.

6. Be All That You Can Be • Sojourner Truth said many speeches after that, and even helped with the war. Once, big, tough men wanted to start a fight with her when she was singing. But when she asked them why on Earth did they want to hurt her, they simply replied that they would leave her, and everyone else alone, if Truth would sing some more. So Truth sung three more songs for them. Truth had been getting popular. One day, she met Abraham Lincoln and said “I have never heard of you before you were voted for.” He said, “You may not have heard of me, but I have heard of you many times before that.” Truth moved to Battle Creek, MI, to live with her two daughters, Elizabeth and Diana. She lived there until her death in November 26, 1883.

7. The World As It Is Now • Truth was an amazing lady in our history. She changed the world, and changed hearts. For all that she has been through, this was amazing. She disbelieved in hanging and thought that woman with crazy fashions looked, well, crazy! She did all she could, and more, because she believed. She believed that she could change the world. The world did change, and if it had not, if Isabella had kept her feelings deep down inside, all of us females would not be able to vote, we would not be able to say what we want. African Americans would be living horrible lives. Truth did what she can and she knew it: “But Sojourner is an old body, and will soon get out of this world into another, and wants to say when she gets there, Lord, I have done my duty, and I have told the whole truth and kept nothing back.” • < This is a picture of downtown • Batt Creek in Truth’s day. See the building • 000 in the far, far back? Truth preached • there.

8. Great Websites, Great Person • Sojourner Truth.org Home Page • Sojourner Truth biography • Sojourner Truth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia • Sojourner Truth • The Narrative of Sojourner Truth. • Sojourner Truth Memorial