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Sojourner Truth Biography

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Sojourner Truth, born Isabella Baumfree, was a powerful women’s rights activist, an African-American abolitionist, an orator, and a preacher. She is well-known for being an icon for strong black women. Her power and strength did not begin when she became a women’s rights activist. Her bravery and courage began the moment she was born. Truth faced the daily struggles of a black woman in the 1800s. She went from having lived with at least four owners to becoming a free woman in 1828. In 1828, the state of New York emancipated all slaves for people over forty years of age. Truth was now free and achieved her first goal as a strong black woman activist. One of her owners had illegally sold her five year old son, Peter, into slavery out of state. …show more content…

Her son was sold illegally out of state to a man in the South. Truth brought her concerns to the court and fought for the right to have her son back. After many months in court, her son was returned to her and he was freed as well. Peter was very hesitant, saying Truth wasn’t his mother and that he didn’t want to be taken from his master. Truth still got custody and eventually Peter calmed down. This was the first time a black woman challenged a white man in court and won. This win started to give Truth the strength and inspiration to become an abolitionist. Truth’s next big reason that she became so popular was that she believed that God had spoken to her. She believed that Jesus had sent the Holy Spirit to speak with her and convince her to spread the word of God. Truth believed the Holy Spirit told her to move east and spread the message of God. Isabella Baumfree changed her name to Sojourner Truth and moved east. She began meeting with people who believed in the ‘Second Advent’ doctrines, the immediate personal appearance of Jesus Christ. Truth began to use her spiritual guidance to build credibility and relationships with other people. This way, she was able to get everyone to listen to her when she began fighting for women’s rights. I feel that was very smart on her part and it is a major reason that others supported her and her cause. Truth then began traveling around the states in a lecturing tour with many other abolitionists. The next time we see Truth is where her women’s rights activism really kicks into high

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