Alli Flynn
Analyze the contributions of Sojourner Truth on the Abolition Movement and the Women’s Rights Movement.
Throughout the 1800s, slavery and women’s rights were controversial topics, which many people fought for or against. While primarily southern states were home to the slaves, abolitionists from all over the country worked together in order to free them. Many anti-slavery as well as women’s rights conventions were held throughout the United States, including one in Ohio where Sojourner Truth, an escaped female slave, gave a speech which gained the title of “Ain’t I a Woman?” Truth worked together with other abolitionists and women’s rights supporters in committees. She even met with President Lincoln to discuss her ideas on abolition. By preaching in order to fight against slavery and the oppression of women, Truth influenced the passing of two major Amendments: the 13th Amendment which ended slavery, and the 19th Amendment which allowed for women’s suffrage. As both an abolitionist and a women’s rights activist, Sojourner Truth spoke out for her beliefs in an attempt to get slavery abolished and to give women equal rights.
In 1797, Sojourner Truth was born to enslaved parents living in New York. As many of her siblings were torn away from the family and sold to other owners, Truth experienced the cruelties of slavery as a young kid. By age 9, she too was separated from her parents when she was sold to another plantation owner. For the next 13 years, Truth experienced no stability in her life and was sold as property to a number of different owners. It wasn’t until 1810 that she was purchased by John Dumont, who owned her for the next 17 years (Benson 1581). Truth married a fellow slave on Dumont’s estate named Thomas, and they went on to have 5 children together. In 1827, slavery was declared illegal in New York State, encouraging the emancipation of Truth and her children . However, Dumont illegally sold her youngest son, which inspired her to join the nationwide fight against slavery (Hillstrom). After emancipation, Truth and her children were taken in by the Van Wangenens. Newly exposed to religious beliefs, the church became a very influential force throughout the rest of her life. Truth joined a Methodist Church congregation in New York City where she established her position as a strong speaker. She participated in evangelical activities with two very well known ministers (Hillstrom). Despite her difficult childhood, Truth was able to use religion as a guiding force in her life.
Prior to her life as an evangelical speaker, Sojourner Truth’s name was Isabella Wangener. In 1843, she changed it because she believed that God spoke to her and gave her the name ‘Sojourner Truth.’ Truth left the city at this time and began to travel along the Connecticut River Valley to continue preaching anywhere that she could find an audience and shelter. She eventually moved to the Northampton Industrial Association where she met abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, and George Benson (Hillstrom). In this community, Truth learned her passion for speaking against slavery. Abolition became a very important subject in her preaches. However, she disagreed with many of the abolitionists of the time due to their standings on women’s rights. In the 1850s, Truth and her daughters moved to Michigan, as it was a hotspot for religious and abolition conventions. During the civil war, she joined a refuge group called Harmonia with whom she met President Abraham Lincoln (Benson 1583). With Harmonia, Truth worked to help recently freed slaves. She sent a petition signed by hundreds of people to Congress, proposing that former slaves should be given government land in the West. Even though Congress ignored the proposition, thousands of freed slaves migrated West to set up homesteads in Kansas and Missouri. During that time, Truth travelled throughout those states giving her famous speeches to inspire them (Benson 1583). Truth worked with many relief agencies, including the Freedmen's Bureau, in order to advocate for the ex-slaves. Sojourner Truth was a motivational force in the lives of former slaves, and she was able to help them through their transition to freedom. She was persistent, and despite Congress’ disapproval, she was still able to help the freed slaves find land to live on so they could start their new lives.
Not only was she an advocate for abolition, Sojourner Truth also spoke out on behalf of women’s rights throughout the country. Truth was able to speak about the connections between slaves and women, as they were both minorities in the United States. In 1851, she attended the Akron Convention in Ohio after meeting with the founders and most influential women of the women’s rights movement. Truth’s speech was exceptionally controversial, as there were many men attending the conference. The clergymen and other white men attempted to prevent Truth from speaking because of her race, and they were successful on the first day of the convention. However, on the second day, Truth was allowed to deliver her speech, despite all of the men in opposition (“The Anti-Slavery”). Her speech, known as “Ain’t I a Woman?”, addressed the inferiority of both African Americans and women, and she supported her argument with biblical evidence. Truth directly called out the men who had given her a hard time at the convention. She refuted the white preachers claim that since Christ was a man not a women, then women could not have equal rights as men. This laid the foundation for a different interpretation of the bible in her speech (“Womanist” 548). Her argument was that even though Christ wasn’t a woman, He was born from God and a woman, which makes the preacher’s claim invalid (“Ain’t). Truth’s controversial preaches were very influential in the fight for women’s rights.
In order to spread awareness about her position, Sojourner Truth wrote a book about her life. Despite her being illiterate, Truth was able to produce the book by the help of her friend who was able to read. She wished to tell her own personal experience, while also explaining the similarities between women and slaves (When). After living through slavery and the oppression of women, Truth argues that the injustice in the world will cure itself once women gain the right to vote. She was such a powerful speaker because not only did she influence women to stand up for themselves, she also encouraged men to stand down in their fight and support the women. Truth set a precedent by working hard for her own money, rather than relying on a man to help her. She made a profit by selling her book at conventions and other meetings, which simultaneously helped her to gain recognition (When). Sojourner Truth used her only experience to inspire other women to stand up and fight for their rights, just as she was doing.
During her lifetime, Sojourner Truth was able to experience the ratification of the 13th Amendment, which essentially freed slavery throughout the United States. Although President Abraham Lincoln declared in the Emancipation Proclamation that slaves were free, the Amendment actually enforced this idea. Many abolitionists throughout the country, including Sojourner Truth and those that she worked with, fought hard to make this Amendment possible. Even though they abolitionists themselves were not directly able to end slavery, they are responsible for spreading awareness and gaining support for the abolition movement. Finally, the fight had ended, and former slaves were freed and granted citizenship and the same rights as the white people in the United States (Rutherglen). Truth, along with a number of others, was able to influence the ratification of the 13th Amendment, which gave slaves the freedom and rights they’d been fighting for.
Although Sojourner Truth died in 1883, her speeches and writings had influence for years past then. In 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified, which gave women the right to vote. Truth had devoted her life to fighting for women’s suffrage, and after years and years of powerful women giving speeches and writing articles, the Amendment was finally passed. It was highly controversial, so the Amendment was debated for 40 years after its proposal until it was ratified (Mezey). The women’s rights activists were righteously credited for this Amendment’s passing because they were the ones who brought awareness to the topic and initially challenged the constitution. After a long fight for women’s suffrage, the 19th Amendment was passed, and the women’s rights activists had finally earned what they’d struggled for.