The story of Sojourner Truth is so fascinating because she experienced so many dreadful situations, but yet, she inspired so many people.  In 1797, Truth was born to Elizabeth and James Baumfree, who were slaves on Colonel Johannes Hardenbergh's farm, which was located in Ulster County, New York.  Colonel Hardenbergh was a Dutch-speaking farmer, who owned many slaves. At birth, Truth was given the name Isabella Baumfree, who was an African-American abolitionist and women rights leader.  At the age of nine, Isabella was sold to an Englishman named John Nealy.

    On Nealy's plantation, Isabella was frequently beaten just because it was difficult to understand her Dutch-dialect.  So after a few years of service on Nealy’s plantation, Isabella was sold to a fisherman in Kingston, NY.  After a short tenure on the fisherman’s plantation, she was purchased by John Dumont, who owned a plantation nearby.  After being purchased by Dumont, she met a man on his plantation and had five children.  In the 1820’s, New York gradually freed slaves in the state, and this is when Isabella tried to take her family and leave Dumont's plantation, but Dumont reluctantly disagreed with her leaving the plantation, so Isabella decided to run away with only her youngest child.

    Isabella returned to New York City, and found a menial job. Sometimes while at work, she would feel God saying something to her. So on June 1, 1843, at the age of 46, Isabella decided to change her name to “Sojourner Truth” because of a religious belief.  She openly believed that God told her to change her name, and it is so interesting how her name (Sojourner Truth) has a profound meaning. She changed her first name to “Sojourner” because she planned to travel, and she changed her last name to “Truth” because she wanted to preach. 

  She felt that God had chosen her to travel and preach. So during the Civil War, Truth traveled to Washington, DC to sing and preach, in hopes of making money for black soldiers, who were serving in the Union army. After the war, Truth decided to stay in DC, and go around preaching women rights and the abolition of slavery. She then traveled to Ohio, and delivered a very motivating speech. In 1851, she delivered a speech titled “Ain’t I a Woman,” and the speech criticized the idea of women being fragile or weak.

Truth then traveled to a variety of other states to preach and encourage people. She would later die on November 26, 1883, and the interesting fact is that Truth spent almost her entire life working and inspiring fellow-blacks to never lose hope for a better future. Truth’s story is symbolic to both the Women Rights Movement and the Civil Rights Era. In this day and age, it is so encouraging to study Black History because it can motivate you in so many ways.

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