Sojourner Truth

In 1797 a little African American baby named Isabella was born into slavery. At the time she was just a baby, but eventually she would become someone that everyone will remember.

In 1806, when she was 9 years old, she was bought at an auction for $100. Two years later she was bought at another auction for a total of $105. She gave birth to 5 children between 1815 and 1826; Diana, Peter, Elizabeth, and Sophia. The 5th child died as an infant. In 1826 Isabella and her newborn baby Sophia escaped slavery. However, she had to leave her other 3 children as slaves because they couldn't leave until their 20's. In 1827- 1828 she won a lawsuit to recover her son Peter who was illegally sold into slavery in Alabama. Soon after she converted into Christianity. In 1839 Peter left on a whaling ship. When the ship returned 3 years later there was no sign of Peter; Isabella never heard from him again.

At the age of 46 (1843) Isabella changed her name to Sojourner Truth. In 1851 Truth attended a women's rights convention in Akron, Ohio. They argued that women need help from men. They summed it up by saying, "Women are weak." This upset Sojourner and she stood up and said, "That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could out do me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne 13 children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mothers grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?"

That speech came to be known as Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman?" speech.

Sojourner Truth played a very big part in the woman's rights movement. Because of her speech so many people were forced to realize that Sojourner was right. Women are not weak. They could do just about anything a man could do. She made people realize that something had to be done about the way women were being treated.

Sojourner Truth lived a long life. 86 years to be exact. She died in her home in Battle Creek, Michigan on November 26, 1883.