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Women’s rights activist and abolitionist, Sojourner Truth was born into slavery. She was born Isabella Baumfree and legally changed her name on June 1st, 1843.

Truth escaped slavery with her infant daughter in 1826. She then helped recruit black troops for the Union Army.

She devoted her life to Methodism and hte abolition of slavery. In 1850, Truth spoke at the first ever National Women’s Rights Convention in Worcester, Massachusetts. Afterwards, she began to tour with aboilitionist George Thompson to speak in front of large crowds on the subjects of slavery and human rights.

In the year 1850, Truth’s memoirs were published under the title The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave. Her recollections were dictated to a friend named Olive Filbert because she could not read or write. Truth’s most famous speech titled ‘Ain’t I a Woman’ was given at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in Akron.

Today, she is remembered as one of the foremost leaders of the abolition movement and an advocate for women’s rights! The 19th amendment, which enabled women to vote was not passed until 1920, four decades after Truth’s death.

The Sojourner Truth Library is located in New Paltz, New York. The library renamed their facility in 1970 in honor of her.

The Sojourner Truth House is an orgnization founded in 1997 that serves homeless and at-risk women and their children. They provide food, housins assitance, and shelters.

 

All information obtained from Biography