Teh civil rights leader Sojourner Truth.

Essay by XxNiCoLexXJunior High, 8th grade March 2003

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Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth was a very famous black woman. She was the first black woman to speak out . against slavery! Back then her name was not Sojourner Truth. Her name was Isabella Baumfree. She was born in Ulster County, New York in 1797. The first family she was sold to was a Dutch family called the Hardenberghs. When she was sold to the Hardenberghs, she did not speak English or Dutch. But time after time, while she was with the Hardenberghs, she started to speak their language called low Dutch.

The second family she was sold to was the Nealys. While the Nealys spoke English, Isabella still spoke low Dutch. She did not know any English nor did she know how to read or write. Her third family was she was sold to was a family named Dumonts. She was 12 and very strong and worth more money because she could do a man's work at day, but a woman's work at night.

Often she had talks with god about her feelings, and wished that she would be freed someday. When Isabella was 17, her master married her to another slave called Thomas. And later on, she had five children: Diana, Elizabeth, Hannah, Peter and Sophie. In 1824, Isabella heard wondrous news that on July 4,1827 she would be free. Finally her prayers had been answered! But when Dumont heard this, he said that if she would do a very good job, he would free her a year earlier. She hurt her hand badly, but that did not stop her. When 1826 came, her master refused to free her because of her hand. It had stopped her from working. Her master had broken his word to her. So one night, she took her baby, Sophie, and ran...