Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth, "Ain't I a Woman"

Sojourner Truth (1797-1883) was born a slave in Hurley, New York under the name Isabella Baumfree. She became a free woman in 1827 when New York State abolished slavery, and changed her name to Sojourner Truth in 1843 due to her religious convictions. Although unable to read or write, Truth made a name for herself as an electrifying speaker. Olive Gilbert wrote The Narrative of Sojourner Truth (1850), based upon Truth's recollections. She toured the nation with black leaders like Frederick Douglass, speaking out for equality, both racial and sexual. Truth met with Abraham Lincoln in 1864, advising him about the problems the newly freed slaves faced. Sojourner Truth gave her "Ain't I a Woman" speech in 1851 at the Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio, and Frances Gage, the president of the convention, published Truth's remarks in 1863.

CONTENT

1. What gives the speaker the idea that something's the matter?
2. Why does Truth link the blacks of the South with the women of the North? Where does she say that leaves white men?
3. How many children did Truth have?
4. In what ways does the speaker compare herself to a man?
5. To what woman is Truth referring in paragraph five?
6. Where and for what purposes does the author invoke the name of Jesus Christ?

STRATEGY AND STYLE

1. Find a metaphor in paragraph three. What two things are being compared? How can you tie in this comparison with the author's ideas about women's rights and blacks' rights?
2. "Ain't I a Woman" was first delivered in 1851. Review your reading to find some words, phrases, and references that gave you trouble due to this time difference. If you already haven't done so, look up the difficult ones. How might you bridge this gap in time and learning in the future?
3. How did you picture Truth as you read her speech? What specific cues from the reading helped you form the mental image you did? (By the way, many of the links below will take you to pages with photos of this author.)
4. Truth uses the rhetorical devices "[t]hat man over there" and "that little man in black there." What effect does this choice have? Are these devices more effective in speech than in writing? Explain.

1. Imagine being alive in the middle of the 19^th century. What role would you want in society? Why did you pick that one? Is it different that your ideal role today? Explain.
2. Describe a time someone made a false assumption about your based upon your sex. How did it make you feel? What did you do about it? How can you relate that experience to your reading?

SUGGESTIONS FOR SUSTAINED WRITING

1. Write an essay describing the way Truth combines her attacks against both racism and sexism. What was it about the historical circumstances that made her speech so timely? How relevant is it today?
2. Write a comparison/contrast essay using this piece and either Cornel West's "On Black Fathering" or Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl" as your source material.

FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

Do some research to answer the following questions: How far has the fight for civil rights for Americans come since 1851, when this speech was first delivered? What needs still have to be addressed? In what ways can these needs be met?

WEB CONNECTION

Truth was a key figure in what's sometimes called the "first wave" of feminism. Would you like information that will help you put this movement into a historical context? This collection of links from Northern Arizona University will help you do just that.

LINKS

Biographical

This biography of Truth also has a portrait and some Black History Month-related links to other biographies, a timeline, a quiz, and activities.

Here is a biography of Truth from a Civil War site. If you had to choose this information or that which you found above to use in a paper, which site would you pick and why? How can you judge the reliability of information you find on the Internet?

Bibliographical

Ready for some of Truth's speeches in etext? This link will lead you to several arranged by topic, with hyperlinks. There are also some good illustrations on this site.

Still hungry for more of this author's work? This page contains a transcription of a speech Truth gave before the American Equal Rights Association in New York in 1867.

Cultural

This is the homepage of the Sojourner Truth Institute of Battle Creek, which was formed in 1998 to celebrate the life of this remarkable woman. Visit and you'll find a photo gallery, a quiz, and contact information.

Interested in writing about slavery in the U.S.? This chronology of U.S. statutes concerning the topic is a useful research tool from the Yale Law School.

Did you know that Truth was featured on a U.S. stamp in 1986? Feeling philatelic? You can click here to view a reproduction of the stamp and read more about it.