"Ain't I A Woman?" - The Truth From Sojourner Truth

      In honor of the first Women's Rights Convention for Equality, held 159 years ago on July 19th & 20th, 1848 across the street from where I live in the small village of Seneca Falls in the heart of the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York; here's a look at a strong and brave woman who not only fought for equal treatment as a lady, but for the right to live free as a former slave.  The truth of Sojourner Truth still lives on today.

      Born Isabella Baumfree in 1797, she was one of 13 children born to slaves James and Elizabeth Baumfree, owned by Colonel Johannes Hardenbergh on his estate in the Ulster County town of Swartekill, New York.  Being a Dutch settlement, Baumfree only spoke Dutch until she was sold for the first time at the age of 9.  Isabella had been given to Charles Hardenbergh by his father when she was still in her infancy.  When Charles died in 1808, Isabella was sold, along with a herd of sheep, for $100 to John Neely.  Neely and his family only spoke English and used to beat Isabella fiercely for her frequent miscommunications...she learned to speak English very quickly.  Soon after her sale to Neely, tavern owner, Martinus Schryver purchased her for $105.  Not happy with her services, Schryver sold her in 1810 to John Dumont of New Paltz, New York. 

      In 1815, Isabella fell for a slave named Robert, who was owned by a family with the surname of Catlin, in the same area of New York State.  Robert's owner forbade their relationship because he didn't want his slave having children with slaves he didn't own (and therefore, would not own the 'new property'; any children produced between the two.)  One night, when Robert snuck away to visit Isabella, Robert's owner and the owner's son followed him; beating him savagely.  He was bound and dragged away; never to be seen again.  In 1817, Isabella gave birth to daughter, Diana.  Shortly thereafter, Dumont forced Isabella to marry another of his slaves, Thomas.  The two produced four children:  Peter (1822), James (who died in infancy), Elizabeth (1825) and Sophia (1826). 

      With the New York State emancipation of slaves set to go into effect on July 4th, 1827, Isabella couldn't wait and escaped from Dumont in mid-1826; taking her newly born daughter, Sophia, with her.  Said Isabella, "I did not run off, for I thought that wicked, but I walked off, believing that to be all right."  Isabella wandered for days and arrived at the home of Isaac and Maria Van Wagenen, who took her and her baby in.  Soon, Dumont found where she was hiding and insisted she be returned; threatening to take baby Sohpia.  Van Wagenen bought Isabella's services for $20 for the remainder of the year until the New York State emancipation took effect.  They opened Isabella's eyes to the fact they did not 'own' her; no one had the right to 'own' another human being...and they insisted she call them by their given names; not "master' and "mistress".

      While residing with the Van Wagenen family, Baumfree was befriended by a Quaker sect and begam attending a local Methodist church.  She eventually left Ulster County in 1829 with a white evangelical teacher, Miss Gear.  They met Elijah Pierson, a religious reformer, a Isabella became a groundskeeper and was encouraged by Pierson to begin preaching.  Robert Matthias arrived shortly after Baumfree became employed by Pierson and he eventually took over the group from Pierson.  In 1834, Pierson died and Matthias and Baumfree were accused of stealing the money of the Folger family; whose house Pierson lived in; and of poisoning Pierson, causing his death.  They were both eventually acquitted.

      Isabella ended up settling in New York City, where she lost all her savings and possessions.  She decided to become a traveling preacher.  On June 1st, 1843, Isabella Baumfree changed her name to Sojourner Truth and joined the Northampton Association of Education and Industry in Massachusetts; a group that was anti-slavery, religiously tolerant, supported women's rights and were pacifist in principles.  It was during this time, Truth met William Lloyd Garrison, David Ruggles and Frederick Douglass.  In 1846, she left the Association with one of its founders, George Benson.  Upon hearing of her work against slavery and for women's rights and equality for all; Truth was invited to attend the first women's right convention held July 19th & 20th in Seneca Falls; a small village in the heart of the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York; which is celebrating the 159th anniversary of the birth of the suffrage movement. 

      Being inspired by what she heard, Truth began dictating her memiors to Olive Gilbert, and her first book was published in 1850; "The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave."  Later that year, with $300 she had made from the sales of her book, she bought a home in Northampton.  With the women's right movement in full swing, Truth traveled to Akron in 1851 to attend the Ohio Women's Rights Convention and was finally allowed what would be her most famous speech, "Ain't I A Woman?" 

      In 1857, Truth sold her Massachusetts home and bought another in Harmonia, Michigan, west of Battle Creek.  She continued to speak out for women's equality and was confronted at a meeting in 1858 in Silver Lake, Indiana; accused of being a man.  Being 6 feet tall with a muscular body, it was believed she was not a woman...and she had to open her blouse to bear her breasts to all to prove she was not a male.  She continued to speak out for equality for all and on October 29th, 1864, she visited the Executive Mansion in Washington, D.C. upon the invitation of President Abraham Lincoln.  While meeting with the leader of our nation and discussing the causes she fought for, she found her most fond memory of that visit to be Lincoln showing her a Bible presented to him by the colored people of Baltimore.

      In 1867, Truth moved into Battle Creek, where she first stayed with the family of William Merritt while she converted his barn into her final home.  4 years later, Merritt gave the deed to the property at 38 Cottage Street to Truth for the hard work she had performed on the barn making it into a home.  Truth remained in her home until she died on November 26th, 1883 at the age of 86.  She was buried in the Oak Hill Cemetary in Battle Creek, where her body remains to this day...surrounded by members of her own family including daughter, Diana Corbin, who passed away in 1904 and was buried next to her mother, and a grandson, who died in the mid-1800's.  The most recent honor bestowed upon Truth was the errection of a bronze statue in 2002 in Florence, Massachusetts; an area she had been associated with in her earlier days; donated by the residents of the region.

      The following are the words spoken by Sojourner Truth in 1851 as she addressed the Ohio Women's Right Convention in Akron; the most famous speech of her lifetime...... 

              "Ain't I A Woman?"

      Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter.  I think that 'twixt the Negroes of the south and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will will be in a fix pretty soon.  But what's all this here talking about?

      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 head me!  And ain't I a woman?  I have bourne me 13 children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me!  And ain't I a woman?

      Then they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it?  (A member of the audience whipsers, "intellect".)  That's it, honey!  What's that got to do with women's rights or Negroes' rights?  If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?

      Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman!  Where did your Christ come from?  Where did your Christ come from?  From God and a woman!  Man had nothing to do with them. 

      If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again!  And now they is asking to do it.  The men better let them!

      Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say.  I am the truth...Sojourner Truth.