Sojourner Truth (probably born in 1797 - died in 1883) was the Sobriquet given starting from 1843 to a free trade American, born parents Esclave S in the town of Hurley (county of Ulster), in the State of New York. (Its true name was Isabella Baumfree , although certain sources name it Isabella Van Wagener .) Born in the Dutch colony from the county of Ulster, within a family of 13 children, she spoke only Dutch when she was sold with the 11 years age.

From its condition of slave, it was plain against its liking in Thomas Jeffery Harvey, an older slave. From this not desired union were born 5 children.

In 1827, it flees of the farm of John Dumont, its third Master, to find refuge with the Canada with the Sophie, youngest of his/her daughters, then infant, and that one year before the abolition of slavery in the State of New York (1828). It turned over in this State in 1829, to work there a decade as a maidservant within multiple religious communities. One of them, known under the name of " Kingdom of Matthias " was implied in a scandal of murder and adultery. Isabella united then Elijah Pierson, the leader of this religious bunch in evangelic sermons .

In 1841, it settled with Northampton, in the Massachusetts. In 1843, Isabella was inspired by a spiritual revelation which changed the course of its existence. Isabella Baumfree changa its name and became Sojourner Truth. Consequently, it made sermons in the State of Long Island and in the Connecticut, by announcing the " divine truth of the hello of the âme". The same year, it joined a small community living according to utopian principles , the association of Northampton for education and industry . When this association was dissolved in 1846, it remained with Florence, in Massachusetts, where it carried out its biography with the assistance of Olive Gilbert, one of its neighbors. Its memories were published in 1850, under the title: " Narration off Sojourner Truth: With northern slave" (that one could translate by " History of Sojourner Truth, a slave of Nord") .

Consequently, it became enthusiastic défenseuse abolitionist cause and movement of the Women's right . The famous speech of Thruth, " Does Ain' T I have Woman? " , pronounced in 1851 with Akron in the Ohio at the convention of the women's rights, although short, summarized the claims of the feminist cause well.

In 1857, Truth moved in the Michigan, where it continued to defend its cause. During the American Civil war, it organized collections of vivres for the combatants of the black regiments combatants of the Union, and settled with Washington, D.C after the promulgation of the Proclamation of emancipation, in order to work with former slaves. It met the president Abraham Lincoln in 1864.

After the civil war, Sojourner Truth attempted to facilitate the looking for a job of the black refugees. It made also many public appearances where it was addressed in majority to a white public. In its speeches, tinted religion and of feminism, it defended the idea of the creation of a black State in the west of the United States.

It turned over in Michigan in 1867 and died in its residence of Battle Creek, the November 26th 1883. It was buried in the cemetery of Oak Hill in the locality of Battle Creek. In 1983, it was integrated into the honnor roll of the most important women of Michigan.

In 1997, the robot of the mission space probe of NASA Mars Pathfinder was baptized " Sojourner" , in the memory of the abolitionist Sojourner Truth.

Bibliography (in English)

• Jacqueline Bernard, Journey Toward Freedom: The Story off Sojourner Truth. W.W. Norton & Co., New York, 1990.

• Victoria Ortiz, Sojourner Truth: With Woman Coil-Made. Lippincott, New York, 1974.

References