Sojourner Truth and African American Community Before 1880 (Essay Sample)

Sojourner Truth
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Institution:
Sojourner Truth
From the ancient days of the presence of Africans in the U.S, there has been much contribution from the blacks into the American culture fiber, ranging from innovative musical interludes to useful inventions, and beyond. The blacks have tirelessly served and died as they defend their adopted homeland. Others have brought up ideas that have helped America proceed and develop greatly while some pushed for the equality that is observed in America. This essay will identify and describe an African American individual who had an impact on the African American community before 1880. The particular individual is Sojourner Truth. She was born in 1797, being one of the twelve children born to Elizabeth and James Baumfree in New York, Ulster County, in the town of Swartekil (Truth & Gilbert, 2012). Her real name was Isabella Baumfree and her actual date of birth wasn’t recorded, since it was normal for children born into slavery. However, historians guess that it is likely she was born approximately in the year 1797. Both her parents were slaves under Colonel Hardeebergh, and stayed in New York, at the colonel’s estate located in Esopus. Since the area had been once under the control of Dutch, both the Hardenbergs and Baumfrees spoke Dutch normally (McKissack, 2012).
After the colonel died, Baumfrees ownership was passed on to Charles, his son. In the year 1806, the Baumfrees were separated when the Colonel died. Sojourner Truth was nine years old at that time, known as “Belle.” She was auctioned and sold for $100 together with a flock of sheep. It was John Neely who bought her, a man she remembered as violent and harsh (Merchant & Denos, 2007). He would sell her twice more after the following two years, and eventually came to reside on John Dumont’s property at West Park. Sojourner Truth learned to converse in English for the first time during these years. She changed her name from Isabella Baumfree on 1st of June in the year 1843 to Sojourner Truth. She dedicated her whole life pursuing Methodism, equity, and abolition of slavery. In the year 1844, she enrolled to join the Northampton Association of Education and Industry, located in Massachusetts (Staudenmaier, 2012). Since it was founded by Abolitionists, the organization pushed for a reform agenda comprising of pacifism and the rights of women.
In May 1851, Sojourner Truth presented a great speech she had composed at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in Akron. This is the speech that made her famous and helped her support her efforts in fighting for abolition and women’s rights. The exemplary speech was recorded by various observers and would be later titled “Ain’t I a Woman?” Marius Robson, the editor of Ohio newspaper published the first version of the speech a month later. In addition to the speech, she advocated for recruitment of black troops during the Ci...