[Preliminary entry.] Sojourner Truth was an African American evangelist and reformer who became famous for her commitment to abolitionism and women’s rights. Born Isabella Baumfree in 1797 into slavery on a Dutch farm in New York State she was ill-treated by a series of masters and had five children with another slave named Thomas. In 1826 she ran away from her then master (taking her baby daughter Sophia with her) after he broke the promise he had made to free her in 1825. In 1827 New York State emancipated all slaves born after 1799, but Isabella’s children were not legally freed as they were required by law to serve as bound servants for a certain period of time. Isabella was now employed by Isaac Van Wagener, and in 1828 she …
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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Sojourner Truth". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 October 2005 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4463, accessed 23 November 2024.]
