SOJOURNER TRUTH Charlotte Asdal, Katie Mazzola, Jess Bellows

Biography  Born in 1797, Ulster County, New York  Dutch was first language  Sold as a slave four times  Ran away in 1826  Joined “the Perfectionists”  In 1858 she moved to Michigan to live with her religious group  Tall, imposing figure

Women’s Rights Movement  1848 to 1920  Active movement promoting freedoms and entitlements of women and girls of all ages  Top activisits:  Susan B. Anthony  Lucy Stone  Matilda Joslyn Gage  Top priorities:  National American Woman Suffrage Association  Right to vote

Abolitionist Movement  Active movement to end slavery in the United States  1820's and lasted up until the civil war  Leading abolitionists:  Frederick Douglass  Sojourner Truth  William Lloyd Garrison

Spiritualism Movement  New York 1840s  Belief that the living are able to communicate with the dead  Sojourner was raised by a religious mother  Wandered around NY searching for religious truth

Contributions to Abolitionist Movement  Believed God commanded her to preach the truth about slavery and tolerance  Worked closely with prominent abolitionists  William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, Wendell Phillips  Spoke to many crowds about slavery and inequality

Contributions to Women’s Rights Movement  Met early feminists (Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton) at abolitionist speeches  1851 – addressed Women’s Right Convention in Akron, Ohio  Spoke up from crowd and delivered “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech  October 1864 – met with President Lincoln  Praised her for work assisting freed slaves  American Equal Rights Association Convention  Newly-freed black women needed rights as well as black men

Other Contributions  Civil War – helped recruit black troops for the Union army  – worked to get the Congress to set aside western land for former slaves

Strategies Used  Effective orator  6 feet tall, deep voice, simple attire  Spoke in the vernacular  Dramatic  Unafraid to speak up  even against those who spoke against her  Said to have “ripped open her bodice” during a women’s rights rally  Wrote a narrative  Used experiences as a slave to her advantage

Effects of Her Contributions  Speaking Skills captivated audiences of all kinds  Motivated women to fight for their rights  Anti-slavery  Brought relatable face to causes

“Ain’t I a Woman?”  Video Video