“If the first woman God ever created was strong enough to turn the world upside down, these women together should be able to turn it right back again place". Sojourner Truth is remembered as perhaps the most influential figure in the abolition and women's rights movements. He spoke to many angry crowds. But this is what she was very passionate about, so she did it anyway. Her legacy of feminism and racial equality still resonates today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayDid you know that Sojourner Truth is not Truth's real name? Her name is actually Isabella Baumfree. Isabella was born in Ulster County, New York, in 1797. She was the daughter of two slaves, James and Elizabeth Baumfree. She, her brothers and her parents were owned by Colonel Johannes Hardenbergh. They worked there, under his ownership, taking care of his land and running his mills. Isabella would not stay with her parents much longer. Isabella was only nine years old when she was taken away from her parents. Imagine how scary that would be. Its previous owner, Colonel Johannes Hardenbergh, had recently died. Then it was purchased by John Neely. It was purchased for $100 dollars. Some people on the plantation spoke English while others spoke Dutch. When an English-speaking Neely tried to give commands to a Dutch-speaking Isabella, she didn't understand him. In exchange for this, Isabella was beaten by him. He often got very angry with her because she failed to follow his instructions. Eventually, Neely gave up and sold it. Isabella was sold again, but to a man named Martinus Schryver. This time it sold for $105 dollars. He worked very hard for him. So it was a shock when it was sold about a year and a half later. Schryver sold Isabella to Thomas Dumont. Thomas, also commonly known as John, was by far one of Isabella's kindest owners. He treated her better than most slave owners would ever treat their slaves. But he was still her owner and put her to work. Dumont loved her hard work and kept her on his plantation for many, many years. His plantation, or homestead, was on the banks of the Hudson River, which is now West Park. Sometimes slaves from other nearby farms were encountered. Isabella met a man with whom she immediately fell in love. His name was Robert. But she wouldn't be allowed to marry him because she was from a nearby farm. But they asked anyway. Robert's owner denied this because Isabella's children would not be the owner's new slaves. Dumont eventually forced her to marry one of his slaves. He was unhappy. After Isabella married this slave, she had five children. He loved all his children very much. Isabella hated seeing them enslaved and wanted to do something about it. When she was about to give birth to her fifth child, the baby died. It was a miracle that Isabella also did not die. In 1825, Dumont promised to free Isabella because she was a good worker. He was incredibly happy. She worked for him one more year and then was ready to leave. But, at the last minute, Dumont changed his mind. She should have continued working for him. Isabella was angry. Isabella did not want to stay and work for Dumont. He wanted his freedom like he promised. So, he decided to do something about it. That day, after work, he left the farm. He also brought his daughter Sofia with him. Dumont wasn't there and the rest of the slaves were too scared to try to stop her. Dumont had neighbors, the VanWageners, not too far from his farm. This couple, Isaac and Maria, hated theslavery. They thought he was evil. So, Isabella and her daughter remained with them, hiding from Dumont. But, eventually, Dumont found out and wanted the VanWageners to pay for her. So they bought her for $20 and released her. Isabella was now a free woman! She was free, but not all of her children were. He didn't know how he could do anything about it. But he found out that Peter, his son, was illegally sold to a slave owner in Alabama. Now he was going to do something about it. He found that it was illegal to sell slaves across state lines. Isabella couldn't bear to see her son in the middle of all this mess. So he decided to take the matter to court. He won, but this was unusual. Everyone began to look at Isabella for her great courage. It was very rare for a slave, especially a woman, to bring a man, a white man, to court. Isabella was a beacon of hope and triumph to many. Isabella and her son Peter, now free, moved to New York. She then decided that she needed to get a job so she could take care of her son. So, she decided to take a job as a maid for a family called Grears. They treated her very kindly. She, known as a hard worker, remained with the Grears for eight years. They let her go in 1843. After working for the Grears, she decided that she thought her mission in this world was to preach the word of God to others. So he did it. She changed her name from Isabella Baumfree to Sojourner Truth. Sojourner Truth means “traveler,” and that's what it would be. He then left the city to begin his mission. He traveled throughout New England holding prayer sessions wherever he went. She had peace knowing that what she was doing was what God wanted her to do. But Truth felt like it needed to be more. Frederick Douglass introduced her to a community in which he thought she would fit in well. So, ultimately, he decided to join the Northampton Association. This association was a Massachusetts community founded on the ideas of freedom and equality. At these meetings he met other social reformers and abolitionists; including Frederick Douglass. “Children, who made your skin white? Wasn't he God? Who made my black? Wasn't it the same God? Am I therefore guilty if my skin is black?” The Court was passing laws that the Northampton Association didn't much like. They fought against it. Sojourner Truth's name was spreading quickly. Some people were his fans, some weren't. Olive Gilbert, an author, wrote a book about her in 1850. It was titled “Narrative of Sojourner Truth.” Truth felt honored to have a book written about her. He continued traveling west. She stopped and talked about her life as a slave to hostile crowds. But Sojourner had a charm. He often calmed the crowd with his speeches. They all seemed to hit pretty hard after he was done. “During her travels, Truth noted that while women could be leaders in the abolitionist movement, they could neither vote nor hold public office. Realizing that she was discriminating on two fronts, Truth became an outspoken advocate for women's rights. “Truth decided to start getting active in the women's rights movement. Then, she attended the first women's rights convention in Akron, Ohio. At the convention she was invited to speak. He gave the now very popular "Ain't I a Woman?" speech. “Then they talk about this thing in their head; what do they call it? [audience member whispers, “intellect”] That's it, honey. What does this have to do with women's rights or Negro rights? If my cup holds no more than a pint, and yours holds a quart, you wouldn't be.