SOJOURNER TRUTH
Sojourner Truth (c.1792-1883) - was the adopted name of a woman born in New York
who escaped from slavery shortly before mandatory emancipation became law in the
state in 1828. Truth was nearly six feet tall and physically powerful from her
years of hard labor. She gave this speech - which made her famous at the time it
in Akron, Ohio, at a women 's rights meeting in May, 1851. This version includes
an introduction a setting of the scene.
Sojourner Truth, Mrs. Stowe's "Lybian Sibyl," was present at this Convention.
Some of our younger readers may not know that Sojoumer Truth was once a slave in
the State of New York, and carries today as many marks of the diabolism of
slavery, as ever scarred the back of a victim in Mississippi. Though she can
neither read nor write, she is a woman of rare intelligence and commonsense on
all subjects. She is still living, at Battle Creek, Michigan, though now 110
years old. [note: In fact at time of publication she was c. 84 years old]
Although the exalted character and personal appearance of this noble woman have
been often portrayed, and her brave deeds and words many times rehearsed, yet we
give the following graphic picture of Sojourner's appearance in one of the most
stormy sessions of the Convention, from:
Reminiscences by Frances D. Gage: Sojoumer Truth.
The leaders of the movement trembled on seeing a tall, gaunt black woman in a
gray dress and white turban, surmounted with an uncouth sunbonnet, march
deliberately into the church, walk with the air of a queen up the aisle, and
take her seat upon the pulpit steps. A buzz of disapprobation was heard all over
the house, and there fell on the listening ear, "An abolition affair!" "Woman's
rights and niggers!" "I told you so!" "Go it, darkey!"
I chanced on that occasion to wear my first laurels in public life as president
of the meeting. At my request order was restored, and the business of the
Convention went on. Morning, afternoon, and evening exercises came and
went. Through all these sessions old Sojoumer, quiet and reticent as the "Lybian
Statue," sat crouched against the wall on the comer of the pulpit stairs, her
sunbonnet shading her eyes, her elbows on her knees, her chin resting upon her
broad, hard palms. At intermission she was busy selling the "Life of Sojourner
Truth," a narrative of her own strange and adventurous life. Again and again,
timorous and trembling ones came to me and said, with earnestness, "Don't let
her speak, Mrs. Gage, it will ruin us. Every newspaper in the land will have our
cause mixed up with abolition and niggers, and we shall be utterly denounced."
My only answer was, "We shall see when the time comes."
The second day the work waxed warm. Methodist, Baptist, Episcopal, Presbyterian,
and Universalist ministers came in to hear and discuss the resolutions
presented. One claimed superior rights and privileges for man, on the ground of
"superior intellect"; another, because of the "manhood of Christ; if God had
desired the equality of woman, He would have given some token of His will
through the birth, life, and death of the Saviour." Another gave us a
theological view of the "sin of our first mother."
There were very few women in those days who dared to "speak in meeting"; and the
august teachers of the people were seemingly getting the better of us, while the
boys in the galleries, and the sneerers among the pews, were hugely enjoying the
discomfiture, as they supposed, of the "strongminded." Some of the
tenderskinned friends were on the point of losing dignity, and the atmosphere
betokened a storm. When, slowly from her seat in the corner rose Sojourner
Truth, who, till now, had scarcely lifted her head. "Don't let her speak!"
gasped half a dozen in my ear. She moved slowly and solemnly to the front, laid
her old bonnet at her feet, and turned her great speaking eyes to me. There was
a hissing sound of disapprobation above and below. I rose and announced
"Sojourner Truth," and begged the audience to keep silence for a few moments.
The tumult subsided at once, and every eye was fixed on this almost Amazon form,
which stood nearly six feet high, head erect, and eyes piercing the upper air
like one in a dream. At her first word there was a profound hush. She spoke in
deep tones, which, though not loud, reached every ear in the house, and away
through the throng at the doors and windows.
Sojourner Truth (c.1792-1883) - was the adopted name of a woman born in New York
who escaped from slavery shortly before mandatory emancipation became law in the
state in 1828. Truth was nearly six feet tall and physically powerful from her
years of hard labor. She gave this speech - which made her famous at the time it
in Akron, Ohio, at a women 's rights meeting in May, 1851. This version includes
an introduction a setting of the scene.
Sojourner Truth, Mrs. Stowe's "Lybian Sibyl," was present at this Convention.
Some of our younger readers may not know that Sojoumer Truth was once a slave in
the State of New York, and carries today as many marks of the diabolism of
slavery, as ever scarred the back of a victim in Mississippi. Though she can
neither read nor write, she is a woman of rare intelligence and commonsense on
all subjects. She is still living, at Battle Creek, Michigan, though now 110
years old. [note: In fact at time of publication she was c. 84 years old]
Although the exalted character and personal appearance of this noble woman have
been often portrayed, and her brave deeds and words many times rehearsed, yet we
give the following graphic picture of Sojourner's appearance in one of the most
stormy sessions of the Convention, from:
Reminiscences by Frances D. Gage: Sojoumer Truth.
The leaders of the movement trembled on seeing a tall, gaunt black woman in a
gray dress and white turban, surmounted with an uncouth sunbonnet, march
deliberately into the church, walk with the air of a queen up the aisle, and
take her seat upon the pulpit steps. A buzz of disapprobation was heard all over
the house, and there fell on the listening ear, "An abolition affair!" "Woman's
rights and niggers!" "I told you so!" "Go it, darkey!"
I chanced on that occasion to wear my first laurels in public life as president
of the meeting. At my request order was restored, and the business of the
Convention went on. Morning, afternoon, and evening exercises came and
went. Through all these sessions old Sojoumer, quiet and reticent as the "Lybian
Statue," sat crouched against the wall on the comer of the pulpit stairs, her
sunbonnet shading her eyes, her elbows on her knees, her chin resting upon her
broad, hard palms. At intermission she was busy selling the "Life of Sojourner
Truth," a narrative of her own strange and adventurous life. Again and again,
timorous and trembling ones came to me and said, with earnestness, "Don't let
her speak, Mrs. Gage, it will ruin us. Every newspaper in the land will have our
cause mixed up with abolition and niggers, and we shall be utterly denounced."
My only answer was, "We shall see when the time comes."
The second day the work waxed warm. Methodist, Baptist, Episcopal, Presbyterian,
and Universalist ministers came in to hear and discuss the resolutions
presented. One claimed superior rights and privileges for man, on the ground of
"superior intellect"; another, because of the "manhood of Christ; if God had
desired the equality of woman, He would have given some token of His will
through the birth, life, and death of the Saviour." Another gave us a
theological view of the "sin of our first mother."
There were very few women in those days who dared to "speak in meeting"; and the
august teachers of the people were seemingly getting the better of us, while the
boys in the galleries, and the sneerers among the pews, were hugely enjoying the
discomfiture, as they supposed, of the "strongminded." Some of the
tenderskinned friends were on the point of losing dignity, and the atmosphere
betokened a storm. When, slowly from her seat in the corner rose Sojourner
Truth, who, till now, had scarcely lifted her head. "Don't let her speak!"
gasped half a dozen in my ear. She moved slowly and solemnly to the front, laid
her old bonnet at her feet, and turned her great speaking eyes to me. There was
a hissing sound of disapprobation above and below. I rose and announced
"Sojourner Truth," and begged the audience to keep silence for a few moments.
The tumult subsided at once, and every eye was fixed on this almost Amazon form,
which stood nearly six feet high, head erect, and eyes piercing the upper air
like one in a dream. At her first word there was a profound hush. She spoke in
deep tones, which, though not loud, reached every ear in the house, and away
through the throng at the doors and windows.