SOJOURNER TRUTH NARRATIVE SOJOURNER TRUTH NARRATIVE SLAVERY ABOLITION SOUTH ARTS REFORM MOVEMENTS AFRICAN AMERICANS AMERICAN CULTURE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AFRICAN AMERICAN ABOLITIONISTS INTRODUCTION SOJOURNER TRUTH WAS BORN A SLAVE WITH THE NAME ISABELLA IN NEW YORK SOMETIME AROUND 1797 THE YOUNGEST OF 10 TO 12 SIBLINGS SHE ADOPTED THE NAME SOJOURNER TRUTH IN THE 1840S SHE LIVED WITH HER PARENTS AND HER ONE BROTHER WHO HAD NOT BEEN SOLD AWAY IN A DAMP CELLAR UNDER A SMALL HOTEL THAT WAS OPERATED BY THE MAN WHO OWNED HER AT THE AGE OF NINE SHE WAS SOLD TO A NEIGHBORHOOD FARMER WHO BEAT HER SHE ESCAPED IN 1827 AND LATER WORKED FOR THE ABOLITIONIST MOVEMENT AND WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE AFTER THE CIVIL WAR TRUTH WORKED FOR THE FREEDMEN'S BUREAU AN ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED TO HELP SLAVES AFTER EMANCIPATION BECAUSE SHE COULD NOT READ OR WRITE TRUTH RELATED HER STORY TO A BIOGRAPHER THE FOLLOWING IS A SELECTION FROM HER AUTOBIOGRAPHY THE NARRATIVE OF SOJOURNER TRUTH ISABELLA WAS MARRIED TO A FELLOW SLAVE NAMED THOMAS WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY HAD TWO WIVES ONE OF WHOM IF NOT BOTH HAD BEEN TORN AWAY FROM HIM AND SOLD FAR WAY IN PROCESS OF TIME ISABELLA FOUND HERSELF THE MOTHER OF FIVE CHILDREN THINK DEAR READER WITHOUT A BLUSH IF YOU CAN FOR ONE MOMENT OF A MOTHER THUS WILLINGLY AND WITH PRIDE LAYING HER OWN CHILDREN THE FLESH OF HER FLESH ON THE ALTAR OF SLAVERY THE MAN WHO OWNED SOJOURNER TRUTH PROMISED TO FREE HER ONE YEAR BEFORE THE STATE OF NEW YORK FREES ALL SLAVES BUT SHE INJURES HER HAND AS A RESULT HER OWNER REFUSES TO FREE HER BECAUSE HE SAYS SHE HAS NOT DONE HER FULL SHARE OF WORK BUT ISABELLA INWARDLY DETERMINED THAT SHE WOULD LEAVE HIM AND ONE FINE MORNING A LITTLE BEFORE DAY BREAK SHE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SEEN STEPPING STEALTHILY AWAY FROM THE REAR OF MASTER DUMONT'S HOUSE HER INFANT ON ONE ARM AND HER WARDROBE ON THE OTHER A COTTON HANDKERCHIEF CONTAINING BOTH HER CLOTHES AND HER PROVISIONS SUPPLIES A LITTLE PREVIOUS TO ISABELLA'S LEAVING HER OLD MASTER HE HAD SOLD HER CHILD A BOY OF FIVE YEARS TO A DR GEDNEY THIS MAN DISPOSED OF HIM TO HIS SISTER'S HUSBAND A WEALTHY PLANTER BY THE NAME OF FOWLER WHO TOOK HIM TO HIS OWN HOME IN ALABAMA THE LAW EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED THE SALE OF ANY SLAVE OUT OF THE STATE AND ALL MINORS WERE TO BE FREE AT TWENTY ONE YEARS OF AGE WHEN ISABELLA HEARD THAT HER SON HAD BEEN SOLD SOUTH SHE IMMEDIATELY STARTED ON FOOT AND ALONE TO FIND THE MAN WHO HAD THUS DARED IN THE FACE OF ALL LAW HUMAN AND DIVINE TO SELL HER CHILD OUT OF THE STATE AND IF POSSIBLE TO BRING HIM TO ACCOUNT FOR THE DEED WITH MONEY SHE RECEIVED FROM SOME LOCAL QUAKERS SOJOURNER TRUTH PAYS A LAWYER WHO PROMISES TO GET HER SON MOTHER AND CHILD ARE SOON UNITED SHE COMMENCED BEGAN AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE TO EXAMINE THE BOY AND FOUND TO HER UTTER COMPLETE ASTONISHMENT THAT FROM THE CROWN OF HIS HEAD TO THE SOLE OF HIS FOOT THE CALLOSITIES CALLUSES AND INDURATIONS PLACES OF HARDENED SKIN ON HIS ENTIRE BODY WERE MOST FRIGHTFUL TO BEHOLD HEAVENS WHAT IS ALL THIS SAID ISABELLA HE ANSWERED IT IS WHERE FOWLER WHIPPED KICKED AND BEAT ME
