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Sojourner Truth 1797 - 1883

Sojourner Truth was born in 1797 in Swartekill, Ulster County, New York United States, and died at age 85 years old on November 26, 1883 in Battle Creek, Calhoun County, MI. Sojourner Truth was buried on November 28, 1883 at Oak Hill Cemetery Crematory 255 South Ave, in Battle Creek.

Sojourner Truth
Isabella Bomfree, Isabella Baumfree
Name
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Last residence
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1797
Swartekill, Ulster County, New York, United States
Birth
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November 26, 1883
Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan, United States
Death
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Updated: January 31, 2023
Biography ID: 192809461 What's this
Sojourner Truth Sojourner Truth (1797 - 1883)
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Sojourner Truth's History: 1797 - 1883

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  • Introduction

    Born Isabella Bomfree in New York to James Baumfree and Elizabeth Baumfree, Sojourner Truth was an enslaved woman who was bought and sold 4 times. She had between 10 and 12 siblings. In 1815, she united with an enslaved man, Thomas, and they had 5 children. Eleven years later, towards the end of 1826, and after enduring a lot of abuse in her relationship, she ran away with her infant daughter to an abolitionist family - the Van Wageners. Approximately one year later New York freed enslaved people and the Van Wageners bought her freedom for $20. At that time, $20 was the equivalent of about $507.00 in 2023. Sojourner then successfully sued for the return of her son Peter who was 5 years old at the time and had been illegally sold into Alabama. Soon after, she moved to New York City - in 1828 - and began working for a minister. Becoming a part of religious revivals, "Isabella Baumfree" renamed herself "Sojourner Truth" around 1843. As an itinerant preacher, Sojourner met prominent abolitionists and they encouraged her to speak about her experiences as an enslaved person and about the evils of slavery. Although she couldn't read or write, she did dictate her autobiography, "The Narrative of Sojourner Truth". The autobiography made her famous and also gave her a steady income. As a result. she began to meet women's rights and temperance advocates. Sojourner quickly embraced these movements and began working to promote them. At nearly 6 feet tall, Sojourner was an imposing speaker and in high demand. While continuing to speak throughout the Country, she settled in Battle Creek, Michigan in the 1850s to live close to three of her daughters who lived in the area. During the Civil War, she organized supplies for Black troops and urged men to join the Union Army. After the War, she worked to help freed slaves find jobs. Her reputation grew and she became so well known that she was invited to the White House. A powerful and hardworking woman, Sojourner spoke about civil rights - abolition, women's rights, and prison reform, as well as against capital punishment - throughout her life. Nearly blind and deaf towards the end of her life, she was cared for by 2 of her daughters. According to a reporter from the Grand Rapids Eagle who interviewed her several days before she died, "Her face was drawn and emaciated and she was apparently suffering great pain. Her eyes were very bright and mind alert although it was difficult for her to talk." Nearly 1000 people attended her funeral in Battle Creek and Frederick Douglass offered a eulogy for her in Washington, D.C.: "Venerable for age, distinguished for insight into human nature, remarkable for independence and courageous self-assertion, devoted to the welfare of her race, she has been for the last forty years an object of respect and admiration to social reformers everywhere." The original November 27th 1883 obituary in the New York Times for Sojourner is included below at Sojourner Truth’s Original New York Times Obituary From 1883. Note: It seems that the obituary is littered with less than accurate information, including her age at death, when slavery was abolished in NY state, etc.
  • 1797

    Birthday

    1797
    Birthdate
    Swartekill, Ulster County, New York United States
    Birthplace
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  • Ethnicity & Family History

    Sojourner was African-American.

  • Nationality & Locations

    She was born in Swartekill, New York before enslavement was outlawed and later lived in Battlecreek, Michigan. Sojourner was a United States citizen.

  • Early Life & Education

    Never eligible for formal education, Sojourner could neither read or write but had a powerful eloquence and was a popular speaker. She also dictated her autobiography.

  • Religious Beliefs

    Methodist

  • Military Service

    While not legally able to serve in the United States military, Sojourner supported Black troops in a variety of ways.

  • Professional Career

    An enslaved black woman, Sojourner obtained freedom in her late 20s. Later, she was a popular speaker and dictated her autobiography, which was much in demand and brought in a steady income. She was also a civil rights activist.

  • Personal Life & Family

    She was married, or at least involved in a long-term relationship, and had five children.
  • 11/26
    1883

    Death

    November 26, 1883
    Death date
    natural causes - age
    Cause of death
    Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan United States
    Death location
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  • 11/28
    1883

    Gravesite & Burial

    November 28, 1883
    Funeral date
    Oak Hill Cemetery Crematory 255 South Ave, in Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan 49014, United States
    Burial location
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4 Memories, Stories & Photos about Sojourner

Sojourner Truth
Photo of AncientFaces AncientFaces
404 favorites
01/04/2012
Sojourner Truth
This is a photo of Sojourner Truth added by Ancient Faces on January 4, 2012. The caption says "I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance"
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Sojourner Truth
Photo of AncientFaces AncientFaces
404 favorites
01/11/2012
Sojourner Truth
This is a photo of Sojourner Truth added by Ancient Faces on January 11, 2012.

Sojourner was born an enslaved woman and escaped to freedom with her infant daughter.
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Photo of Kathy Pinna Kathy Pinna
32.5k+ favorites
03/02/2021
Sojourner Truth’s Original New York Times Obituary From 1883
The obituary, published on Nov. 27, 1883, described Truth as a famous lecturer on “temperance, politics, and the woman’s rights question.”

Sojourner Truth, the well-known colored lecturer, died at Battle Creek, Mich., yesterday, aged 103 years.

For almost three-quarters of a century she delivered lectures from the East to the West upon temperance, politics, and the woman’s rights question. She was born a slave, in the state of New York, and spent the early part of her life — until 1817, when slavery was abolished in this state — in hard work in the fields of her many masters.

Her parents were brought from the coast of Guinea, and sold as slaves on arriving in the United States. Her real name — or that which had been given to her by her first master — was Isabella Hardenburg, but, becoming dissatisfied with it, it is said that she went out into a wilderness and prayed to the Lord to give her an appropriate name. After praying for some time she heard, she said, the name “ Sojourner” whispered to her, as she was to travel “up and down,” and afterward “Truth” was added to it to signify that she should preach nothing but truth to all men.

Sojourner had a tall, masculine-looking figure — she was almost 6 feet high — and talked in a deep, guttural, powerful voice that made many people who heard her think that she was a man, and was imposing upon them by masquerading as a woman.

Upon one occasion, while she was preaching to an audience, doubts as to her sex were freely expressed, and be satisfied them that she was a woman. She could neither read nor write, but on her lecturing tours took with her grandson, who attended to her business affairs

Sojourner knew many prominent men — her favorite statesman being Abraham Lincoln — and her narratives and descriptions of those whom she had known showed that she had judged their characters exceedingly well. During her later life, or for the past 10 years, her avowed object in traveling around was to obtain names to a petition which she intended presenting to the government, asking that a portion of the public lands in the West be set apart for the establishment of a negro colony, where she proposed that the negro youth should be educated.

Sojourner undoubtedly did a great deal of good work during her lifetime, for she was instrumental in reclaiming hundreds of men and women from a bad life, and by her own set a splendid example to the colored population.
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Sojourner Truth
Photo of AncientFaces AncientFaces
404 favorites
01/04/2012
Sojourner Truth
This is a photo of Sojourner Truth added by Ancient Faces on January 4, 2012.

She is sitting at table with knitting and a book. Subjects often posed at the time with objects that showed their skills.
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
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Sojourner Truth's Family Tree & Friends

Sojourner Truth's Family Tree

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Sojourner Truth 1797 - Nov 26, 1883
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Other Biographies

Other Truth Family Biographies

Truth, Blessed (Oct 29, 1893 - Feb 1971) Truth, Myrtis (Sep 10, 1904 - Aug 1987) Truth, Ray (Sep 20, 1898 - Apr 1974) Truth, Paul (Aug 1, 1906 - Mar 1986) Truth, Ardena (May 8, 1922 - Sep 28, 2002) Truth, Honesty (Feb 10, 1897 - Jun 1977) Truth, Righteous (Mar 24, 1897 - Oct 1971) Truth, Eugenie (Jul 15, 1916 - Sep 1992) Truth, Stephen (Jul 28, 1910 - Jan 1975) Truth, Merriness (Nov 10, 1918 - Apr 9, 1997)
Truth, Jessie (Jun 7, 1900 - Sep 1980) Truth, David (Jun 8, 1955 - Nov 14, 2003) Truth, Anthony (Feb 18, 1930 - Nov 16, 2001) Truth, William (Mar 17, 1933 - Mar 21, 1993) Truth, Mary (Dec 8, 1892 - Jan 1980) Truth, Lena (Jan 8, 1926 - May 19, 2004) Truth, Cindy (Mar 3, 1957 - Sep 10, 1996) Truth, Emil (Jan 6, 1910 - Mar 1985) Truth, Frank (Jan 29, 1887 - Feb 1969) Truth, Frank (Feb 11, 1931 - Oct 7, 1999)
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