Unit 4 - Chapter 8: Biography

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Sojourner Truth
1797–1883

Sojourner Truth was born in Ulster County, New York. She was born to enslaved parents who worked for a wealthy Dutch family named Baumfree. Her birth name was Isabella.

Isabella escaped to New York City in 1827. As a free woman she changed her name to Sojourner Truth. Sojourner joined a group of abolitionists in Massachusetts in the 1840s. Crowds gathered to hear her speak against slavery and in favor of women’s rights.

Sojourner Truth worked to help African American soldiers and newly freed people after the Civil War. When she retired, Sojourner Truth moved with her family to Michigan.

Take a Closer Look

American Anti- Slavery Society
The abolitionist movement in the United States was supported by the American Anti-Slavery Society. Learn more about this group and how their contributions led to the end of slavery.

Conflict of Abolition and Slavery
The issue of slavery divided the United States during the 1800s. Learn more about the conflict of abolition and slavery and how it affected the United States.

A Speech by Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth was known for giving great speeches that were against slavery and for women’s rights. Read a speech given by Sojourner Truth in 1851.



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