author
Sojourner Truth
1797–1883
Born into slavery in New York, she remade herself into one of the 19th century’s most powerful voices for abolition and women’s rights. Her life joined fearless public speaking, deep religious conviction, and a lasting fight for freedom.
1 Audiobook
The Narrative of Sojourner Truth
by Olive Gilbert, Sojourner Truth
About the author
Sojourner Truth was born Isabella Baumfree around 1797 in Ulster County, New York, and was enslaved as a child. After escaping to freedom with her infant daughter in 1826, she successfully went to court to recover her young son, a remarkable victory for a Black woman in that era.
In 1843 she took the name Sojourner Truth and began traveling and speaking publicly. She became widely known as an abolitionist, preacher, and advocate for women’s rights, remembered especially for the speech later known as "Ain’t I a Woman?" delivered at a women’s rights convention in Akron, Ohio, in 1851.
Truth continued her activism through the Civil War and beyond, supporting freedom, dignity, and equal rights for Black Americans and for women. She died in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1883, and remains one of the most influential reformers in American history.