"I have borne thirteen children, and seen them most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?"
Sojourner Truth's voice rang out in her speech made at the 1851 Convention on Women's Rights in Akron, Ohio. She was responding to an earlier comment that a man made, ridiculing women as too weak and helpless to vote. Her response was much more than anyone could have imagined. She shook the hearts and minds of those who listened.
Soujourner Truth was born into slavery in Ulster County, New York around 1797. At that time slavery was still permitted in New York and New Jersey. After the New York anti-slavery law of 1827, she was freed and became an active abolitionist and women's rights activist. Her birth name was Isabella, but when she became a traveling preacher she changed her name to Sojourner Truth. She died in 1883 at an old age, with an amazing history behind her. Her name has gone down in history for her passion and strong commitment to abolitonism and women's rights. Known for her strength and persuasive words, she was an extraordinary woman who shall always be remembered and respected.
