PRIMARY SOURCE READERS
Sojourner Truth: A Path to Freedom
Sojourner Truth
A Path to Freedom
Sojourner Truth was born
a slave in New York. Soon the
law changed, and she became
free. Even though she was
free, other slaves were not. She had a dream that she would
become a traveling preacher
who would inspire others to
make changes. Read along and discover how she made her dream come true.
American
Biographies
●
Housel
TCM 12604
Debra J. Housel
Sojourner
Truth
A Path to Freedom
Debra J. Housel
Consultant
Publishing Credits
Glenn Manns, M.A.
Teaching American History Coordinator
Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative
Dona Herweck Rice, Editor-in-Chief; Lee Aucoin,
Creative Director; Conni Medina, M.A.Ed., Editorial
Director; Jamey Acosta, Associate Editor; Neri
Garcia, Senior Designer; Stephanie Reid, Photo
Researcher; Rachelle Cracchiolo, M.A.Ed., Publisher
Image Credits
cover Sojourner Truth by Paul Collins; cover torch, Wikipedia; cover slaves escaping, The
Granger Collection; p.1 Sojourner Truth by Paul Collins; cover torch, Wikipedia; cover slaves
escaping, The Granger Collection; p.4 North Wind Picture Archives; p.5 North Wind Picture
Archives; p.6 The Granger Collection; p.7 The Granger Collection; p.8 Keith R. Neely; p.9 The
Granger Collection; p.10 Images of American Political History; p.11 The Granger Collection;
p.12 Zibedik/Shutterstock; p.13 The Granger Collection; p.14 Library of Congress, LC-USZC42525; p.15 The Granger Collection; p.16 The Granger Collection; p.17 Library of Congress,
LC-USZ62-83036; p.18 Keith R. Neely; p.19 Library of Congress, LC-DIG-ppmsca-08978; p.20
The Granger Collection; p.21 Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-119343; p.22 Anyka/Shutterstock;
p.23 Keith R. Neely; p.24 Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-122398; p.25 (left) Cornell University,
(right) Library of Congress, LC-DIG-cwpbh-05089; p.26 Danettes Photos/Flickr; p.27 Library of
Congress, LC-USZ62-16225; p.28 (left) The Granger Collection, (right) The Granger Collection;
p.29 (left) Keith R. Neely, (right) Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-119343; p.32 Carrie Devorah/
WENN/Newscom
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Table of Contents
A Young Slave Girl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Freedom!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Going to Court. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Isabella Changes Her Name . . . . . 18
Sojourner Changes America. . . . . 24
Time Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Glossary.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Americans Today. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
A Young Slave Girl
Sojourner Truth was born in 1797
in New York. She was given the name
Isabella Baumfree.
She was born a
slave. At age 9, she was sold to a slave
master. She had to leave her parents.
Slave children were
often sold away
from their parents.
Slaves being sold
Isabella as a young girl
Isabella spoke Dutch. Her new
master spoke English. She could not
understand him. So she did not do what
he told her to do. He beat her many
times. Then he sold her to a new master.
A sick slave falls down
They
Slaves were treated badly.
elves.
had no way to defend thems
Isabella grew to be six feet tall. She
was strong. She worked hard, too. At the
age of 16, her master made her marry a
man named Thomas. He wanted them to
have big, strong children.
Isabella wanted to marry another
man. But her master said no.
Isabella and Thomas on the
ir wedding day
Isabella took care
of many child ren.
Freedom!
In 1827, the state of New York ended
slavery. Isabella’s master promised to
free her early. But he changed his mind.
So Isabella left. She went to Isaac and
Maria Van Wagener’s home.
Many states ended slavery. This gave slaves freedom.
10
Some people who were sla
ves became free.
11
Isabella’s master found her. Mr. Van
Wagener gave him money to free her.
Isabella worked for the Van Wageners.
They treated her well. They paid her for
her work.
Fun Fact
The Van Wageners read
many books to Isabella.
12
Fun Fact
The Van Wageners
were Quakers. They
were against slavery.
g together
A group of Quakers prayin
13
Going to Court
Isabella had five children. Three of
them were still slaves for her old master.
The master sold her son, Peter. He was
sent to another state. That was against the
law. So Isabella went to court.
e often separa ted.
Slave families wer
14
Fun Fact
During this time,
judges wore wigs
to court.
15
Never before had an African American
taken a white man to court. Isabella won!
She got Peter back. She took him to New
York City. He went to school there.
and adults. Most
This school taught child ren
to go to school.
slaves had never been able
16
Fun Fact
Peter grew up to
be a sailor aboard
a whaling ship.
An old whaling ship
17
Isabella Changes
Her Name
In 1843, Isabella had a dream. In her
dream, God told her to tell the truth about
slavery. She would become a traveling
preacher. She called herself Sojourner
Truth. Sojourner means “wanderer.”
Isabella the wanderer
18
Sojou rner Tru th
19
Sojourner had very little money. She
walked about 100 miles to Massachusetts
(mas-uh-CHOO-sits). There, she joined a
group of abolitionists (ab-uh-LISH-uh-nists).
They were against slavery. Sojourner gave
speeches for them.
Abolitionists speaking against slavery
20
Fun Fact
On May 28, 1851, Sojourner
gave her most famous
speech in Ohio.
Sojou rner is ready to speak.
21
Crowds came to hear Sojourner speak.
She gave her speeches in tents. Once,
some men tried to burn down the tent.
But she started singing. The men saw her
courage. They dropped their torches.
Bu rning torches
22
Sojou rner’s bravery stopped the men.
23
Sojourner Changes
America
In 1865, Sojourner got on a streetcar.
African Americans were not allowed to
ride. The streetcar conductor hit her.
But she stayed on. She got the streetcar
company to change its rules.
An old streetcar
24
Like Sojourner,
Harriet and
Frederick fought
against slavery
and for equality.
Harriet Tubman
Frederick Douglass
25
Sojourner often spoke about women’s
rights, too. She worked with famous
suffragists (SUHF-ruh-jists). They were
trying to win voting rights for women.
Sojourner wanted all people to be treated
the same. She worked hard to make this
happen. Sojourner died in 1883.
26
, Elizabeth
Suffragists Su san B. Anthony
Mott
Cady Stanton, and Lucretia
Fun Fact
Sojourner visited
President Lincoln in
the White House.
Sojourner and Presiden
t Lincoln
27
Time
28
1797
1827
1828
Isabella is
born in New
York.
Quakers free
Isabella from
slavery by
paying for
her freedom.
Isabella
goes to court
to get her
son back.
Line
1843
1851
1883
Isabella begins
calling herself
Sojourner Truth.
Sojourner
gives her
most famous
speech.
Sojourner
dies at the
age of 86.
29
Glossary
abolitionists—people who work to put an
end to unfair laws, such as slavery
African American—Americans whose
families first came from Africa
conductor—a person who operates a
train or streetcar
master—a person who owns slaves
preacher—a person who talks about
important things, such as religion and
equality
slave—a person who belongs to another
person and must work for no money
streetcar—a vehicle on rails that takes
people through city streets
suffragists—people who work to win
rights for women
wanderer—a person who travels around
instead of living in one place
30
Index
abolitionists, 20
African American, 16, 24
Anthony, Susan B., 26
Douglass, Frederick, 25
Lincoln, Abraham, 27
Massachusetts, 20
Mott, Lucretia, 26
New York, 4, 10
New York City, 16
Ohio, 21
Peter, 14, 16–17
Quakers, 13
Stanton, Elizabeth Cady, 26
suffragists, 26
Thomas, 8
Tubman, Harriet, 25
Van Wagener family, 10, 12–13
31
Americans Today
Marian Wright Edelman is a lawyer.
She was the first African American woman
to join a group of lawyers in Mississippi.
Marian works hard for equality for
everyone. She believes that education
is important. Marian’s programs help
children in America succeed. She once
said, “You really can change the world if
you care enough.”
32
PRIMARY SOURCE READERS
Sojourner Truth: A Path to Freedom
Sojourner Truth
A Path to Freedom
Sojourner Truth was born
a slave in New York. Soon the
law changed, and she became
free. Even though she was
free, other slaves were not. She had a dream that she would
become a traveling preacher
who would inspire others to
make changes. Read along and discover how she made her dream come true.
American
Biographies
●
Housel
TCM 12604
Debra J. Housel