The Narrative of Sojourner Truth, A Northern Slave, Emancipated From Bodily Servitude By The State of New York (NST), In 1828 tells the life story of the famous abolitionist and woman's rights advocate, Sojourner Truth. Her story begins with her birth in 1797-99, born a slave in Ulster County New York. Truth, named Isabella Baumfree, was the daughter of James and Elizabeth Baumfree. She was the youngest of her brothers and sisters (though she did not know how many she had because the lot of them were sold off), and was under the ownership of Colonel Ardinburgh (a man of low-dutch descent).From the onset, the reader is immersed in the trials and tribulations of slavery. The author of the narrative makes a point to highlight the physical and psychological hardships of being a northern slave. The readers are inclined to see how the breaking of slave families can effect the psyches of the broken:
"she was often surprised to find her mother in tears; and when...she inquired...she [Elizabeth] would answer. 'Oh my child , I am thinking of your brothers and sisters that have been sold away from me'. And she would proceed to detail many circumstances respecting them. But Isabella long since concluded that in was impending fate of her only remaining children, which her mother but too well understood, even then, that called up those memories from the past, and made them crucify her heart" (NST 578).
In addition, after the death of her master, Sojourner Truth finds herself torn apart from her family and auctioned off to a new master: "At length, the never-to-be forgotten day of the terrible auction arrived, when 'slaves, horses, and cattle'...were put under the hammer, and again change masters" (NST 579). The author of this text underlined the fact that slaves were considered nothing more than chattel, and they were placed on the same level as horses and cattle. Truth was auctioned off to a man by the name of Mr. Dumont, and lived under his care for a number of years.
Sojourner changed masters one last time and fell under the household of Mr. Van Wagone. During her stay at Dumont's, Truth was briefly married and blessed with five children: "In process of time, Isabella found herself the mother of five children, and she rejoiced in be permitted to be the instrument of increasing the property of her oppressor!" (Truth 593). As one can gather from this quote, the tone of the author portrays Isabella as ignorant to the practices of slavery. Truth's journey from slavery to freedom is actually told in terms of spiritual and religious growth. Her demeanor portrayed in this quote is ignorant because she is also ignorant to the practices of Christianity. Religious enlightenment reveals to her the "ignorance" of her beliefs, and the highlights Sojourner's change in beliefs.
In any case, like many slave families during the time, Sojourner's family got ripped apart by the institution of slavery (mind that this all takes place in the north). Truth was finally emancipated under New York law in 1828, and went about to try and patch together her tattered family. In a momentous event, Sojourner found out that a relative of her former master illegally kidnapped and sold her emancipated son. In a attempt to gain custody of her son, Truth actually used the New York court system to sue Mr. Dumont's relative into giving back her son. Sojourner Truth, an illiterate and uneducated slave (who didn't even know what it meant to swear into court), stood before and grand jury and was able to successfully bring her son's captor under the law.
Near the end of her narrative, Sojourner lived in New York City for a number of years. During her habitation of the city, She tried to create a nurturing environment for her and her family. After a failed attempt to keep her juvenile son in check, Sojourner found love for faith and religion while working in the house of her employer. She ends up leaving New York in determination to spread the word of god and faith.
Her new found love of Christianity aids her in becoming an established preacher, and Sojourner ends up living for very simple life devoted to the word of god. At the closing of the narrative, Truth finds peace at a religious community in Northampton. During her stay "A party of wild young men, with no motive but that of entertaining themselves by annoying and injuring the feelings of others, had assembled at the meeting... (NST 653). All who tried to subdue these men were at a loss. In a act of faith and courage, Truth stood at the top of a hill and started to sing hymns. The mob was so captivated by her singing that they all crowed around her to listen. She made a deal with the group that she would sing to them if they would but leave peacefully. Amazingly, the mob agreed and left peacefully when she was done.
Sojourner Truth's narrative displays personal and spiritual growth. From the depths of northern slavery, Truth was able to pull herself up from bondage and establish a respectable life of preaching. Her testament of personal struggle, survival, and courage reverberates on the lips of many. Truth's narrative continues to captivate both scholarly and private citizens alike.
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ReplyDeleteTruth uses the court system to bring justice to a white many after her son is kidnapped, as was the case in the short narrative of Lucy A. Delaney. Do you think this was common back then or an anomaly for the time?
ReplyDeleteI'm also really fixated on the fact that Truth -- an uneducated ex-slave -- was able to use the white people's court system to rescue her son. This occurred, of course, in New York where anti-slavery sentiments were probably more frequent than elsewhere. I wonder if Truth would have succeeded in this same endeavor if she had been located in a southern state at the same time period? I think, in all likelihood, the racial convictions of the south would have run a bit deeper and, as such, the courts would not have heeded the word of a black woman. If this is correct, then it looks like Truth lucked out (for once) by living in New York.
ReplyDeleteThe strong influence of Christianity is apparent in her story as it was with other narratives we've studied. Without her introduction to Christianity, I wonder would she ever have found a peaceful ending to what was a rough beginning? And, as with Old Elizabeth, she takes to preaching. Do you think it reasonable to assume these women sought such a career of spreading the wealth of spiritual growth among slaves because they could relate to the slaves and their situation? Would this have made them more effective than a white preacher, for instance?
ReplyDeletePossibly if she were exclusively preaching to slaves she would have been more effective at conveying her ideas. Sojourner Truth was an early embodiment of many social issues of the time. She stood as a woman's suffrage advocate, opposed racial segregation, and was an abolitionist. She preached about all these issues, and her intense faith in religion guided her from slavery into her current life. No doubt it has had a profound effect on the way she lived her life. I think her life experiences would have made a large impact on the her audience, and she translates those experiences in her speeches.
ReplyDeleteComing from someone who also did their blog on Sojourner Truth, it was interesting to read what you thought were the main ideas/points of Truth's narrative in your summary. I think your blog does a great job of highlighting the significant details of Truth's life, and intrigues readers of this summary to want to read her narrative themselves, to find out more about this inspiring woman.
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