National History Day Topic: Sojourner Truth
Guiding Historical Question: Why was Sojourner Truth such a dynamic and powerful
reformer?
Developed by: Ralph Sommese
Date: October 25, 2012
Primary Source #1
Image Title: A. Lincoln showing
Sojourner Truth the Bible
presented by colored people of
Baltimore, Executive Mansion,
Washington, D.C., Oct. 29, 1864
Date Created/Published: c1893.
Persistent URL:
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/9652
2312/
Introduction:
“Abolitionist and women’s rights advocate Sojourner Truth was enslaved in New York until
she was an adult. Born Isabella Baumfree around the turn of the nineteenth century, her
first language was Dutch. Owned by a series of masters, she was freed in 1827 by the New
York Gradual Abolition Act and worked as a domestic. In 1843 she believed that she was
called by God to travel around the nation – sojourn—and preach the truth of his word. Thus,
she believed God gave her the name, Sojourner Truth. She supported herself by giving
speeches and selling her book and calling cards with photographs of herself and the quote:
‘I sell the shadow to support the substance.’”
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart3.html
Sojourner Truth’s life spanned our nation’s history from about 1797 (Her exact birth date is
unknown.) the Federalist Era to the Industrial Revolution in 1883. She was a freed slave
who fought for the civil rights of Negroes and Women. During her life time, our nation
experienced Independence, Writing a Constitution, Westward Expansion, Civil War,
Reconstruction, Immigration, Industrialization, Temperance, and the Women’s Suffrage
Movement. This collection of primary sources will help students understand the powerful
reformer role that Sojourner Truth played in some of these turning points of history.
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Additional Primary Sources
Image Title: Sojourner’s Account of her
Interview with President Lincoln is reprinted
here: Narrative of Sojourner Truth; a bondswoman of olden time, emancipated by the New
York Legislature in the early part of the present
century; with a history of her labors and
correspondence drawn from her "Book of life." p.
176-180
Date: 1864
Persistent URL:
http://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/query/r?ammem/lhbum:@field(DOCID+@lit(l
hbum25244div43))
Image Title: “Ain’t I a Woman” speech given
by Sojourner Truth in 1851 Akron, Ohio is
reprinted here in: Narrative of Sojourner Truth;
a bonds-woman of olden time, emancipated by
the New York Legislature in the early part of the
present century; with a history of her labors and
correspondence drawn from her "Book of life." p.
128-135
Date: 1851
Persistent URL:
http://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/ampage?collId=lhbum&fileName=25244//lhbu
m25244.db&recNum=127
Image Title: ADDRESS OF SOJOURNER
TRUTH Proceedings of the first anniversary of the
American equal rights association, held at the
Church of the Puritans, New York, May 9 and 10,
1867. Phonographic report by H.M. Parkhurst
P. 66-68
Persistent URL: http://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/query/r?ammem/naw:@field(DOCID+@lit(rbn
awsan3542div18))
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Image Title: Obituary: The African
Sibyl Who Received Her Name From
On High. A Centenarian Who Played a
Stirring Part in American
History….Incidents in her Remarkable
Career. The St. Paul Minnesota Daily
Globe, December 28, 1883, p. 3 Col. 1 and
2.
Persistent URL:
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn8
3025287/1883-12-28/ed-1/seq-3/
Secondary Sources:
This Far by Faith: Sojourner Truth. A PBS program.
http://www.pbs.org/thisfarbyfaith/people/sojourner_truth.html
Sojourner’s Biography from Sojourner Truth’s Institute, Battle Creek, Michigan.
Sojourner Truth lived a long and eventful life. In the biography section, we divide the events of
her journey into three critical stages; her early years in slavery, years in New York, and life in
Battle Creek. We also depict activity in her name since her death.
http://www.sojournertruth.org/History/Default.htm
In Her times from Sojourner Truth’s Institute, Battle Creek, Michigan. You can read
through a list of just a few of the events in America during Sojourner's lifetime. These
events shaped the world that Sojourner lived in, as did Sojourner herself.
http://www.sojournertruth.org/History/InHerTimes/Default.htm
Graphic Organizers:
SCIM-C Graphic Organizer - This is a large poster size (36 x 36) chart to use with a large group. It
includes the SCIM-C Questions for each phase. See page 4 for an individual chart.
SCIM-C Process for Analyzing Sources: Corroboration Template – See page 5
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SCIM-C Process for Analyzing Sources: Corroboration Template
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN SOURCES: (WHY)
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SOURCES: (WHY)
ACCUMULATED CONCLUSIONS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NEEDED
(FILLING GAPS IN YOUR ACCOUNT)
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