Sojourner Truth

Before we look deep into the speech that Sojourner Truth gave at this women's convention, it is important to know the background information about what was currently happening in America. It is the year of 1851. People are fighting in every region of the country. Women are fighting in the north for their equal rights in the work force amongst other places. Negroes are fighting in the south for the somewhat similar, yet very different equal rights. In her speech, Sojourner Truth is trying to see where she fits in these protests as a black woman. She expects to receive the proper treatment every woman gets from a gentleman, but, as a negro, she isn't given it. In the speech, she repetitively asks, "Ain't I a woman?" (Halsall). One complaint given by a male is that women don't deserve this equal treatment becasue Christ was not a woman (Halsall). Because Truth was so good at backing up her opinions, she is quick to respond that if not for woman, Christ would not have been born (Halsall). During this era, women were not supposed to have intellect because it was not necessary for the jobs they had. Not to mention the fact that men could care less about a woman's opinion. For not having the opportunity to receive proper intellect, Sojourner is able to back up her ideas with great, supportive knowledge. By sharing her feelings on the rights of women, Sojourner Truth is exemplifying the philosophies of both Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson believed tha twe are all in control of our own self imrpovement, and Truth is speaking out to improve her rights as a female. Both Thoreau and Emerson believed that one should never conform to what is said to be correct if he or she is uncomfortable with it. Instead of continuing to accept that negro women don't receive that same treatment that white women do, Sojourner Truth openly discussed the issue to spread word of the problem.

Halsall, Paul. "Internet History Sourcebooks." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 12 Feb. 2012.