SOUL TIGHT: The Truth

SOUL TIGHT: The Truth: “Truth is powerful and it prevails.” --Sojourner Truth She was an Abolitionist and Social Reformer. In 1828, she successfully fou...

Just proof that this influencal woman is still relevnt in our society tody. 

Sufferage

Sojourner Truth became actively involved in the fight to obtain rights for all women, colored and white. Her famous speech, "Ain't I a Woman?" still stands as a question, not only for the rights of women, but as a statement of inequality between the treatement of white and colored women. In the 19th century gender roles were specific and ridgid, women were the homemakers and men were the breadwinners. All things were controlled and operated by white men. According to Hazel Dicken-Garcia and Kathryn M. Neal in their article "Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and the Cult of True Womanhood," "A woman judged herself and was judged by her husband, her neighbors, and society at large by four cardinal cirtues-pietry, purity, submissiveness, and domestic-superior to men," (Dicken-Garcia and Neal 179). Dicken-Garcia and Neal go on to comment on the social differences between white and colored women. They write that colored women not only faced the challenge of rearing their familes, but had to deal with oppressive laws, white hosility, and the difficulties of maintaing a normal family relations in the midst of a slave society (Dicken-Garcia and Neal 179). They go on to say that "Many free women of color were foced to flee the South during the late antebellum period as they became increasingly culnerable to resticitive new laws, intensifying racial hosility, and competition for skilled and semi-skilled jobs," (Dicken-Garcia and Neal 179). In the 19th century racial and gender inequailty was just begining to be questioned and with the work done by Sojourner Truth and other activists made the century a time of exploration and questioning these issues.

Ideas for Linking City Growth with Narrative

After Sojourner Truth and her son had been free for approximenly one year they resided to New York City where the growth of area was quickly expanding. Many of the freed slaves found that they could not find employment to substain themselves or their families a comfortable lifestyle so some resorted to crime. Unfourtunetly this the path that Truth's son chose to take.


Crime rate in cities
Crime rate of the time?
Events happening

City Growth

Slavery was outlawed in New York in 1827, but due to its large population of slaves the transition was not exactly easy. In 1790 one in every five white households contained a slave [...] a rate of slave ownership higher than that existing in the states of Virginia or South Carolina (White 12). With such a high number of slave persons the road to their freedom would be a long and difficult journey.
In 1799, New York State passed legislation that ended slavery, but with this came exceptions that clearly kept power in the hands of slave holders. Under the law all children born from a slave woman after the date of July 4, 1799 were free, but men were indentured servents until the age of twenty-eight and females were such until twenty-five (White 13). Unfortunetly all those already in slavery would remain until another law was passed in 1817 and even then they did not recieve their freedom until July 4, 1827 (White 13). Many slaves tried to purchase their freedom and that of their families, but were decieved or lied to to keep them in captivity. However, the free black population in New York City was increasing, making it much more difficult to keep slaves contained.

Introduction and Thesis-Draft

The Narrative of Sojourner Truth is an important 19th-century work that not only tells the tale of one of the most inspirational and well respected African-American and women's rights activists but records important events and movements of that time not only in the state of New York but all of America. With the end of slavery in New York, Truth begins her life which force her to overcome hardships and obstacles, and experience changes in the United States of America that set the pace for 21st-century social norms and expectations. From the illegal sale of her son, her experience with city growth, the rise of African-American spirituality, and movements such as suffrage, Truth's life provides a record that allows us in the 21st-century to research and discover the rebirth of our nation. The Narrative of Sojourner Truth is a work that shows a changing of the United States and, through her life, is able to give us a timeline to research social movements and changes in the nation.

Potential Scources

I begin research for my project and found some difficulty in getting all ten which might cause me to have to find additional topics. Suggestions are appreciated!

Potential Sources

Accomando, Christina. “Demanding a Voice Among the Pettifoggers: Sojourner Truth as             a Legal Actor.”  MELUS. 28.1 (2003): 61. Academic Search Premier. Web.

Ernest, John. “The Floating Icon and the Fluid Text: Rereading the Narrative of                            Sojourner Truth.” American Literature. 78.3 (2006): 459-486. Academic Search                      Premier. Web.

Nartonis, David. “The Rise of 19^th-Century American Spiritualism, 1854-1873.” Journal   for the Scientific Study of Religion 49.2 (2010): 361-373. Academic Search                              Premier. Web.

“New York Slave Law Summary and Record.” Slavery in America. N.p., n.d. Web.                       1 October 2011.

“The Roots of American Economic Growth.” Digital History. N.p., 2006. Web.                             1 October 2011.

Sachsman, David B., S. Kittrell Rushing, and Roy Morris Jr. Seeking a Voice: Images of               Race and Gender in the 19^th Century Press. Indiana: Purdue                 University Press, 2009. Print.

Sklar, Kathryn Kish and James Brewer Stewart. Women’s Rights and Transatlantic                        Antislavery in the era of Emancipation. New Haven: Yale University Press,                 2007. Print.

Snyder, Claire. “Radical Civic Virtue: Women in 19^th- Century Civil Society.” New                       Political Science. 26.1 (2004): 51-69. Academic Search Premier. Web.

White, Shane. Stories of Freedom in Black New York. Cambridge: Harvard, 2002.                          Print.

Pat, McKissack. Sojourner Truth: Ain’t I a Woman? NewYork: Scholastic, 1992. Print.

City Development

Apparently at the beginning of the 19th century the United States was still very much a rural nation. However, during the 1820s and 1830s city growth began to expand very rapidly. Truth testifies to that fact while living in New York city and experience a growing amount of "temptations" around her son. From the years 1810 to 1820 the population of New York City increased by approximately 10,000 people! It has been researched that when a population increases so do crime rates and Truth experienced this first hand.
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=605

Slavery in New York

When Truth was about 30 slavery became illegal in New York State in the year 1827. She was promised her free papers a year prior, but was denied due to her value to her master.

http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/geography/slave_laws_NY.htm
This link provides dates to laws passed in relation to banning slavery and giving some rights to African-Americans. I find this source useful due to the dates which will lead to more searchable subjects.

Research Subjects

I have finished reading The Narrative of Sojourner Truth with some surprise and confusion due to the duel narration. However, I found the text inspiring and informative. I have decided to write about this work in context to the 19th century. I would investigate subjects mentioned such as, the rise of black oriented churches and spiritual movements, the moral movement (temperance, suffrage), the ban on slavery, the ban on selling slaves out of state, city development, and gender segregation.