Isabella Baumfree also considered Van Wagenen was born in 1797 and died in 1883. She was the first black to speak out to people about slavery and abolitionists. She was said to have a deep manly voice but had a quick wit and inspiring faith (Encyclpoedia, 474). It was Truth's religious faith that transformed her from Isabella to Sojourner Truth. What is difficult to tell is her actual birth date because there are two different women with different birth dates such as Isabella's is in the 1790's and Truth's is on June 1, 1843. The parents are also hard to decipher because of slavery spiting up families. Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth were the two most famous women of the 19th century. It was said, "New York was Truth's Egypt". In a short amount of time Truth became the national symbol for black women (Painter, 5). Truth was a slave in Ulster County, New York but was freed in 1828. That was the year that she had her command from God, it was he that told her to preach about her beliefs and equality. She told people that God was only looking for people who show love and concern for others and this is why she must continue to preach (Encyclopedia, 474).
Isabella was one of 13 children from slave parents and she could only speak Dutch. She lived with her parents until the time she was 11then she was sent to a new master who mistreated her severely. This is when she learned how to speak English, but she would still have a Dutch accent the rest of her life. Her third master, the Dumonts, is where she was sent when she was thirteen and stayed for seventeen years. It is also where Isabella married her husband Thomas and continued to have five children with him. The state of New York in 1817 passed a law saying that all blacks are free but not until July 4,1827. She was waiting for her ten years to be up but she found that Dumont planned to keep her and not let her free at all.
