“Ain't I a Woman?”

“Ain't I a Woman?”

     “Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that 'twixt the niggers of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what's all this here talking about?” (Truth)

     The quote above is part of a speech that was delivered by Sojourner Truth at the Women's Convention in Akron, Ohio, on May 29, 1851. She was an African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist.

     Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in New York and had a rough childhood. Truth escaped to freedom in 1826 and became a devout Christian. Later, she claimed that “The Spirit calls me, and I must go”, and became a Methodist. She left to travel and preach about abolition. Truth joined the Northampton Association of Education and Industry. This organization was founded by abolitionists, and supported religious tolerance, women's rights, and pacifism.

     

     Truth attended the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio in 1851. At the convention, Truth delivered her famous speech later known as “Ain't I a Woman”. She could not read or write so and she spoke from memory. She delivered one of the most famous speeches of the history on blacks and women. 

     Over the next decade Truth traveled around speaking before hundreds of audiences. Truth spoke about abolition, women's rights, prison reform, capital punishment and had many influential supporters at the time. Sojourner Truth was a passionate advocate for African-American women's rights. In her speech she argues that while white women were often given certain privileges, this attitude was not extended to black women.

     She was not intimidated by authority and she contributed to many reforms. She worked hard for many years to help ex-slaves, fight for human rights and implement reforms. Truth was one of the most famous and influential African-American woman of the nineteenth century.

Narrative of Sojourner Truth: a bondswoman of olden time, with a history of her labors and correspondence drawn from her Book of life ; also, A memorial chapter

Olive Gilbert - Sojourner Truth - Nell Irvin.Painter - Penguin Books - 1998

"Documents from." A History of the American Suffragist Movement, © The Moschovitis Group, Inc. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.suffragist.com/docs.htm>.

The Religious Revival Movement of the 19th Century

The Second Great Awakening was a
religious revival movement at the beginning of the 19th century. This
movement was organized by religious leaders who were worried because
the number of people who attended church was declining. Liberalism in
religion grew and liberal doctrines of deism that relied on reason
rather than revelation evolved. Religious leaders started to hold
revival meetings which resulted in the enrollment of millions of new
members and formation of new religions. Charles Grandison Finney was
the greatest revival preacher. He started the “anxious bench”
where sinners could sit in full view of the congregation. Finney also
encouraged women to pray aloud in public.

At these camp meetings, males and
females, various races and classes worshiped together. Middle-class
women became very supporting of religious revivalism. These women had
an active role in bringing their families back to God.

This movement was designed to remedy
the evils of society. Preachers rejected the idea that people were
sinful and they promoted the human free will. These religious leaders
believed in “the right of private judgement in spiritual matters
and the possibility of universal salvation through faith and good
works.” ( Foner 329) Religion and the pursuit of wealth were
compatible as long as people were honest, temperate, and bound by
conscience.

The movement led to the formation of
new religions and sects such as the Churches of Christ, Christian
Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Seventh
Day Adventist Church and so on. The Restoration Movement wanted to
restore a purer form of Christianity, a primitive faith based on the
Bible alone. It played a role in the development of Mormons, Baptists
and Shakers. Upstate New York was called the “Burned-over district”
because there were so many different revivals in that area. One of
them was the Church of Latter-day Saints that started when Joseph
Smith supposedly received some golden plates from an angel in 1820.
He became a prophet and missionaries from his church attracted
thousands of members. Smith and the Mormons ran into serious
opposition from the non-Mormons because of practicing polygamy,
voting as a unit and organizing militia for defensive purposes. Smith
eventually was murdered and Brigham Young took over the leadership of
the church. He led his people to Utah where they built their own
“country”. The community became a prosperous theocracy and a
cooperative commonwealth.

Young Brigham

“To part for ever! this can never be,

While one ennobling spirit makes us
free

To think, and act, by Heaven’s
inspiring law,

And from its source all consolation
draw;

This, this alone, in Heaven, Earth, or
Hell,

Will still forbid the Saints to say
“Farewell”.”

This quote is from John Lyon’s poem
called “Farewell”. John Lyon was a Scottish Latter Day Saint poet
who later emigrated to Utah.

This movement greatly impacted the
religious history of the United States. New religions saw their role
in society in purifying the world through the individuals. They
believed that through self-improvement they can make the world a
better place. By encouraging involvement in society, evangelism
provided a powerful stimulus to the multiple social reform movements.

Lyon, John. The Harp of Zion, a
Collection of Poems, &c. Liverpool: S.W. Richards; [etc.,
Etc., 1853. Print.

"Second Great Awakening."
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 25 Oct. 2010.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Great_Awakening>.

 Letwin, Daniel, and Eric Foner.
Give Me Liberty!: an American History : Study Guide. New York:
W.W. Norton &, 2005. Print.

Pocahontas and John Rolfe

Pocahontas was one of the daughters of Powhatan, the chief of the Algonquian Indians in Virginia. She saved the life of an English colonist, John Smith, and she earned respect among the English settlers. Pocahontas delivered messages from her father to English settlers and assisted them with trade. Later the English captured Pocahontas and held her for ransom in exchange for English prisoners kept by Powhatan. She was held captive in Henricus, Virginia, where she met John Rolfe, her future husband. John Rolfe was very religious and agonized for a long time over marrying Pocahontas because she wasn't Christian. He wrote a letter to the governor asking permission to marry her.

“Let therefore this my well aduised protestation, which here I make betweene God and my own conscience, be a sufficient witnesse, at the dreadfull day of iugdement (when the secret of all mens harts shall be opened) to condemne me herein, if my chiefest intent and purpose be not, to striue with all my power of body and minde, in the undertaking of so mightie a matter, no way led (so farre forth as mans weakenesse may permit) with the unbridled desire of carnall affection: but for the good of this plantation, for the honour of our countrie, for the glory of God, for my owne salvation, and for the conuerting to the true knowledge of God and Iesus Christ, an unbeleeuing creature, namely Pokahuntas. To whom my hartie and best thoughts are, and haue a long time bin so intangled, and inthralled in so intricate a laborinth, that I was euen awearied to unwinde my selfe thereout. But almighty God, who neuer faileth his, that truely inuocate his holy name hath opened the gate, and led me by the hand that I might plainely see and discerne the safe paths wherein to treade.” (Rolfe. Letter to Thomas Dale. p. 851)

Pocahontas converted to Christianity and John Rolfe married her. Their marriage created peace among the English settlers and the Indians for a while.

Since Jamestown needed more colonists from Europe, Pocahontas and her husband John Rolfe traveled to England to convince people to move to the New World. A few months later, they decided to go go back home. Pocahontas got sick on the ship not long after they left and died. John Rolfe said that her last words were: "all must die, but tis enough that her child liveth." (Rolfe. Letter to Edwin Sandys. p. 71.) She was buried in Gravesand, England.

Pocahontas represented the potential of the assimilation of Native Americans into the European society. She was an important figure not only for her own tribe but for also for the English settlers. She often helped with trade and communication between the settlers and the Indians. Pocahontas' life is part of the history of Virginia.

Hamor, Raphe. “A True Discourse of the Present Estate of Virginia and the fucceffe of the affairs there till the 18 of June, 1614.” Web. 22 Sept. 2010. http://webct.dvc.edu/SCRIPT/HIST120_5179_FA10/scripts/student/serve_page.pl?1219012956+readings120_onlinea.htm+OFF+readings120_onlinea.htm

"Pocahontas -- Jamestown Rediscovery." Home -- Preservation Virginia. Web. 22 Sept. 2010. <http://www.preservationvirginia.org/rediscovery/page.php?page_id=26>.