Abolition, slavery & women’s rights
Sojourner Truth
c. 1797–1883
Massachusetts connection
Florence, a village in Northampton
Truth was a formerly enslaved woman who became a powerful speaker against slavery and for women’s rights. She lived in Florence and joined a community working for equality. Her life links western Massachusetts to a much wider movement for freedom.
You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.
Your turn, historian
Find a detail. Build an idea.
- What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
- What unfair rule or practice did this person challenge, and how?
- What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?
“Sojourner Truth mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”
Follow the evidence.
This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.
Read the source: National Park Service ↗Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?