Sojourner Truth Interview

INTERVIEWER: Today we will be talking with Ms. Isabella Baumfree, more commonly known as Sojourner Truth. Born in 1797 in Ulster County, New York, she was born into slavery. She was sold 4 more times to other slave owners. She is here to tell us about her escape to freedom from her owner John Dumont, of New York. We are very fortunate to have her with us today for this interview. Tell us Ms. Baumfree, how did you come to the decision to run from your master?
SOJOURNER TRUTH: Well, I had never had a good life with him. He was quite cruel to me, as well as his wife. I was never happy there. But he had promised me that he would let me become a free person if I served him well and worked hard. Of course I did, being tempted by the concept of being a free person, in charge of my own life. I couldn’t wait to be educated, being able to do what I wanted, without being ordered around by some master. I served him incredibly well, and I worked harder than I ever have. I was planning on taking Sophie, my youngest daughter, with me to freedom. But my master did not keep his promise, and he insisted that I could have worked harder, blaming my poor work on a hand injury that had never caused me too much trouble. I continued to work until I felt that my I had served him well enough- I spun 100 pounds of wool. I then escaped before the sun came up with Sophie.

INTERVIEWER: Did you have any plan or idea on where you and your daughter were going?

SOJOURNER TRUTH: I just kept telling myself that God would get me through. I prayed and prayed until I arrived at a house owned by Maria and Isaac Wagenen.

INTERVIEWER: Did you old owner, John Dumont, ever come to try to take you back?

SOJOURNER TRUTH: Yes he did. He came to the house and insisted that I come back and work for him again. When I refused, he threatened to take my child, Sophia away from me. But Maria and Isaac offered to buy me from Mr. Dumont, and I was sold for $20.

INTERVIEWER: Were you happier with your new owners?

SOJOURNER TRUTH: Oh, absolutely. They were so much nicer. They even insisted that I call them by their first names, instead of “master”, or “mistress”. I worked hard for them. It was almost like they were not even my owners, but good friends.

INTERVIEWER: Well Isabella, that’s all the time that we have for today. Thank you for talking with us. This has been Isabella Baumfree, ladies and gentlemen. Join us next time when we talk to Ms. Harriet Tubman about her escape to freedom, or visit us on our website, which is http://www.slaverystories.org/. That is http://www.slaverystories.org/. Thank you for listening.

SOURCES: http://womenshistory.about.com/od/sojournertruth/a/sojourner_truth.htm,http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/trut-soj.htm