Sojourner Truth (ca 1797-1883). Narrative of Sojourner Truth; A Bondswoman of Olden Time. Battle Creek, Michigan: Review and Herald Office, 1884. 

8vo. Frontispiece + plate. Original illustrated brown cloth gilt. FIRST EDITION TO CONTAIN NEW "A MEMORIAL" CHAPTER. Afro-Americana 10461

A fine and highly presentable copy of the first edition of Sojourner Truth's autobiography. 

RARE. Last sold at auction in 1993. 

Sojourner Truth (c. 1797–1883) was a formerly enslaved woman who became one of the most powerful voices for abolition and women’s rights in 19th-century America. Born into slavery in New York as Isabella Baumfree, she gained her freedom in 1827 and later adopted the name Sojourner Truth, dedicating her life to traveling and speaking on behalf of justice and equality. Renowned for her commanding presence and deeply moving oratory, she delivered her famous “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech in 1851, challenging both racial and gender inequalities. Truth also worked tirelessly to support formerly enslaved people during and after the Civil War, advocating for land rights and economic independence. Illiterate but intellectually formidable, she became a national symbol of resilience, moral authority, and the enduring struggle for human rights.

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