full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Daina Ramey Berry: The electrifying speeches of Sojourner Truth

Unscramble the Blue Letters


trtuh was born into slavery as Isabella Baumfree in the late 18th century in Ulster County, New York. Although New York state had announced the abolition of slavery in 1799, the emancipation act was gaaurdl. Those who were currently evaslned were forced to sreve a period of indentured servitude until their mid-20s.

Throughout this period, enslavers repeatedly sold Baumfree, tniearg her from her loved ones. Often, she was explicitly pvreneetd from pursuing new rotsaniiplehs. eevnlatluy, she married an enslaved man named Thomas, with whom she had three children. She was desperate to keep her new family together— but the slow progress of abolition theertaend this hope. Baumfree’s enslaver, John Dumont, had pmieosrd to free her by 1826. When he failed to keep his word, Baumfree fled for her safety. During the escape, she was only able to rescue her youngest daughter Sophia, while her other children rmeeanid in bondage. It would be two years before she regained custody of Peter. After that, she would wait another two years before she saw any of her other children.

Open Cloze


_____ was born into slavery as Isabella Baumfree in the late 18th century in Ulster County, New York. Although New York state had announced the abolition of slavery in 1799, the emancipation act was _______. Those who were currently ________ were forced to _____ a period of indentured servitude until their mid-20s.

Throughout this period, enslavers repeatedly sold Baumfree, _______ her from her loved ones. Often, she was explicitly _________ from pursuing new _____________. __________, she married an enslaved man named Thomas, with whom she had three children. She was desperate to keep her new family together— but the slow progress of abolition __________ this hope. Baumfree’s enslaver, John Dumont, had ________ to free her by 1826. When he failed to keep his word, Baumfree fled for her safety. During the escape, she was only able to rescue her youngest daughter Sophia, while her other children ________ in bondage. It would be two years before she regained custody of Peter. After that, she would wait another two years before she saw any of her other children.

Solution


  1. serve
  2. gradual
  3. eventually
  4. relationships
  5. enslaved
  6. truth
  7. promised
  8. tearing
  9. remained
  10. threatened
  11. prevented

Original Text


Truth was born into slavery as Isabella Baumfree in the late 18th century in Ulster County, New York. Although New York state had announced the abolition of slavery in 1799, the emancipation act was gradual. Those who were currently enslaved were forced to serve a period of indentured servitude until their mid-20s.

Throughout this period, enslavers repeatedly sold Baumfree, tearing her from her loved ones. Often, she was explicitly prevented from pursuing new relationships. Eventually, she married an enslaved man named Thomas, with whom she had three children. She was desperate to keep her new family together— but the slow progress of abolition threatened this hope. Baumfree’s enslaver, John Dumont, had promised to free her by 1826. When he failed to keep his word, Baumfree fled for her safety. During the escape, she was only able to rescue her youngest daughter Sophia, while her other children remained in bondage. It would be two years before she regained custody of Peter. After that, she would wait another two years before she saw any of her other children.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
sojourner truth 2


Important Words


  1. abolition
  2. act
  3. announced
  4. baumfree
  5. bondage
  6. born
  7. century
  8. children
  9. county
  10. custody
  11. daughter
  12. desperate
  13. dumont
  14. emancipation
  15. enslaved
  16. enslaver
  17. enslavers
  18. escape
  19. eventually
  20. explicitly
  21. failed
  22. family
  23. fled
  24. forced
  25. free
  26. gradual
  27. hope
  28. indentured
  29. isabella
  30. john
  31. late
  32. loved
  33. man
  34. married
  35. named
  36. period
  37. peter
  38. prevented
  39. progress
  40. promised
  41. pursuing
  42. regained
  43. relationships
  44. remained
  45. repeatedly
  46. rescue
  47. safety
  48. serve
  49. servitude
  50. slavery
  51. slow
  52. sold
  53. sophia
  54. state
  55. tearing
  56. thomas
  57. threatened
  58. truth
  59. ulster
  60. wait
  61. word
  62. years
  63. york
  64. youngest