Sojourner Truth Ain't I a Woman?
Summary: Truth begins by illustrating the hypocrisy in her society, how women were seen as frail and to always be cared for by a gentleman (ideas she also disagreed with, but more on that later), and yet she, clearly a woman, had endured hard labor, the whup, and the theft of many of her children under the very "gentlemen" who said much of the above. This is the first part of her speech, explaining plain and simple how just because she is black, she is treated more horribly than most men would treat even their worst enemies, and how her oppressors were obvious and blatant hypocrites. She then also attacks the entire idea of women being inferior to men, countering several arguments, including that of "inferior intellect" and that of jesus being a man. All together she argues for equality for women and black Americans, in a time were to support either notion could be seen as crazy.
(Both of these inequalities would carry on well into the 20th century, and in a reduced, though still significant, capacity, to today).
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