The abolitionist movement transformed the role of women in American history. Before the abolitionist movement, women were seen as invisible icons in society. A typical woman would only be responsible for maternity duties, cleaning, and food preparation. While many women agreed with this, others did not. The desire to be listened to and treated equally was something that many women shared. Amazing women like Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and the Grimke sisters became prominent leaders of the abolitionist movement and made a path through history by starting speeches, participating in women's politics, and advocating their personal views on women's rights through religious doctrines. Sojourner Truth, an African-American woman and former slave, fights a double war to win her rights. The fact that Truth is an African-American woman has put a strain on her journey. Truth traveled thousands of miles giving speeches against slavery and for women's rights. In 1851, Truth gave her famous speech, "I am not a woman" at the Women's Convention. In his speech he attacked the idea that women and blacks are inferior. Truth used her personal experiences to describe the discrimination she faced as a Black woman and former slave. Truth's main goal through her speech was to show how she is equal to any man. He declared: “Look at me! Look at my arm! I plowed and planted and gathered into barns, and no man could lead me! And I'm not a woman? I could work as hard and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and even take the whipping!" Truth links women's rights and abolition by defining a woman as equal to a man by including examples from her experiences. Truth concludes her speech: “If the first woman God ever created… middle of paper… rights through religious doctrines helped make people understand their philosophy Women fought against sexism and racists, but they remained however confident and ended up pursuing their dream of being free. Bibliography Grimke, Sojourner. In Interpreting the American Past, ed. Luke Stowell Norfolk: Old Dominion University, 2013Stanton, Elizabeth Cady by Seneca Falls. in Interpreting the American Past, ed. Luke Stowell Norfolk: Old Dominion University, 2013Teachushistory.org. "Sarah Grimké supports women's rights | Teach U.S. History." 2013. http://www.teachushistory.org/second-great-awakening-age-reform/resources/sarah-grimke-argues-womens-rights (accessed November 21, 2013). Truth , Sojourner. I Am a Woman, 2013