▁Southern ▁dialect , ▁whereas ▁So j our ner ▁Tr uth ▁was ▁from ▁New ▁York ▁and ▁grew ▁up ▁speaking ▁Dutch ▁as ▁her ▁first ▁language . ▁During ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁Tr uth ▁helped ▁rec ruit ▁black ▁troops ▁for ▁the ▁Union ▁Army ; ▁after ▁the ▁war , ▁she ▁tried ▁un success fully ▁to ▁secure ▁land ▁gr ants ▁from ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁for ▁former ▁slaves ▁( sum mar ised ▁as ▁the ▁promise ▁of ▁" fort y ▁acres ▁and ▁a ▁m ule "). ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁Tr uth ▁was ▁included ▁in ▁Smith son ian ▁magazine ' s ▁list ▁of ▁the ▁" 1 0 0 ▁Most ▁Sign ific ant ▁Americans ▁of ▁All ▁Time ". ▁A ▁mem orial ▁b ust ▁of ▁Tr uth ▁was ▁un ve iled ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁in ▁E man cip ation ▁Hall ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Capit ol ▁Vis itor ' s ▁Center . ▁She ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁African ▁American ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁statue ▁in ▁the ▁Capit ol ▁building . ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁ ▁Tr uth ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 0 ▁or ▁ 1 2 ▁children ▁born ▁to ▁James ▁and ▁Elizabeth ▁Ba um free ▁( or ▁B ome free ). ▁Colonel ▁H arden berg h ▁bought ▁James ▁and ▁Elizabeth ▁Ba um free ▁from ▁slave ▁trad ers ▁and ▁kept ▁their ▁family ▁at ▁his ▁estate ▁in ▁a ▁big ▁h illy ▁area ▁called ▁by ▁the ▁Dutch ▁name ▁Sw arte kill ▁( just ▁north ▁of ▁present - day ▁R if ton ), ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Es