▁lived ▁there ▁until ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁E man cip ation ▁Act ▁was ▁approved ▁a ▁year ▁later . ▁ ▁Tr uth ▁learned ▁that ▁her ▁son ▁Peter , ▁then ▁five ▁years ▁old , ▁had ▁been ▁sold ▁il leg ally ▁by ▁Dum ont ▁to ▁an ▁owner ▁in ▁Alabama . ▁With ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁the ▁Van ▁W agen ens , ▁she ▁took ▁the ▁issue ▁to ▁court ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 8 , ▁after ▁months ▁of ▁legal ▁proceed ings , ▁she ▁got ▁back ▁her ▁son , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁ab used ▁by ▁those ▁who ▁were ▁ens la ving ▁him . ▁Tr uth ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁black ▁women ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁court ▁against ▁a ▁white ▁man ▁and ▁win ▁the ▁case . ▁ ▁Tr uth ▁had ▁a ▁life - ch anging ▁religious ▁experience ▁during ▁her ▁stay ▁with ▁the ▁Van ▁W agen ens ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁dev out ▁Christian . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 9 ▁she ▁moved ▁with ▁her ▁son ▁Peter ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁where ▁she ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁house keeper ▁for ▁E lij ah ▁Pi erson , ▁a ▁Christian ▁Evangel ist . ▁While ▁in ▁New ▁York , ▁she ▁be fri ended ▁Mary ▁Sim pson , ▁a ▁gro cer ▁on ▁John ▁Street ▁who ▁claimed ▁she ▁had ▁once ▁been ▁ens la ved ▁by ▁George ▁Washington . ▁They ▁shared ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁char ity ▁for ▁the ▁poor ▁and ▁became ▁int imate ▁friends . ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 2 , ▁she ▁met ▁Robert ▁Matt he ws , ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁Pro ph et ▁Matth ias