Booker T Washington Up From Slavery example essay topic

Booker T. Washington 'Up From Slavery'; inspired readers across the nation. People of this time had realized that they could no longer expect support from the federal government, in their struggle for dignity and opportunity in the south, so many blacks concluded that self-reliance, self-help, and racial solidarity were their last best hopes. So, people saw Booker T. Washington as their champion and adopted his autobiography, up from slavery. In Franklin County, Virginia Washington was given birth too.

He was raised as a slave until after the civil war when he and his family were declared free. Washington does not no know much about his family history other than his ancestors, form his mothers side, suffered in the middle passage of the slave ship while being conveyed from Africa to America. Washington and his family lived in a typical log cabin, which was fourteen by sixteen feet square. The log cabin was not only their living space, but also used as the kitchen for the plantation. His life went fast and devoted all of his time into some kind of labor each and everyday and no time for sports. After the civil war was over, all blacks were free and they felt that they should change their names and leave their plantations either for a couple of days or weeks in order to really feel free.

As Washington grew older he gets a job working at a salt-furnace, working with his stepfather, he asked if he can go to school, his stepfather said no that your responsibilities are here now. Washington decided, that he would learn something anyway and applied himself into mastering the blue-beck speller. Thiswasn't helping so he made arrangements for night school with a teacher and felt that he learned more than any other kids. Then Washington gets a job working at a coal mine, while working their he hear good things about Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute. So he decides to keep working at the coal mine for a couple of months until he finds a new opening and he then gets hired working for Mrs. Ruffin er as a servant. He and she became very close friends who could trust each other.

Washington saves up some money and decides he wants to try to get into Hampton Institute so he leaves for it. When he gets their the teacher gave him a little test, cleaning a room and she comes back and inspects it. Washington felt as one of the happiest person on earth when the teacher said he may enter the institution. As time went on Washington finished his second year at school. So he takes his vacation home and a couple of days later his mother passes away. Washington went back to Hamilton and finished his studies in 1875.

Soon after his studies he was completely out of money and got a job as a waiter. Soon after this period of time he got a job as a teacher in west Virginia during the reconstruction period. After teaching for two years at M alder. Washington went to Washington DC to study. And he got a chance to compare Hamilton college with other colleges, he noticed that students here had more money and where well dressed, than kids at Hamilton.

After he went back he was asked to be in charge of night school, so he did. He taught students who were also inco urged as he was and when they graduated they held their certificates high above their heads too. After completing a year of teaching night school an opportunity opened up for him a position in Tuskegee, Alabama in June 1881. He was determined to have students build their own buildings. He wanted to show them how to make the forces of nature, air, water, steam, electricity, horse-power -- assist them in their labor. In 19 years at Tuskegee, students built small and large ones.

The hardest task was the school did not have enough money, so they had to make them themselves. The number of students grew rapidly and rooms where running out. After having made a scotch of the building they found it would cost them 10 thousand dollars and they had no money at all. Armstrong called from Hamilton and told Washington to get over here at once, when he got their he told him the good news that Hamilton college would assist in building the new building and the Tuskegee institution would have to pay nothing. Washington got a invitation to go to the international meeting of Christian workers in 1893 held in Atlanta, Ga. He was to give a 5 min speech in telling what they were doing in Tuskegee and what their goals where.

After this meeting and another they finally said OK you can build a building that would be a fitting recognition of the colored race to erect a large and attractive building which should be devoted wholly to showing the progress of the African Americans since their freedom. In 1893 Washington gets married to Miss Margaret James Murrey, a native of Mississippi. She was also a teacher at Tuskegee who wanted to apply for the principals position. And they raised three children. Portia the oldest, Booker Taliaferro next oldest, and Ernest Davidson Washington's youngest. Mr and Miss.

Washington went a trip to Europe traveling through Paris, London, and then too England where they where quests of very high ranking individuals. I agree with the Author thesis, because African Americans did go through allot of harsh times. They where deprived of all their rights as citizens. They could eat in the same place as a white person, I think this would be very hard. Also they could nots it in front of the bus, the first lady who tried to sit in front of the bus was Rosa Parks and she was arrested. Booker T. Washington made a big step when he got enrolled at Hamilton Institution.

The African American community was very delighted and happy to see some one from their race going to college. They all helped him and supported him in any way they could, some even gave him money. I think Booker T. Washington was a role model for all the people in this nation and not just the African Americans. Reading this book helped me realize how hard it was for the African Americans and what they went through. It also gave me abetter understanding of what they had to do in order to get their freedom.

I also now know what the time was like after the African Americans where given their freedom. I strongly recommend for any one who does not understand what the African American Society went through after their freedom, they should read this book 'up from slavery. ' ;.