Up From Slavery
Encyclopedia
Up from Slavery is the 1901 autobiography
of Booker T. Washington
detailing his slow and steady rise from a slave child during the Civil War
, to the difficulties and obstacles he overcame to get an education at the new Hampton University
, to his work establishing vocational schools—most notably the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama
—to help black people and other disadvantaged minorities learn useful, marketable skills and work to pull themselves, as a race, up by the bootstraps. He reflects on the generosity of both teachers and philanthropists who helped in educating blacks and native Americans. He describes his efforts to instill manners, breeding, health and a feeling of dignity to students. His educational philosophy stresses combining academic subjects with learning a trade (something which is reminiscent of the educational theories of John Ruskin
). Washington explained that the integration of practical subjects is partly designed to reassure the white community as to the usefulness of educating black people.
Washington was a somewhat controversial figure in his own lifetime, and W. E. B. Du Bois, for example, criticized some of his views.
The book was, however, a best-seller.
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
of Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington
Booker Taliaferro Washington was an American educator, author, orator, and political leader. He was the dominant figure in the African-American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915...
detailing his slow and steady rise from a slave child during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, to the difficulties and obstacles he overcame to get an education at the new Hampton University
Hampton University
Hampton University is a historically black university located in Hampton, Virginia, United States. It was founded by black and white leaders of the American Missionary Association after the American Civil War to provide education to freedmen.-History:...
, to his work establishing vocational schools—most notably the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
—to help black people and other disadvantaged minorities learn useful, marketable skills and work to pull themselves, as a race, up by the bootstraps. He reflects on the generosity of both teachers and philanthropists who helped in educating blacks and native Americans. He describes his efforts to instill manners, breeding, health and a feeling of dignity to students. His educational philosophy stresses combining academic subjects with learning a trade (something which is reminiscent of the educational theories of John Ruskin
John Ruskin
John Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
). Washington explained that the integration of practical subjects is partly designed to reassure the white community as to the usefulness of educating black people.
Washington was a somewhat controversial figure in his own lifetime, and W. E. B. Du Bois, for example, criticized some of his views.
The book was, however, a best-seller.
Quotes
- "During the next half-century and more, my race must continue passing through severe AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
crucible. We are to be tested in our patience, our forbearance, our perseverance, our power to endure wrong, to withstand temptations, to economize, to acquire and use skill; in our ability to compete, to succeed in commerce, to disregard the superficial for the real, the appearance for the substance, to be great and yet smile, learned and yet simple, high and yet the servant of all." - "Nothing ever comes to me, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work."
External links
- Full text in .pdf format
- Up from Slavery at Google Books
- Available in PDF, HTML, and MP3 at the Lit2Go project at USF
- Up from Slavery Free Audio & eText