"Up from Slavery" is the autobiography of Booker T. Washington sharing his personal experience of having to work to rise up from the position of a slave child during the Civil War, to the difficulties and obstacles he overcame to get an education at the new Hampton Institute, 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. Booker Taliaferro Washington (1856 – 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and advisor to presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American community. Washington was from the last generation of black American leaders born into slavery and became the leading voice of the former slaves and their descendants. Contents: A Slave Among Slaves Boyhood Days The Struggle For An Education Helping Others The Reconstruction Period Black Race And Red Race Early Days At Tuskegee Teaching School In A Stable And A Hen-House Anxious Days And Sleepless Nights A Harder Task Than Making Bricks Without Straw Making Their Beds Before They Could Lie On Them Raising Money Two Thousand Miles For A Five-Minute Speech The Atlanta Exposition Address The Secret Of Success In Public Speaking Europe Last Words

For those interested in the history of slavery and the American Civil War, 'Up from Slavery' is the autobiography from American eudcator Booker T. Washington in which he describes his experiences of living as an enslaved child during the Civil War. Washington overcame many obstacles to get an education and throughout his autobiography, he gratefully reflects on the help of his teachers and philanthropists who helped educate Black and Native Americans. The autobiography was a best seller; much to do with its honest and historically significant depiction of the struggles that Washington faced. If you are eager to know more about the history of slavery, Sojourner Truth's 'Narrative of Sojourner Truth' will provide great insight into being a slave in the North. Booker T. Washington was born into slavery in Virginia in 1856. He is regarded as one of the foremost African American leaders of the late 19th century, and founded the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in 1881. He became a teacher after the Civil War, and was also a political adviser and writer. Washington's mother, Jane, worked as a cook for a plantation owner and his father was an unknown white man, most likely from a nearby plantation. From a young age, Washington worked carrying sacks of grain to the plantations mill. Despite the sacks weighing around 100-pounds and being too heavy for a young boy, he was often beaten for not working to a high enough standard. After the Civil War, Washington and his mother moved to West Virginia, where she married a freedman. The family was very poor, and nine-year-old Washington went to work in the nearby salt furnaces instead of going to school. He then worked as a houseboy for the wife of a local coal mine owner. She recognised his desire for education and allowed him to go to school for an hour a day during the winter months. He died in November, 1915, at the age of 59, of congestive heart failure.

A publisher's dummy used for subscription sales of Washington's autobiography. Selected pages of the text and 37 illustrated plates are included. The front and back cover represent two of the three available bindings for the edition; the spine for the third option is pasted to the inside back cover.

Up from Slavery is the 1901 autobiography of American educator Booker T. Washington. The book describes his personal experience of having to work to rise up from the position of a slave child during ...

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.

Reproduction of the original.