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Example research essay topic: Booker T Washington From Slavery - 1,330 words

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The autobiography of Booker T. Washing titled Up From Slavery is a rich narrative of the man's life from slavery to one of the founders of the Tuskegee Institute. The book takes us through one of the most dynamic periods in this country's history, especially African Americans. I am very interested in the period following the Civil War and especially in the transformation of African Americans from slaves to freemen. Up From Slavery provides a great deal of information on this time period and helped me to better understand the transition. Up From Slavery provided a narrative on Washington's life, as well as his views on education and integration of African Americans.

All though this book was written in the first year of this century I believe Washington's views are still valid today. America can probably still learn from them. Booker T. Washington was born into slavery in either 1858 or 1859. Birth Records were usually not available to slaves. Booker, his brother and his mother moved to Malden West Virginia after the Civil War.

They went to live with his stepfather, whom they had only seen a few times before. When they arrived in Malden, Washington was no more then nine years old. However, he went to work with his stepfather in the salt mine business feeding the furnaces. His education started with a Webster's old "Blue-Black" spelling book that his mother had provided him. She hoped it would help him to learn to read.

When Washington started working with his stepfather in the salt mines, he had to work from dawn to 9: 00 PM, receiving very few breaks during the day. During his breaks he would study his spelling book, teaching himself to read. While working with his stepfather, a local school opened up for black people. But because of Booker's value to his family in the mines, he continued to work there at the request of his parents. Eventually, he talked his stepfather into letting him attend school a few hours during the day.

Booker, however, ran into another problem. His stepfather wanted him to work until 9: 00 AM and the young Booker found it difficult to reach school in time. He therefore did something that he was not proud of later in life. Washington learned to change the clock every morning from half past eight to nine so he could arrive at school on time. The supervisor realized someone was changing the clock and locked it to deny access to all but himself. This is an example of the length to which the young Booker went to have a chance to learn.

Booker learned at an early age the importance of doing things for himself. Another story from the book shows what helped to build Booker's character. While at school he noticed that all of the people were wearing caps. When he confronted his mother about this she explained they could not afford to buy him a store bought cap. But she told him that she would work something out.

Washington's mother took two old pieces of cloth and sewed them together to make him a cap. For the rest of his life, he would remember that cap as an important lesson in his life. Washington states: The lesson that my mother taught me in this has always remained with me, and I have tried as best I could to teach it to others. I have always felt proud, whenever I think of the incident, that my mother had the strength of character enough not to be led into the temptation of seeming to be that of which she is not-of trying to impress my schoolmates and others with the fact that she was able to buy me a "store hat" when she was not.

Later, the young Washington took a job at the home of a Mrs. Ruffiner as a house servant. Many boys before him, in the same job, lasted had only a few weeks because of her demands. Ruffiner was very strict and expected the best out of the boys that worked for her. She demanded that they be clean and well behaved. This stayed with Booker for the rest of his life.

He notes, "Even to this day I never seen bits of paper scattered around the house or in the street that I do not want to pick them up at once. " After working for Ruffiner for a year and a half, young Washington was accepted at the Hampton Institute, a school set up by whites to educate African Americans after the Civil War. He worked as a janitor there to support himself and pay his tuition, room, and board. At the Hampton Institute, Booker met General Armstrong, a white man and the principal of the Hampton Institute. Armstrong made a great impression on Booker. He writes: "a great man-the noblest, rarest human being that it has ever been my privilege to meet... part of that Christlike body of men and women who went into the Negro schools at the close of the war by the hundreds to assist in lifting up my race. " While at the Hampton Institute, Washington learned important lessons about education that would stay with him the rest of his life.

These lessons included the fact that keeping clean was an important part of a person's self worth. He also learned that education does not mean that one was above manual labor. Washington felt that education should be well rounded and that a person should learn to love labor. He should also become self reliant and useful to those around him. He believed that a person should not be selfish and should lead by example. Washington would take these lessons with him to the Tuskegee Institute where he would later be the principal.

In May of 1881, General Armstrong received a request, from a group of philanthropists, to suggest a principal for a new school for colored people in a small town in Alabama called Tuskegee. When the request was made it was assumed no colored man would be qualified. But to the surprise of the founders of the Tuskegee Institute Washington was suggested for the position. They accepted him. After arriving in Tuskegee, the founders and Washington decided that the school would open up on July 4, 1881, Independence Day. The doors to the soon be famous institute opened as planned with "little more then a broken down shanty and a old henhouse, without owning a dollars worth of property and but one teacher and thirty students. " Washington believed the purpose of the Tuskegee Institute was to produce people who could work hard, to learn a trade, and earn a living.

In addition, he believed they should also learn the importance of cleanliness and spirituality. Washington hoped that graduates would go throughout the country and be an example to all who came in contact with them. Reading, writing and arithmetic was taught. But a stronger emphasis was placed on the trades and daily living skills. He wanted students to understand that there was no shame in being a laborer. He believed that an education was for the whole person and not an excuse to avoid manual work.

As part of the students training, they were required to do all of the work at the institute. Learning a marketable trade such as construction, farming, raising of livestock, and mechanical repairs were vital. Life skills such as how to keep a bankbook and save money, bathing, table manners, clothes washing, and mending were also taught. Furthermore Washington made religion a large part of his students program. Although no one particular form of Christianity was forced upon the students, it was part of their education to participate in daily services. By doing this Washington felt he was teaching students to be complete persons, who could be proud of themselves and what they were able to accomplish.

Twenty years after its humble beginnings, the Tuskegee...


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Research essay sample on Booker T Washington From Slavery

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