Washington Booker's 'Up From Slavery'

879 Words4 Pages
In the autobiography of Washington Booker, “Up from Slavery”, we are introduced to an eleven year old boy’s life whom was a victim of slavery during the civil war. The life of Washington’s is being told from the mid 1800's into early 1900's during the Emancipation Proclamation time. Washington Booker was an African American, who he knew nothing about the experience of freedom, besides being forced to work. Booker was eager person, who had desired to learn how to read, and write, once slavery was over, he searched for the dream of an education. Soon after getting an education, he had become the most important known educator. In the second chapter titled “boyhood days”, he explains the freedom of slaves, and how he struggled to get an…show more content…
When later working on the mines, he notices the number “18” (27) on a barrel, which he knew meant something but didn’t understand the meaning of it. Seeing the number 18 made him impatient to learn how to read, “From the time I can remember having any thoughts about, I recall that I had intense longing to learn to read” (27). After seeing the symbol “18” on barrels, he convinced his mother to buying him a book. “How or where she got it I do know, but in some way she procured an old copy of Webster’s “blue-back” spelling-book” (27), as she pleased to encouraged him. The Webster’s spelling book helped Washington learned a great portion of the alphabets; he was determined to teaching himself the alphabet, to be capable of reading. In the progresses of learning of read, Washington started to get resentment feelings towards, a young white boy whom was able to read. “As soon as the coloured people found out that he could read, a newspaper was secured … this young man would be surrounded by a group of men and women who were anxious to him read the news” (28). Soon after, many coloured families started discussing the opening of school for “negro children” (28); Washington didn’t hesitate and enrolled himself. The school for “negro children” required for families
Show More
Related

  • Compare And Contrast Booker T Washington

    1476 Words  | 6 Pages

    What Makes the Man? “Character, not circumstances, makes the man.”-Booker T. Washington. In two different books, Up from Slavery and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, we discover two men whose astounding lives prove this quote. Both born into the southern United States during the 1800s, Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass lived the first parts of their lives in slavery. Throughout their life, they constantly desired the ability to make a change in the current way of things. With

    Read More

  • The Jim Crow Laws In Booker T. Washington's Jim Crow

    871 Words  | 4 Pages

    of the white. And this is the land that professes to follow Jesus Christ. The blasphemy of such a course is only matched by its cowardice.” ; (2) “Either the United States will destroy ignorance or ignorance will destroy the United States.” (Excerpt from the Niagara Movement Speech.

    Read More

  • Booker T Washington Essay Thesis

    1572 Words  | 7 Pages

    Booker taliferro better known as Booker t Washington was born a simple African American slave but through his trials and difficulties he became a very accomplished,successful,and important man. Its amazing how a man or rather a young boy started as a corn carrier and water boy who couldn't even read in the beginning got as far as he got in his life time. Through his determination and eagerness Booker learned to read and write with that he started down the road that he'd never thought of going down

    Read More

More about Washington Booker's 'Up From Slavery'

Open Document