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
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."<br><br>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