Up from Slavery by Booker Washington - Essay Example

? UP FROM SLAVERY – A BOOK BY BOOKER T WASHINGTON. UP FROM SLAVERY – A BOOK BY BOOKER T WASHINGTON. The novel 'Up from Slavery" is an autobiography written by a very prominent historical figure that is Booker T Washington in the year 1901. This book basically deals with the gradual rise of Booker who was initially a slave during the outburst of the civil war; to the problems and immense difficulty he faced in order to acquire his education from the reputed new Hampton University. He did great social service by establishing schools that taught skills to those who could not afford formal education. One of the most prominent amongst this school is the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. This school operated with a purpose to deploy such skills which prove to be profitable for the black Americans as well as the oppressed minorities. His purpose was to empower the troubled minorities and the black nation and unite them on a single platform. In this novel he does not forget the generosity of the instructors and the humanitarians who were involved in the education process of the black as well as Native Americans. "I was born a slave on a plantation in Franklin County, Virginia. I am not quite sure of the exact place or exact date of my birth, but at any rate I suspect I must have been born somewhere and at some time." (History, Booker) Booker had a very disturbed childhood. Since he was born during a time where slavery was at its peak and no records where maintained of the slave class therefore his birthday remains controversial. As he was born in a state where black Americans were not considered human therefore he was forced to work in the mines with his stepfather. During the time when a child was supposed to be enrolled to acquire his basic education, Booker on the other hand had become a victim of child labor. He had to spend his entire day in the furnace and whatever time he got after that he spent on educating himself through the book his mother gifted him. Later a school was established within their region with a purpose to educate the blacks. Thus he wanted to get enrolled in the school, when he asked his parents they refused as their financial state did not allow them to lose a child who was earning bread and butter for their family. This disturbed state had a profound impact on Booker and inspired him to do well for his nation, and bring about a change within them Booker spent his childhood as a slave. At an age where he was supposed to go to school he worked at a burning furnace. Later he was a slave to the whites where he used to carry his mistress to school at an age where he should have been carrying his luggage to school. At Virginia it was a trend that all the white families owned a black slave who used to perform their everyday chores as well as obey their master's command what so ever it be. He states in his autobiography that his masters were cruel and they did not have any sort of humanity remaining in them. The answer to the question that how his masters treated him was answered at various points in the book. In the book he wrote that his life when it started was a victim of misery, desolation and despair. But he believed that he was fairly lucky when it came to masters who kept him as slaves as they were not as cruel as others. the worst part that Booker experienced was that he had to get whipped if he reached late for work. So apparently he was victim of physical assault as well. He even describes the height of brutality which his uncle faced when he asked his master to pray. For this act he was whipped with hunter made out of cow leather by being tied to the bark of a tree. This was the level of torture and the inhumanity that a slave had to experience during that era. Further "Black and white abolitionists in the first half of the nineteenth century waged a biracial assault against slavery. Their efforts proved to be extremely effective. Abolitionists focused attention on slavery and made it difficult to ignore. They heightened the rift that had threatened to destroy the unity of the nation even as early as the Constitutional Convention." (American Memory from the Library of congress). Thus the whites after slavery was abolished were in a state of unrest and misery as a nation who was once under them and oppressed had now gained their identity and individuality emerging as a independent nation with their own rights and values. Booker's desires and ambition as a young man were far more focused, mature and ambitious than any other individual at such a young age. Since he had faced immense difficulties as a child and he felt the pain of his people therefore at a very young age he wanted to change the fate of his nationand give them recognition amongst the masses. For this he knew that educational was an integral component therefore he established vocational schools that provided them with skills so that they could earn a respectable livelihood. He did a lot for his people and is one of the reasons why today black Americans are accepted throughout the world. The most important contribution of Booker is that he established  Tuskegee Institute for the education of African Americans. This was a laboratory where various different skills were provided and it spread beyond just academic education. This institute helped farmers and helped to progress agriculture within the region. Basically he established two forms of education that are still popular today. Booker was a smart person and therefore he did not consider that something miraculous will happen that would change the image of Blacks in America. Considering that he took such steps that would change the image of the blacks in the eyes of the white Americans. For this he gave the present of education to his people because without that it will not be possible to grow as a nation. He did a great amount of work for his people and his work would always be remembered. (Drinker, 1970) Lastly, Booker played a very important role in bridging the gap that had developed between the two races. Initially those people who were considered as slaves were now given their designated rights and an equal status. Barrack Obama is a living example of a Black president if the united states of America. This proves that now the blacks are accepted worldwide and this has been only possible through the efforts of people like Booker who played their part in order to abolish slavery and to give Black American's a status far above the status of a slave. WORKS CITED "History | Booker T. Washington | Oh, Ranger!." Oh, Ranger! | Your Guide to the Parks. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2013. . "African American Odyssey: Abolition, Anti-Slavery Movements, and the Rise of the Sectional Controversy (Part 1)."American Memory from the Library of Congress - Home Page.N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2013. Read More