Name: Up from Slavery
Author: Booker T. Washington
ISBN: 9780199552399

Up from Slavery

Booker T. Washington

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Author Description

For the 50 years that followed its publication in 1901, Up from Slavery was the most widely known book written by an African American. The life of Booker T. Washington embodied the legendary rise of an American self-made man, and his autobiography gave voice for the first time to a vast group that had to pull itself up from nothing. In the well-documented ordeals and observations of this humble and plainspoken schoolmaster we find traces of Washington's other nature: the ambitious and tough-minded analyst. Here was a man who had to balance the demands of his fellow blacks with the constraints imposed on him by whites.About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Menrva's Summary

THE THESIS

This autobiography investigates the trajectory of a man born into enslavement who rises to become a prominent educator and leader in the post-Civil War United States. Booker T. Washington, a foundational figure in American education and civil rights, documents his transition from bondage to the establishment of the Tuskegee Institute. He utilizes his personal history as a framework to argue for the efficacy of industrial education, economic self-reliance, and vocational training as the primary vehicles for the advancement of African Americans during the Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras.

THE SCOPE MAP

What You Will Find

Detailed accounts of life under the institution of slavery in the American South.
The methodology behind the founding and administration of the Tuskegee Institute.
Primary source reflections on the political and social climate of the late 19th century.
Washington's philosophy on racial uplift, economic independence, and social accommodation.

THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE

Historians and scholars frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the complexities of post-emancipation American society. Readers often note the plainspoken, pragmatic tone Washington employs to navigate the intense political pressures of his time.

Page Count:
240

Publication Date:
2009-01-15

Publisher:
Oxford University Press

ISBN-10:
0199552398

ISBN-13:
9780199552399

Memoir

Biography

Autobiography

History

United States

African Americans