Paper Sample on The Last Generation of Slavery: Booker T. Washington

Introduction

Booker Taliaferro Washington was an African-American leader, author, orator and educator. He was born in 1865 to an enslaved woman called Jane. She was in servitude to the James Burroughs plantation in Southwest Virginia near Franklin County (Norrel, 2009). This makes Washington the last generation of African-American leaders born into slavery. Most of his life was spent on the plantation where family time was scarce due to the numerous responsibilities bestowed upon slaves. Washington himself recalls not having a meal where all family members were present at the table together (Norrel, 2009). At the age of nine, the Emancipation Declaration was made. This meant that the slaves were declared free and could move freely when and where they desired. His mother, with this knowledge, forced them to West Virginia where her husband had relocated to. Washington Ferguson, his stepfather and Jane's husband, had escaped from slavery during the Civil War resettling in West Virginia where his family joined him. Here illiterate Washington taught himself how to read, and write and eventually joined the school for the first time.

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Higher Education

Working in salt mines, Washington saved money and joined The Hampton Institute, which was a school established to educate the freed slaves and the descendants of freed slaves. He later moved to Washington D.C, where he joined the Wayland Seminary in 1878 (Norrel, 2009).

At the age of 25, the president of the Hampton Institute Samuel C Armstrong recommended him as the first leader of the Tuskegee Industrial and Standard Institute and the New Normal Institute (Teacher's College) in Alabama formed on July 4, 1881. In 1882 he bought a former plantation that would serve as the permanent campus. As the leader, Washington oversaw the building of the school, ensuring the students built the school themselves, including the campus building, rearing of livestock, and growth of crops. He wanted the campus to be sustainable and a project where all the learners and staff personally contributed (Norrel, 2009). The purpose of the school was to teach all the students a trade and academics so that they could, in turn, return to their communities and teach what they learned.

The Atlanta Compromise Speech

Booker T Washington's involvement in education and the building of the Tuskegee Institute greatly influenced his point of view on the role of African Americans and culminated in his speech. The speech, given at the Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta on September 18, 1895, outlaid the plans and visions he had for the African Americans. He expressed how a third of the population in the South consisted of Black folks and how vital their role was in the advancement of America and the South in particular (Washington, 1895). He stated the positions in which he wanted improvements in the Black community. This included involvement in agriculture, mechanics, education, commerce, domestic services, and various professions. He also talked about the investment by the white community in the advancement of the black race, concluding that the health of American society depended on the prosperity of the involved citizens, including the black community. The eight million African Americans would either provide sixteen million hands uplifting the American culture or sixteen million hands that would help pull America down (Washington, 1895).

The American Civil War

The American Civil War, which broke out in April 1861, was between the states loyal to the Union and Southern states that had seceded to form the Confederate states. The war broke out primarily due to the enslavement of black people. The Union, which proclaimed to uphold the Constitution, wanted the slave owners in the South to free all their slaves. The confederate states wanted the right to own slaves supported. The war predominantly happened in the South after the Union Army occupied this territory. During this period, the population of America grew to more than double (Medias, 1892). After the Civil War, the Western landscape changed in many ways, including affecting the livelihoods of farmers due to the large-scale industrialization occurring in America and the world of the West in general. Due to automation, the farming techniques of farmers had to change. Eighty-five percent of the South's economy consisted mainly of farming (Medias, 1892). The increase of population and the rise of industrialization meant that there was a surplus of labor but a reduction of required work. This led to significant immigration to the cities and the rise of towns and substantial factories (Medias, 1892). It also led to significant foreign investment after the war to rebuild the destruction—the primary source of assets was directed to the building of railroads.

The Impact of the Railroad

The construction of railroads in America began in 1832, and by 1837 one thousand two hundred miles of railroad had been constructed (Kelly, 2020). This significantly impacted the landscape of the United States in many ways, i.e. it connected counties, thus allowing an increase in distant travel and relocation between the counties. It also provided an outlet for products and services supplied between connected territories. Due to the ever-expanding nature of the U.S., the railroad facilitated settlement in new areas. This, unfortunately, led to the destruction and interruption of Native American life and culture. A good example is the decrease of bison, which was the primary source of meat for the Native Americans. According to an estimate, before the railroad, the bison population stood between 30 to 60 million; after the construction, the population decreased to a staggering three hundred (Kelly, 2020).

Growth of Native American Reservations

Based on federal law, reservations are land retained by the Native Americans after the ground was either somewhat or unfairly handed to the settlers (Gilio-Whitaker, 2020). The rise of the railroad facilitated the relocation of Native Americans. The scheme was meant to provide land to the Native Americans, but due to substandard federal policy, the subjugation of the Native Americans was the result. Massive tracts of land were confiscated, and minerals were mined without the consent of the dwellers of the earth.

The Subjugation of the Native Americans

This was the systemic destruction of Native American cultures and lifestyles in favor of the settlers. It led to the death of many Native Americans and the subsequent loss of land. The gross misconduct displayed by the settlers and their law enforcement led to the most massive class-action suit in American history (Gilio-Whitaker, 2020).

References

Gilio-Whitaker, Dina. (2020, August 26). 4 Facts About Native American Reservations. Retrieved from:https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-native-american-reservations-4082436

Kelly, Martin. (2020, August 27). Effect of Railroads on the United States. Retrieved from: https://www.thoughtco.com/effect-of-railroads-on-the-united-states-104724

MEDIAS, B. E. A. CIVIL WAR, AND INDUSTRIAL EXPANSION, 1860–1897 (OVERVIEW).

Norrell, R. J., & Norrell, R. J. (2009). Up from history: The life of Booker T. Washington. Harvard University Press

Washington, B. T. (1895). Atlanta Compromise Speech. Encyclopedia of Race and Racism, 280-82.