Washington Flashcards
Where was Booker T. Washington born?
Born in VA to unknown white father (like Douglass), raised by enslaved mother
Source: Up From Slavery (1901)
How did Booker T. Washington respond to the legalization of segregation in the South in the 1890s?
Argued that best route to progress was for white Americans to respect Afr Am desire for better economic opportunities & for Afr Ams to accept white desire for social separation of the races
Source: Up From Slavery (1901)
What did Booker T. Washington advise fellow Afr Ams to do in terms of political status quo?
Accept political status quo & work for gradual change by proving themselves valuable & productive & deserving fair treatment, and thus could eventually claim civil rights
Source: Up From Slavery (1901)
How was Up From Slavery designed to appeal to readers?
Designed to appeal to readers who could support him, masking his agenda behind a folksy style without much emotion
Source: Up From Slavery (1901)
What was the example of postbellum revisionism presented in Up From Slavery?
Slavery as a ‘school’ that taught slaves how to keep rising. Implies slavery wasn’t so bad, but suggests Afr Ams weren’t demoralized in a way that left them unfit to participate in society
Source: Up From Slavery (1901)
Memories of life in slavery included details such as…
No blame on his absent white father
Excuses for slaves… “Victim of the system of slavery”
Slaves’ affection for their owners
What did slaves know about the Civil War?
Slaves did know the Civil War was about slavery
Example sentence: Slaves were unaware that the Civil War was primarily about slavery.
How did slaves learn about the Emancipation Proclamation?
Slaves heard the Emancipation Proclamation being read to them by a soldier
No additional information provided.
How were slaves’ songs used before and after emancipation?
Before emancipation, slaves’ songs were coded; after emancipation, they could openly proclaim their freedom
No additional information provided.
What was the outcome of slavery in terms of labor skills?
The outcome of slavery was that no one had any skill in labor, neither white nor black Americans
No additional information provided.
How did people respond to their freedom after slavery?
The response to freedom varied from elation to fear at the huge new responsibility
No additional information provided.
What did Washington claim about the desire for knowledge/reading?
Washington claimed that he taught himself to read and believed the entire race had an intense desire to learn
No additional information provided.
What did Washington appreciate after the Civil War?
Washington appreciated ‘Yankee’ teachers educating Negroes after the Civil War, which was an example of a consistently positive tone
No additional information provided.
Different opportunities & motivations
If he had white ancestry, he wouldn’t have been motivated to accomplish much
Example sentence: If he had white ancestry, he wouldn’t have been motivated to accomplish much
Different opportunities & motivations
Don’t judge the Negro too harshly, but keep in mind the obstacles he faced in comparison to a white boy
Example sentence: Don’t judge the Negro too harshly, but keep in mind the obstacles he faced in comparison to a white boy
Different opportunities & motivations
White people need to live up to family history, which Afr Ams didn’t even have
Example sentence: White people need to live up to family history, which Afr Ams didn’t even have
Different opportunities & motivations
Overcoming obstacles is integral to success => strength, confidence
Example sentence: Overcoming obstacles is integral to success => strength, confidence
Different opportunities & motivations
Trust that merit is always recognized in the long run (ex. of cleaning a room to gain admittance to Hampton, then becoming a janitor to work his way up)
Example sentence: Trust that merit is always recognized in the long run (ex. of cleaning a room to gain admittance to Hampton, then becoming a janitor to work his way up)
Advice to African Americans (Atlanta Exposition Address, 1895 Trade fair for promotion of the New South, pg. 573)
“Cast down your bucket where you are,” i.e. make friends with & employ those around you regardless of their race
Example sentence: “Cast down your bucket where you are,” i.e. make friends with & employ those around you regardless of their race
Advice to African Americans (Atlanta Exposition Address, 1895 Trade fair for promotion of the New South, pg. 573)
Work together as fingers of one hand
Example sentence: Work together as fingers of one hand
Advice to African Americans (Atlanta Exposition Address, 1895 Trade fair for promotion of the New South, pg. 573)
Embrace common labor; start at the bottom, not at the top
Example sentence: Embrace common labor; start at the bottom, not at the top
Advice to African Americans (Atlanta Exposition Address, 1895 Trade fair for promotion of the New South, pg. 573)
Don’t agitate, but struggle
Example sentence: Don’t agitate, but struggle
Advice to African Americans (Atlanta Exposition Address, 1895 Trade fair for promotion of the New South, pg. 573)
Have modest political claims since they will come slowly
Example sentence: Have modest political claims since they will come slowly
Advice to African Americans (Atlanta Exposition Address, 1895 Trade fair for promotion of the New South, pg. 573)
Take advice from whites
Example sentence: Take advice from whites
