Booker T Washington Essays - Booker T. Washington, American Slaves

Booker T. Washington an African American was born on April 5, 1856 in Hale?s Ford, Virginia. Booker T. Washington was born into slavery but however he was freed by the Civil War in 1865. Also, Booker T. Washington?s original name was Booker Taliaferro. Washington?s father was an white man and his mother was one of the slaves of James Burroughs. Later on Booker T. Washington?s mother remarried a slave by the name of Washington Ferguson and when Booker was enrolled in school, he took the last name of his stepfather becoming known as Booker T. Washington. However, even though Booker T. Washington went to Franklin County school, he was not there as a student but to carry books for one of James Burroughs's daughters since it was illegal to educate slaves that time. In the summer of 1865, Booker T. Washington migrated with his siblings to Malden, West Virginia to join his stepfather. However, even though Washington?s mother couldn?t read herself, she encouraged Booker T. Washington to rea d by buying him spelling books. As time went on Washington?s mother also enrolled Booker T. Washington in an elementary school. Encouraged by his teacher Booker T. Washington learned how to read and write but he still wasn?t satisfied, he wanted to pursue his education. At the age of sixteen, Booker T. Washington left Malden and enrolled at the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, in Hampton, Virginia. However, Washington didn?t have enough money to pay for his school fees so he worked at the school to pay for his education throughout the way. Due to his education and strong beliefs Washington was an African American educator, orator, author and a dominant leader. From 1878-1879 Washington attended Wayland Seminary in Washington, D.C., and returned to teach at Hampton Institute. ?The president of Hampton, Samuel C. Armstrong recommended Washington to become the first principal at Tuskegee Institute.? (wikianswers.com) Tuskegee Institute was opened in July 4, 1881. The year af ter the institute opened booker T. Washington purchased former plantation which went on to become the permanent site of the campus. Under Booker T. Washington?s directions, the students learned how to provide for their basic necessities themselves. ?The main goal of Tuskegee Institute was not to produce farmers and tradesmen, but teachers of farming and trades who taught in the new high schools and colleges for blacks across the South.? (wikipedia.com) Now Tuskegee Institute is known as Tuskegee University.In his whole lifetime Booker T. Washington married three times. First, he married Fannie N. Smith and had one daughter. Fannie died in May of 1884. Next, Washington married Olivia A. Davidson. They had two sons Booker T. Washington Jr. and Ernest Davidson Washington before she died in 1889. Last, Booker T. Washington married Margaret James Murray who outlived Washington and died in 1925. Despite Washington?s, widespread work, his health was getting worse rapidly. He died in his ho me in Tuskegee on November 14, 1915 at the age of fifty nine. It was later discovered that the reason for his death was hypertension. Booker T. Washington was buried on the campus of Tuskegee University near the University Chapel.