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Booker T. Washington
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Booker T. Washington: Up From Slavery Kindle Edition

by Booker T. Washington (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 2,396 ratings
Booker T. Washington's 'Up From Slavery' is a powerful autobiography that provides a firsthand account of the author's journey from slavery to becoming one of the most influential African American leaders in history. The book is written in a straightforward and sincere style, allowing readers to connect with Washington's struggles and triumphs. Set in the post-Civil War era, 'Up From Slavery' sheds light on the harsh realities of racism and discrimination faced by African Americans, while also inspiring hope and perseverance. Washington's emphasis on education and self-reliance resonates throughout the narrative, making it a timeless and important piece of American literature. Booker T. Washington's personal experiences as a slave, freedman, and educator deeply influenced the themes and messages in 'Up From Slavery'. As a prominent figure in the early 20th century civil rights movement, Washington's dedication to uplifting the African American community is evident in the book's underlying themes of empowerment and resilience. His tireless efforts to promote education and economic advancement for African Americans are reflected in the pages of this autobiography. I highly recommend 'Up From Slavery' to readers interested in American history, civil rights, and the power of education. Booker T. Washington's legacy as a pioneering advocate for racial equality and social progress shines through in this captivating and insightful book.
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  1. Print length
    110 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Musaicum Books
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    21 Mar. 2018
  6. File size
    1.5 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product description

About the Author

Booker T. Washington recalled his childhood in his autobiography, Up From Slavery. He was born in 1856 on the Burroughs tobacco farm which, despite its small size, he always referred to as a "plantation." His mother was a cook, his father a white man from a nearby farm. "The early years of my life, which were spent in the little cabin," he wrote, "were not very different from those of other slaves." He went to school in Franklin County - not as a student, but to carry books for one of James Burroughs's daughters. It was illegal to educate slaves. "I had the feeling that to get into a schoolhouse and study would be about the same as getting into paradise," he wrote. In April 1865 the Emancipation Proclamation was read to joyful slaves in front of the Burroughs home. Booker's family soon left to join his stepfather in Malden, West Virginia. The young boy took a job in a salt mine that began at 4 a.m. so he could attend school later in the day. Within a few years, Booker was taken in as a houseboy by a wealthy towns-woman who further encouraged his longing to learn. At age 16, he walked much of the 500 miles back to Virginia to enroll in a new school for black students. He knew that even poor students could get an education at Hampton Institute, paying their way by working. The head teacher was suspicious of his country ways and ragged clothes. She admitted him only after he had cleaned a room to her satisfaction. In one respect he had come full circle, back to earning his living by menial tasks. Yet his entrance to Hampton led him away from a life of forced labor for good. He became an instructor there. Later, as principal and guiding force behind Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, which he founded in 1881, he became recognized as the nation's foremost black educator. By the last years of his life, Washington had moved away from many of his accommodationist policies. Speaking out with a new frankness, Washington attacked racism. In 1915 he joined ranks with former critics to protest the stereotypical portrayal of blacks in a new movie, "Birth of a Nation." Some months later he died at age 59. A man who overcame near-impossible odds himself, Booker T. Washington is best remembered for helping black Americans rise up from the economic slavery that held them down long after they were legally free citizens.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07BMV64BY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Musaicum Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 21 Mar. 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.5 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 110 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8027240371
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 2,396 ratings

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4.6 out of 5 stars
2,396 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this autobiography to be a must-read with great insight. They appreciate its inspirational content, with one customer highlighting the incredible concept of being educated through work, while another notes the struggle to obtain an education. The book receives positive feedback for its value, with customers describing the author as an exceptional person.

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ReadabilityInspirational contentValue for money
13 customers mention ‘Readability’13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as a must-read with great insight, and one customer mentions learning a lot from this autobiography.

"...There are lots of valuable lessons in this book no matter who you are.. I thoroughly enjoyed it" Read more

"Very interesting" Read more

"I loved this book...." Read more

"...edition (2010) has a useful introduction by Ishmael Reed and offers some insight as to why Washington's legacy was overshadowed and his reputation..." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Inspirational content’7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book inspirational, with one review highlighting the incredible concept of being educated through work, while another notes the author's struggle to get an education.

"...aim of teaching them to earn respect through acquiring a craft, a good work ethic and an education...." Read more

"...Washington was a very able and practical man but very much a man of the people who emphasised the need for vocational skills and training and gave..." Read more

"...I feel the urgent need to send the book with its incredible concept being educated through work and self worth to all the leaders of our government...." Read more

"...He taught humility and common decency to all men! Booker. T Washington should have a sainthood!" Read more

3 customers mention ‘Value for money’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book offers good value for money, with one customer noting it features an exceptional person who became a well-respected member of society.

"...He went on to become a well respected member of society...." Read more

"...in its early years and must be recognised by the determination of a great man to have the foresight and make a difference to so many...." Read more

"...to get himself an education and he does come across as an exceptional person who helped in educating the freed slaves and who helped inter racial..." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Dna88
    5.0 out of 5 stars Booker T Washington - what a life
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 December 2013
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    As someone who knew very little about this man, after reading this book I can honestly say that it is a must read. To start as slave and have the drive to work his way up and pursue education to a level which would present him with the opportunity of running a school to help his people... With the aim of teaching them to earn respect through acquiring a craft, a good work ethic and an education. Although his life's work was to progress the black race and help them to be seen on equal terms as a white race in terms of ability, intelligence and the contribution they can make for the country as a whole if given the chance, he never looked to say a bad word against the people who were once his master's and in turn rather promoted unity between the races. There are lots of valuable lessons in this book no matter who you are.. I thoroughly enjoyed it
    2 people found this helpful
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  • D. Ansell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 October 2024
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    Very interesting
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  • Suzy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Marie
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 March 2013
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    I loved this book. Not only did the author describe the period before slavery was abolished, but he went on to describe how he clawed his way out of his situation and through sheer determination made a much better life for himself.
    I particularly liked the fact that he described the help he received from others including the white population. He does not come across as feeling sorry for himself, although he may have been forgiven for doing so. He made up his mind to better himself and in doing so, he helped others to do the same. He made it clear to them that it would not be easy and if they were prepared to work hard and obey the rules, they could indeed better themselves as he had done. He went on to become a well respected member of society. To say more may spoil the book for those who have not read it but I think it truly deserves the five stars I have given it.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Paul
    4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing & inspirational: a book which deserves to be read for many reasons.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 April 2023
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    There is no doubt that Booker T. Washington was a remarkable man. This is his story in his own words written over 120 years ago but it is surprisingly relevant today in some respects.

    It is about being born into slavery, poverty and reconstruction after the American Civil War (1861-65) but mostly about the predicament in which African Americans found themselves on the abolition of slavery and perhaps the meaning of freedom.

    This edition (2010) has a useful introduction by Ishmael Reed and offers some insight as to why Washington's legacy was overshadowed and his reputation denigrated by others for political ends. I also found it helpful to read it again after the autobiography and afterword.

    Washington was a very able and practical man but very much a man of the people who emphasised the need for vocational skills and training and gave priority to economic development and self-improvement over political aspirations because he understood not only what African Americans were up against including racism but also appreciated that his race would need to work "up from slavery" as he has done. He believed that there would be a time for addressing those political aspirations.

    Washington had sought to gain an education for himself from a young age and then economic security. He then sought do help others do this too by accepting the offer to establish an institute at Tuskegee (now a university) which earned him the respect of men and women of all races. He was leading by example so people listened and were willing to fund his activities such that he then became the leader for African Americans.

    Washington states he considered entering politics but believed he " ... would be helping in a more substantial way by assisting in the laying of the foundation of the race through a generous education of the hand, head and heart." (page 59).

    I would have liked to have met both Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois his successor as leader of African Americans in the USA. Du Bois, twelve years his junior, had initially supported Washington's speech at the Atlanta Exposition (1895) but it later became known as the "Atlanta Compromise" and the two men often seen as rivals.

    Du Bois was from the North whose Union Army had secured victory over the South. He was not born in to slavery as Washington had been but into relative privilege such that their lived experiences would have been entirely different. Du Bois, with a PhD from Harvard, became one of the highly educated elite keen to achieve equal political rights for African Americans. He was instrumental in the founding and leadership of the short-lived Niagara Movement and then the N.A.A.C.P. amongst other achievements but sadly died just before the Civil Rights Act (1964).

    I am sure they are both worthy of our respect for their achievements and they shared a lot in common especially their concern for the future of African Americans and the importance of education but they were very different characters. They were shaped by very different backgrounds and experiences which informed their priorities and approaches as to how best to advance the interests of African Americans.

    This book is significant in its own right but is also relevant today partly because, as Thomas Sowell has said, Washington provides a model of character and strength. It might also however, serve as a reminder of some of the dangers of getting our priorities and timing wrong and the risk inherent in putting ideology ahead of pragmatism.

    I would contend Washington was right to essentially prioritise economics over politics at that moment in time but sadly his work and legacy were overshadowed too soon such that his people got caught up in the bewildering world of politics prematurely, perhaps to the detriment of African Americans though we shall never know for sure.

    Washington's students knew the importance of creating good foundations because many of them were literally involved in building them at Tuskegee. They lived, worked and studied in those buildings but where did these students then go? What happened to their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren? How many of the descendants of both men and their students are getting an education for life today?

    Sadly I doubt many students of all races in the US are getting the education they deserve in what seems to be an increasingly politicised education system in which ideology is being emphasised to the detriment of the students and society.
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  • John C. Lewis
    5.0 out of 5 stars up from Slavery
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 June 2014
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    Having read the autobiography of Booker T Washington I feel the urgent need to send the book with its incredible concept being educated through work and self worth to all the leaders of our government. The book is inspirational for the authors insight into how to raise a generation of worthy citizens teaching by example. A truly wonderful book
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  • T J.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Honest appreciation
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 May 2017
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    This book gives an earthy honest description of the transition from slavery to freedom. It allows the reader to understand the importance of a survival education and how the race made the transition. The success of Tuskegee is phenomenal in its early years and must be recognised by the determination of a great man to have the foresight and make a difference to so many.
    A must read.
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  • Beverley Q Townsend
    5.0 out of 5 stars This man was an inspiration to the world and couldn't ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 April 2015
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    This man was an inspiration to the world and couldn't believe I hadn't read about him before. Someone who fought adversity in it's extremes and still gave his life's work in the nurturing not only the down trodden, but to the rich and powerful. He taught humility and common decency to all men!
    Booker. T Washington should have a sainthood!
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  • Blessing
    5.0 out of 5 stars Really inspiring read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 July 2021
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    I thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot from this autobiography. There are things that I will implement as a result of the life of Booker T. Washington.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Tuna
    3.0 out of 5 stars Kalitesi düşük
    Reviewed in Turkey on 17 January 2024
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    Genel olarak bir dandiklik hissiyatı var kitabın, ancak içeriğini beğendim okunması gereken bir kitap olduğunu düşünüyorum
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  • Joao Matos
    5.0 out of 5 stars J'ai pas reçue mon book
    Reviewed in France on 10 August 2012
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    Pourquoi ça prend aussi temps pour recevoir mon livre Up tfrom he Slavery?

    Normalement c'est plus rapide. Je n'ai pas encore d'expérience avec le livre raison pour laquelle je suis anxieux pour pouvoir lire mon lore qui prend du temps à arriver. Quand même je vousdonne 5 étoiles avec l'exectatove de recevoir demain mn livre.
    cordialement
    jmatos
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  • David
    5.0 out of 5 stars The blessing of work.
    Reviewed in Germany on 14 December 2020
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    I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how refreshing it was to hear a larger-than-life story about a man who simply worked his way into the upper eschalances of society. The humility that Booker had was second to none. The vision and faith he had was second to none when you look at where he came from. Truly a miraculous story I realize that anything is possible in life when you have humility and no fear to work hard and put yourself in a situation where you could fail. A fantastic story and a must read for anyone looking for the secret to happiness and success in life.
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  • Anonymous
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating
    Reviewed in the United States on 17 May 2025
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    This is an excellent primary source, and I have learned a great deal. Mr. Washington worked so very hard and remained so hopeful.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars It’s all about desire!
    Reviewed in Canada on 17 September 2022
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    Mankind, for the most part, has the innate ability to succeed in any endeavour. Some, for example, Booker T. Washington, are blessed with the desire and, therefore, the motivation to succeed. I will read this book again
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