He is one of the great voices in African-American history: Booker T.
Washington rose from a boyhood in shackles in West Virginia-he was eight
when the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution freed all slaves in
1865-to the status of national hero. In this autobiography of his
career, Washington details his struggles as head of the school in
Alabama that eventually became Tuskegee University, the honors he
received from Harvard University, his many public speeches, and his
other professional endeavors. A replica of the 1901 edition, this volume
is complete with the original photos and illustrations, and remains an
invaluable firsthand document of 19th-century America. American author
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON (1856-1915) was born to a white father and black
slave mother in Virginia. His Atlanta Address of 1895 brought him great
acclaim, and for the rest of his life he remained a respected figure in
the African American community. Among his most influential writings is
an article for Atlantic Monthly called "The Awakening of the Negro"
(1896).