Life and Career of Booker T. Washington

Booker T. Washington was born in Virginia on April 5, 1856. Washington, aged 59, died in 1915 at his home, near the Tuskegee Institute, which he founded and of which he was President. His death caused by congestive heart failure and he funeral held at Tuskegee Institute on Wednesday morning.

In his education, Washington worked in salt furnaces and coal mines in Virginian for many years to earn money for school. He stared his education at Hampton Institute – a school where he was able to work to pay for his studies. After that, he got a scholarship by General Samuel C. Armstrong who was Hampton’ founder and headmaster. Booker T. Washington graduated from Hampton in 1875 with good grades. He used to work several jobs to support him pay his tuition such as a worker in salt furnaces, in coal mines, a janitor in Hampton, a waiter and then became a famous educator in Malden, Hampton and Tuskegee. Booker T. Washington also an author, he wrote a number of books including “Up to Slavery”, “Future of the America Negro”, The story of my life and work”… He quickly became a leader of African American who flight for Blacks’ rights.

Washington obtained various achievements during his career. He became the head of the newly founded Tuskegee Institute. He also founded the Nation Negro Business League, which assisted black business owners. Likewise, Booker T. Washington was a famous public- speaker – as known as the “Atlanta Compromise”. In 1896, he received an honorary master’s degree from Harvard University. Washington became one of America’s most politically powerful blacks.

Booker T. Washington was born into slavery. His mother’s name was Jane Ferguson. She was the plantation’s cook and his father was a local white man who Washington never knew about him. After civil war ended, Booker T. Washington lived with his stepfather – Washington Ferguson, his half -sister, Amanda, his brother, John and his mother. He spent the whole of his life in Tuskegee Institute, Ala. He is survived by his third wife, Margaret and two sons, Booker T. Washington Jr., Ernest Davidson Washington, and a daughter Portia M. Washington.

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