He opened a night school that about 80 students attended and became a strong presence in the community. Washington believed that the experience at Hampton changed his life and was the place where he matured from a boy to a man.Īfter graduation at age twenty, Washington was finally living alone. At the school, Washington was primarily trained to be a teacher, but he also studied the Bible and practiced oratory while he was there. General Armstrong became "more than a father" to him and acted as a mentor. The man who founded the institute, General Samuel Chapman Armstrong, was his primary educator and had an immense influence on Washington. While attending, he worked as a janitor which allowed him close contact with the whites running the school. The experience had a great impact on Washington and it is where he attributed his knowledge of the Puritan work ethic, cleanliness, and thrift.įrom his determination to learn, Washington finally gained the support of his family in 1872 to attend Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, a school of higher learning in Virginia for blacks. Viola took a particular interest in him and worked with him in his education. While Washington worked there, all of his income went back to his parents. Eventually, Washington was able to make a deal with him so that he would pack salt before and after he went to school every day.īriefly afterward, Washington decided to leave his home and job and move into one of the wealthiest homes in town to become a house servant of General Lewis Ruffner and his wife Viola who were one of the leading families of Malden. A school opened up in the area, but Washington's stepfather refused to let him attend.
#BOOKER T. WASHINGTON HOW TO#
Because it had been illegal for slaves to be educated, it was only at this point that Washington could pursue his desire to learn how to read and write. The family moved to Malden, West Virginia where Washington and his brother became salt packers. However, their family quickly found out that legal freedom did not provide them with freedom from racism, inequality, and inopportunity. Washington was nine years old in 1865 when the Civil War ended and all of the slaves were set free.
#BOOKER T. WASHINGTON SKIN#
His lighter skin indicated that he was probably the son of a white man, but Washington never learned the identity of his father. Washington' mother was a cook for Burroughs' family and for the other slaves, but he did not know who his father was.
He and his family were slaves of James Burroughs who was a prominent member of a small community of slave-owning farmers. Washington was born on April 5 th, 1856 on a farm near Hale's Ford, Virginia.
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