He taught both during the day and at night, and prepared several students (including his brothers) to attend Hampton. He learned that the happiest people were those who did the most for others, and also that one of the best things education could do is to teach a man to love labor.Īfter graduation, Washington returned to his hometown of Malden, VA and began teaching in the community. Donors paid his tuition, but he worked hard both during the year and in the summers to pay for his board and necessities such as clothing and books. He also learned to eat with a tablecloth and a napkin, bathe regularly, brush his teeth, and use sheets. His excellent training and work habits paid off, as he was hired as a janitor and allowed to enroll.Īt Hampton, Washington became acquainted with his lifelong mentor and friend, General Armstrong, to whom he credits the idea of industrial education. After working for some time in the home of Mrs. When he heard of the Hampton Institute - a school open to people of all races where students could work in exchange for board - he became determined to attend. He spent much of his boyhood working in a salt furnace and a coal mine, attending school whenever he could. He had a burning desire for education and, once freedom came, he taught himself to read. Washington was born as a slave on a plantation in Virginia. It is written in the first person, supplemented with excerpts from letters and newspaper editorials about his work. Washington, from childhood through the height of his career. Up from Slavery tells the life story of Booker T.

Booker washington up from slavery