Booker T Washington

o 'C 0) c 0) > O co £ OJ E £| i c e o ± 2 - '+= i/i ro . Z Z> "*- P> ro .h Z > S 8" oQ ?.2 o.E c o c • ••• I/) I I • CD o o en There was a time in America when human beings were bought and sold. A written inventory cataloged the slaves on the Burroughs farm in Virginia in 1861, their monetary worth calculated according to the work they could do. On this list was a little boy, named simply "Booker," valued at $400. Farmer James Burroughs never anticipated that one day his young slave would be remembered for his value in promoting education for all black Americans. Tuskegee Location The monument is located on Va. 122 (Booker T. Washington Highway), 22 miles southeast of Roanoke, Va. From 1-81 take 1-581, then U.S. 220 south from Roanoke to Va. 122. From the Blue Ridge Parkway take Va. 43 south to Va. 122. From Lynchburg take U.S. 460 west to Va. 122. Institute Putting into practice his philosophy that hard work builds character— and facing a severe funding shortage—Washington and his students constructed Tuskegee Institute themselves, brick by brick. They even manufactured their own bricks. The science building (right) was completed in 1893. With the founding of the school, the Wizard of Tuskegee launched an industrial and teaching curriculum that he proudly billed as "not for the select few, but for the masses." SCULPTURE: LLOYD LILLIE; PHOTO: ©MAE SCANLAN About Your Visit Booker T. W a s h i n g t o n recalled his c h i l d h o o d in his; autobiography. Up From Slavery. He was b o r n in 1856 on t h e Burroughs tobacco f a r m , w h i c h , despite its small size, he always referred t o as a " p l a n t a t i o n . " His m o t h e r was a cook, his father a w h i t e man f r o m a nearby f a r m . "The early years of my life, w h i c h w e r e spent in t h e little cabin," he w r o t e , " w e r e not very different f r o m those of thousands of other slaves." W a s h i n g t o n t h e public f i g u r e o f t e n invoked his o w n past t o illustrate his belief in t h e dignity of w o r k . "There was no period of my life t h a t was devoted t o play," Washingt o n once w r o t e . "From t h e t i m e t h a t I can remember anyt h i n g , almost every day of my life has been occupied in some kind of labor." This concept of self-reliance born of hard w o r k was t h e cornerstone of Washington's social philosophy. He w e n t t o school in Franklin C o u n t y — n o t as a student, but t o carry books f o r one of James Burroughs's d a u g h ters. It was illegal t o educate slaves. " I had t h e feeling t h a t t o get into a schoolhouse and study w o u l d be a b o u t t h e same as g e t t i n g into paradise," he w r o t e . In April 1865 t h e Emancipation Proclamation was read t o j o y f u l slaves in f r o n t of t h e Burroughs home. Booker's family soon left t o j o i n his stepfather in M a i d e n , W. Va. The y o u n g boy t o o k a j o b in a salt mine t h a t began at 4 a.m. so he could a t t e n d school later in t h e day. W i t h i n a f e w years, Booker was t a k e n in as a houseboy by a w e a l t h y t o w n s w o m a n w h o f u r t h e r encouraged his longing t o learn. A t age 16 he w a l k e d much of t h e 500 miles back t o Virginia t o enroll in a n e w school f o r black students. He k n e w t h a t even poor students could get an education at H a m p t o n Institute, paying t h e i r w a y by w o r k ing. The head teacher was suspicious of his country ways and ragged clothes. She a d m i t t e d him only after he had cleaned a r o o m t o her satisfaction. As one of t h e most influential black men of his t i m e , W a s h i n g t o n was not w i t h o u t his critics. Many charged t h a t his conservative approach undermined t h e quest f o r racial equality. "In all things purely social w e can be as separate as t h e fingers," he proposed t o a biracial audience in his 1895 A t l a n t a Compromise Address, " y e t one as t h e hand in all things essential t o m u t u a l progress." In part, his methods arose f r o m his need f o r support f r o m powerf u l whites, some of t h e m former slave owners. It is n o w k n o w n , however, t h a t W a s h i n g t o n secretly f u n d e d antisegregationist activities. He never wavered in d e f e n d i n g his belief in f r e e d o m : "From some things t h a t I have said one may get t h e idea t h a t some o f t h e slaves did not w a n t f r e e d o m . This is not t r u e . I have never seen one w h o did n o t w a n t t o be free, or one w h o w o u l d return t o slavery." In one respect he had come full circle, back t o earning his living by menial tasks. Yet his entrance t o H a m p t o n led him away f r o m a life of forced labor f o r g o o d . He became an instructor there. Later, as principal and g u i d i n g force behind Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, w h i c h he f o u n d e d in 1881, he became recognized as t h e nation's foremost black educator. 1856 Born April 5 on the Burroughs farm. 1865 Moves with family to join stepfather in Maiden, W. Va. 1872-75 Attends Hampton Institute. Becomes a teacher and returns to Hampton as instructor in 1879. 1881 Founds secondary school for blacks in Tuskegee, Ala. As first principal, builds school into respected institution. 1895 Delivers Atlanta Compromise Address on September 18; calls for interracial cooperation in economic matters without eliminating social segregation. Speech propels him to national prominence. 1895-1915 As leading black educator, continues to promote industrial education. Publishes autobiography Up From Slavery in 1901. Despite disagreements in philosophy with civil rights colleagues, is a powerful political force and acknowledged speaker for black Americans. 1915 Dies and is buried at Tuskegee. Survived by wife Margaret and children. O o By t h e last years of his life, Washington had moved away f r o m many of his accommodationist policies. Speaking o u t w i t h a n e w frankness, Washington attacked racism. In 1915 he j o i n e d ranks w i t h f o r m e r critics t o protest t h e stereotypical portrayal of blacks in a new movie, Birth of a Nation. Some months later he died at age 59. A man w h o overcame near-impossible odds himself, Booker T. W a s h i n g t o n is best remembered f o r helping black Americans rise up f r o m t h e economic slavery t h a t held t h e m d o w n long after they w e r e legally free citizens. Booker T. Washington left the Burroughs farm in 1865 at age nine, poor, uneducated, and newly freed. When he returned for a visit in 1908, he was a college president and influential statesman. In 1957, 101 years after Washington was born, this national monument was established to commemorate his life and work. The park comprises 239 acres, including most of the Burroughs's original 207 acres, as well as reconstructed farm buildings. Demonstrations of farm life in Civil War Virginia help bring to life the setting of Washington's childhood. Facilities There are no dining or camping facilities at the park. There is a picnic area near the parking lot. Nearby towns have restaurants and motels. The visitor center building, restrooms, and emergency telephone are accessible to persons in wheelchairs. Along the Plantation Trail the terrain is hilly, and the path is unpaved in some places. Rangers will provide assistance if needed. For information about group tours and special events contact the park staff in advance. Things t o Do Begin your tour with the audiovisual program and exhibits at the visitor center. Park rangers are on duty to answer questions and provide information. A self-guiding tour along the Plantation Trail leads you through the historic section of the park. Guided tours and special events are scheduled in summer. A Natural Setting Native plants and trees grow along the Jack-OLantern Branch Heritage Trail. The trail winds through many acres of the original Burroughs property. This wooded area is probably much like it was when Washington was growing up. There are several cemeteries on the park grounds. Near the picnic area is the cemetery where plantation owner James Burroughs and his son Billy, who was killed in the Civil War, are buried. Related Sites Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site in Alabama is located on the campus of the industrial school that Washington founded in 1881 and which is still operating today. George Washington Carver, noted botanist and Booker T. Washington's colleague at Tuskegee, is honored at his namesake national monument in Missouri. Other National Park Service sites devoted to the lives and accomplishments of black Americans are Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site in Richmond, Va; Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Wash- Corn Crib ington, D.C.; Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site in Atlanta, Ga; Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site near Tuskegee Institute, Ala.; and Boston African American National Historic Site in Boston, Mass. More I n f o r m a t i o n Booker T. Washington National Monument 12130 Booker T. Washington Highway Hardy, VA 24101-9688 540-721-2094 www.nps.gov/bowa Booker T. Washington National Monument is one of more than 380 parks in the National Park System. The National Park Service cares for these special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage. Visit www.nps.gov to learn more about parks and National Park Service programs in America's communities. t>GPO:2008—339-126/80038 Reprint 2004 Printed on recycled paper Young Booker: Child-slave in Tobacco Country "My master and his sons all worked together side by side w i t h his slaves," Booker T. Washington explained about his boyhood home, in contrast to life on larger plantations. "In this w a y w e all grew up together. . . . There was no overseer, and w e got to know our master and he to know us." Like others in the region, the Burroughs farm was small, 207 acres, and as self-contained as possible. In the minds of these farmers, self-sufficiency meant owning slaves, since paid labor would have further diminished farm profits already marginal. James Burroughs had only about 10 slaves. There was always work to be done and Reaping Cash and Crops from Rocky Soil young Booker was expected to do simple chores from the time he could walk. "I was not large enough to be of much service," he said in his autobiography, "still I was occupied most of the time in cleaning the yards, carrying water to the men in the fields, or going to the mill." In the Deep South, cott o n was king. In the Virginia Piedmont, tobacco ruled the economy from colonial times well into the 20th century. Here on small farms, slaves cultivated the dark-leaf variety of Nicotiana tabacum that was, according t o an 1870 government report, of "the best descriptions, always commanding the highest prices." About half of the acreage was unimproved. The other half, divided up by zigzag, split-rail fencing, was planted with crops or provided grazing for livestock. Crops other than tobacco were grown for use on the farm. Women wove flax into rough cloth for garments. Corn, wheat, and oats were stored in open cribs and used as feed for livestock or ground into meal. The corn on the dirt floor bundled in rags. Farm cats wandered in and out through a hole in a corner of the cabin. Booker remembered his mother "cooking a chicken late at night, and awakening her children for the purpose of feeding them." He presumed his mother wanted them t o eat under the cover of darkness before the owners found out the chicken was stolen. James and Elizabeth Burroughs, along with several of their 14 children, lived in the "big house." Despite its name it had only five rooms. Like the kitchen cabin, the house was constructed of hewn logs chinked w i t h clay. Booker recalled that when he had "grown to sufficient size, I was required t o go t o the 'big house' at mealtimes t o fan the flies from the table by means of a large set of paper fans operat- crib was elevated t o discourage rodents. For all its importance, tobacco took up only a small percentage of a farmer's land—probably no more than five acres on the Burroughs farm. Its cultivation required intensive labor, though, far more than needed for any other crop. Early in February tobacco seeds were sown into a well-fertilized plant bed near a source of water. The field was prepared and divided into even rows of small hills into which the young shoots were later transplanted. Slaves tended the plants throughout the growing season. They cleared weeds; picked off insects; removed the b o t t o m leaves, which sapped f o o d and energy; and trimmed buds at the top t o strengthen the leaves and prevent the plants from going to seed. In early September, when the leaves were mature, slaves harvested the plants and readied them for curing. Split-rail Fencing Corn Crib Hewn Logs for Plain Living Chicken and Duck Lot Horse Barn Booker T. Washington was born in a oneroom log cabin on the Burroughs property. His mother was a cook and the little dwelling doubled as a kitchen. "The cabin was w i t h - out glass windows," Washington wrote. "It had only openings in the side which let in the light and also the cold, chilly air of winter." Booker and his brother and sister slept Curing and Storing Golden Leaves ed by a pulley." Listening t o the family's dinnertable conversation on such occasions, young Booker picked up news of the outside world. Slave Cabin Site Spring Smokehouse Burroughs House Site Tobacco plants were harvested whole. In preparation for curing, they were split lengthwise from the top and hung upside down on five-footlong oak sticks called laths. The laths, holding six to eight plants each, were suspended across poles in the tobacco barn. Every step of the process was undertaken with great care so as not t o bruise or tear the valuable leaves. The leaves were cured for several days over small wood fires built on the dirt floor of the barn. This phase was often overseen by itinerant curers w h o traveled from farm to farm in autumn. The following spring, when seasonal moisture had made the leaves less brittle, they were taken to a local tobacco factory. Planters hired out their slaves to these factories t o stem, cut, and shape the tobacco into plugs and twists for chewing, the popular form of tobacco consumption at the time. Tobacco Barn Reconstructed Slave Cabin Privy Animals for Food and Farm Work In the heart of tobacco country, little attention was paid to the science of raising livestock. Planters kept animals that provided food for themselves and their slaves or that otherwise earned their keep. In 1860 the Burroughses owned four horses, which they sheltered in a horse barn. Besides serving as the family's transportation, they pulled plows through fields and wagonloads of cured tobacco leaves t o factory. Washington re- called taking sacks of corn on horseback t o a local mill. A few head of cattle, including "four milch cows," appeared under Burroughs's name in the 1860 county census. In warm weather milk and butter were cooled in a box through which the spring flowed. Sheep provided meat and wool. For food and bedding feathers, the Burroughses kept chickens, ducks, geese, and guinea fowl. Salted pork, the main source of meat for slaves, came from hogs that roamed free most of the year. If the hogs wandered off their owner's lands, they often became the property of whoever found them. In la:e fall the hogs were' fattened on corn—one of Booker's chores—and butchered. The salted meat was hung in the smokehouse t o cure over a smokey fin;. Blacksmith Shed Herb Garden An Acre of Fresh Fare Note The site is restored to its general appearance in the mid-19th century. All buildings standing today are reconstructions. The site of a slave cabin similar to the one in which Washington was born and the site of the Burroughs house have been outlined with stones and are shown as ghost images. A white oak tree by the spring and a catalpa tree and juniper tree north of the Burroughs house site were growing here during the 1850s. Female slaves tended the gardens. Enclosed by a picket fence, the vegetable garden took up about an acre, space sufficient "to supply a large family w i t h an abundance of vegetables," according t o a contemporary report. Workers hoed, planted and weeded, kept plants free of insects, and ensured a steady supply of fresh peas, greens, and cucumbers in summer. Cabbages were j wintered over in < the ground and sweet potatoes were stored in a pit in the kitchen cabin. Beets and cucumbers were pickled and herbs and beans were dried. Forging the Necessities of Farm Life As essential as iron implements were t o an agricultural enterprise, few farms in the area had full-time blacksmiths. Smiths at a nearby shop in Hales Ford shod horses, hammered out new tools, and constructed wagons and machinery. Itinerant blacksmiths were hired t o make major repairs. Slaves undertook minor projects and small carpentry jobs in the blacksmith shed. Farm workers also manufactured soap, candles, baskets, and shakes for shingles, which continually needed replacing. To produce clothing, flax was woven into rough, prickly linen cloth that Booker recalled vividly: "I can scarcely imagine any torture, except, perhaps, the pulling of a t o o t h , that is equal t o that caused by putting on a new flax shirt for the first time." ILLUSTRATION: NPS/GREG HARLIN