Analysis Of Booker T. Washington’s Atlanta Compromise Speech

Table of Contents

Writing original works

Summary and analysis

In conclusion

Writing

Booker T. Washington was born 1856 and died in 1915. Booker did not make it past the age of 59 like Carnegie. Booker was a slave who was raised in Virginia. He attended Hampton Institute to learn. The institute was more focused on Washington skills than education. Booker established the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama in 1881. In 1895, Booker was invited by the Cotton States Exposition to speak at Atlanta. Later, it was called “The Atlanta Compromise speech” by journalists.

He said that he supported social segregation in this speech.

Although no one was able to pinpoint the audience, it was clear that everyone was there. Washington says that it is easy to forget that many of us live by the products of our hands. He also states that we can’t forget that common labor will bring us prosperity. Washington asserts that blacks and whites are doing the same jobs. Therefore, why shouldn’t they work together? Washington seeks to unite the two races.

Summary and AnalysisBooker describes how education can be used to help blacks do their job. He stated, “Helping them and encouraging them on the same grounds, and, education of head, hands, and heart, will make it possible for you to buy their surplus of land.” Washington was educated in vocational school. This school teaches labor skills, not education. Washington has stated that he is seeking help from whites in order for them to assist blacks in learning labor skills. These skills are more valuable than education skills, he believes.

Washington claimed that Washington’s “political convention” or stump-speaking had more appeal than starting a truck farm or dairy farm. To those who value education, Washington implies that attending a conference or stump speech was more attractive than starting a business. Washington would prefer to own a truck-garden or dairy farm using the skills he gained in vocational school. He wants fellow African Americans to see this. They should learn to use their hands. The only way they can do this is if they have the whites teach them. What good is it for whites? Why would they help African Americans if most of them are not friends with them? Washington provides them with an incentive. He promises “they’ll run your factories”. He asks the whites for help to assist the African Americans, so they can run their factories and manage their labor when it comes.

ConclusionDespite Washington believing he was helping African Americans, many black intellectuals didn’t like Washington’s speech. The speech was perceived as primarily directed at southern whites. Washington addressed the entire race and concluded that it was worth the effort to educate blacks so they could work under whites. This speech was offensive to many African Americans. It was offensive to them, but it was loved by the whites. They are able to get laborers that can run their business for as little education as possible. African Americans would be able to assist whites in their business endeavors as long as they had the skills.