Washington was born on a slave plantation in either 1858 or 1859 in Franklin County, Virginia. He grew up with his mother, his brother John, and his sister Amanda. They lived in an extremely small log cabin, which was typical for a slave family. His father was thought to be a white man who lived on a nearby plantation. Washington knew nothing of him, which was also very typical of many slaves. Washington's mother was the plantation cook, which meant she did not have a great deal of time to raise the children. The white men that gave them orders raised them.

Due to the fact that he was only a small child during the times of slavery, Washington could perform

"He worked almost constantly night and day for the cause to which he had given his life. I never saw a man who so completely lost sight of himself. I do not believe he ever had a selfish thought," (58).

In June of 1875, Washington graduated from Hampton on the honour roll. This allowed him to have the distinguished honor of speaking at the Commencement ceremonies.

At Hampton, Washington received a wide variety of knowledge from math to the Bible. He paid for his education by working as a janitor. Every hour he spent was either working or studying. It was at Hampton where he learned to study the Bible. This was taught to him by a Miss Nathalie Lord. Lord also taught him the art of public speaking, which became a large part of his later life. Washington writes, "Whatever ability I may have as a public speaker I owe in a measure to Miss Lord," (64)

Washington talked to many groups on many different subjects, but the speech he is truly remembered for took place at the opening of the Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition. The audience was filled with influential people throughout the country. Washington knew that if he got his message across, he might be able to secure an enormous amount of money for Tuskegee. Washington overwhelmed the crowd. The core of his speech dealt with the fact that black men, after education, should do their part in the progression of their community. He used the metaphor, "Cast down your bucket where you are," requesting black men to not look for a community to better service their needs, but to help the place where you are at, (147). This request also extended to white men to whom Washington asked not to move from a community to which blacks integrate, but to work with them to form a healthy relationship on which the town can build. Everyone loved it. President Grover Cleveland even sent a letter of congratulations to Washington.

"We wanted to teach the students how to bathe; how to care for their teeth and clothing. We wanted to teach them what to eat, and how to eat it properly, and how to care for their rooms. Aside from this, we wanted to give them such a practical knowledge of some one industry, together with the spirit of industry, thrift, and economy, that they would be sure of knowing how to make a living after they had left us. We wanted to teach them to study actual things instead of mere books alone," (96).

After saving whatever money he could, Washington set off for the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute. During his travels, Washington overcame many hardships. For a while he even slept under a board sidewalk. This fact showed Washington's dedication for education. He knew it was vital, and in turn, was going to get his at any cos

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Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)