Up From Slavery: Chapter 17 Summary & Analysis

Washington opens his final chapter by reflecting upon the unique and unexpected accomplishments of his life. He claims that his greatest joys and his most notable accomplishments have come when he was trying to make someone else’s life better. To Washington, laboring for someone else’s well being is the most satisfying activity in life.

Six months before he died, General Armstrong wished to return to Tuskegee to visit. Armstrong had lost most functions in his limbs and was no longer able to speak or get around on his own, so the white men who owned the railroad agreed to have a special train take him down to Tuskegee. He was received in a spectacular fashion by thousands of students holding torches in his honor. Armstrong was overcome with happiness and gratitude.

Armstrong stayed at Washington’s house in Tuskegee, and despite his debilitating disabilities, Armstrong spent most of his time devising ways to help the South find more social and economic progress. Armstrong felt strongly about uplifting both black Americans and poor Southern white Americans. This last visit by Armstrong provided Washington with inspiration and a renewed devotion to the importance of his work.

Washington claims that his biggest surprise in life came when he received a letter from Harvard University requesting his presence at the commencement ceremonies, in order to confer upon him an honorary degree. Washington was overwhelmed, since Harvard was America’s most prestigious university. Washington reflected on his rise, and how he never could have considered that universities like Harvard would even know his name. He says that he was both grateful and humbled.

Despite his great success and recognition for his life work, Washington claims to never have pursued fame in his career. If others use his name to accomplish a greater good, he is satisfied, but his work is never done for vain purposes. Washington believes that most wealthy people also have a similar worldview to him, and they only use their money or recognition to achieve the greater good.

Washington attended the Harvard ceremony on June 24, 1896, and he was awed by the enthusiasm of the students for those receiving the honorary degrees. Washington was conferred an honorary degree of Master of the Arts, and after the ceremony the honorees were marched across campus, received the “Harvard yell,” and attended the alumni dinner at Memorial Hall.

Washington was asked to speak at the dinner, and his remarks explained that true societal uplift comes about when the upper classes come in regular contact with the lower classes and “bring the masses up.” Washington claimed that Harvard was engaging in such uplift regularly, and he lauded the school for its efforts. Washington continued, saying that each race in America is required to live up to the American standard, which is merit, and that black Americans must continue to try to better themselves and their race by passing through “the American crucible.” He proposed that black Americans will be measured by their thrift, patience, moral fortitude, and industriousness, and that they should be both “great and small” and work as the “servant of all.”

Since the Harvard commencement was the first time that the university had conferred an honorary degree to a black American, the event received relatively widespread news coverage. Washington cites newspapers that suggested Washington’s degree was notable because of its racial implications, but its true notability was in the merit of Washington’s work and service to the country.

Such national attention to his work inspired Washington to set the goal raising the reputation of his Institute to such greatness that the President of the United States would visit Tuskegee. This goal was so ambitious in Washington’s eyes that he largely kept it a secret. In 1897, Washington made his first stride toward this goal, and he had the Secretary of Agriculture visit and deliver the remarks for the opening of the Institute’s new agriculture building.

To further pursue his goal of a presidential visit to Tuskegee, Washington decided to directly appeal to the President in 1898. He heard that then-President McKinley was interested in attending a peace celebration for the end of the Spanish-American war in Atlanta, and Washington felt that this was his chance to secure a visit from the President.

Washington traveled to Washington, D.C. and was able to get a brief meeting with McKinley. McKinley was interested, but his travel plans were not yet concrete. He asked Washington to come back after his plans were secure, and ask again. Washington returned a few weeks later with a white citizen of Tuskegee to vouch for the invitation to the President from the white citizens as well as the black citizens. There were many race riots occurring at the time of Washington’s second visit, and he argued to McKinley that a visit to Tuskegee would show good faith to both races that reconciliation was possible. McKinley was convinced, and he agreed to visit Tuskegee in December of that year.

The town of Tuskegee prepared thoroughly for President McKinley’s visit. White and black citizens worked together to decorate the town and organize a proper reception, and Washington was deeply impressed by the effort and kindness of Tuskegee’s white citizens.

President McKinley’s visit brought the biggest crowd to Tuskegee that the small Southern agricultural town had ever seen. There was a large procession consisting of state politicians, military officers, and members of the President’s cabinet. Reporters flooded the streets to document the visit. To showcase the school’s progress, the town also held a procession of all of the students on different floats that highlighted the agricultural and industrial work of the Institute.

In his address to the school, President McKinley praised the good work and progress of the school’s industrial-based education, and particularly honored the effort and leadership of Washington. McKinley was deeply impressed by the school’s national reputation and its accomplishments. The Secretary of the Navy and the Postmaster General also delivered remarks praising the school for its racial progress and Washington’s work. The Secretary of the Navy even equated Washington’s leadership with that of Presidents Lincoln and Washington. President McKinley and his entire administration seemed strongly impressed by the Institute.

After his narration of President McKinley’s visit, Washington details the progress of the Tuskegee Institute from its founding twenty years before the time that he was writing. While the original school met in a small shanty, the Institute now owns over 2,300 acres of land, with 40 buildings and 70 acres of farmland. The school has 28 departments, each of which specializes in an industry. Despite its exponential growth, the Institute still has to turn down approximately one half of its applicants because it does not have enough room or resources to accommodate the entire South.

Washington explains that Tuskegee’s industrial education is founded on three principles. First, all students need to learn how to accommodate the needs of their current communities. Second, all students will have the skills to be able to make enough money to support themselves or their families. Third, all students will be taught that there is dignity in labor. At the time of this narrative, Tuskegee had recently developed a non-denominational school for training in the ministry. The students of this program, however, are not exempt from labor, and are taught the same principles as the industrial students.

The value of the school property is up to $300,000 at the time of Washington’s writing, and all of the mortgages have been paid off. The student population has increased from the original 30 to 1,100, and the population of instructors increased from 1 to 86. With such a large group of people, Washington explains that many people question how he keeps things orderly. He claims that students stay out of trouble because most students come to Tuskegee earnestly searching for an education, and because everyone is kept on a strict and busy schedule. Students have required activities from 5 AM to 9:30 PM. Thus students have no opportunity for mischief.

Washington’s primary aim in his educational program is to develop graduates that raise the reputation of the Institute by establishing their merit and excellence in industry. He hopes all graduates will continue to follow his ideology of race relations, and practice patience and kindness to those of other races. Washington believes that this project is rather successful, and he claims that wherever his graduates go, the communities experience an improvement in economic, social, and moral life.

In the early 1890s Washington began hosting a conference called the “Negro Conference,” which was designed as a forum to discuss and discover the mental, physical, spiritual, and moral needs of the black community. According to Washington, this conference was so useful that it inspired similar conferences in other states, as well as conferences for educators and workers. Likewise, Washington established the “Negro Business League” in Boston, which inspired other cities to adopt similar conferences and organizations.

During the time of all of these conferences, Washington was also traveling to deliver addresses in the interest of promoting his racial ideology in both the North and the South. Washington would address concerns of racial tension, especially in opposition to the practice of lynching, which he abhorred as a practice in its violence and ignorance of the law.

Washington begins to conclude his narrative by painting a hopeful picture for the future of race relations. He earnestly believes that Southern white people are working hard to eliminate race prejudice, and that such race prejudice should be combated with patience and service from black Americans. If white Americans can see black Americans demonstrating their merit through industry, Washington believes that American society can find great racial progress.

Writing from the city of Richmond, near to the area that he once slept under the city sidewalk, Washington concludes his narrative by reflecting upon his rise from his birth in slavery to the position of educator, speaker, and leader, and he expresses gratitude at the opportunity afforded to him on account of his hard work.