Up From Slavery

by

Booker T. Washington

The Homespun Cap

To Washington, the homespun cap made by his mother symbolizes the importance of thriftiness and resourcefulness. As a child, Washington wanted a cap to wear to school because he was envious of the caps…

read analysis of The Homespun Cap

Bricks

Washington had great difficulty in making bricks for the buildings at the Tuskegee Institute with no money and no experience in brick building. Washington had trouble finding a location to build the bricks, constructing a…

read analysis of Bricks

Henry O. Tanner

Washington uses the black American painter, Henry O. Tanner, as a symbol of the racial equality that can be found in a true meritocracy. Tanner’s work was famous in art circles for its excellence and…

read analysis of Henry O. Tanner