# Booker T. Washington — Up from Slavery character guide > Booker T. Washington in Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Booker Washington, Professor Booker T. Washington, Professor Washington, Professor Booker T., Washington, T. Washington, The Rev. Booker T. Washington, Booker Taliaferro Washington, Booker Taliaferro, Booker **First appearance:** 0004-i-a-slave-among-slaves ## Snapshot Born enslaved in Virginia, he walked hundreds of miles to Hampton Institute and built Tuskegee from a shanty into a school that made him the most famous Black man in America. ## Who they are Washington narrates his own ascent from salt-furnace and coal-mine labor to the principal's chair, measuring every step by what it cost and what it taught. His deepest tension is strategic: he counsels patience, industrial education, and conciliation with Southern whites while quietly building an institution that proves Black capability on its own terms. That balancing act, dramatized most vividly in his Atlanta Exposition address, defines the book's central argument about how a people rises. ## Relationships ### [General Samuel C. Armstrong](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/characters/general_samuel_c_armstrong) _professional_ Booker T. Washington was a protégé of General Armstrong, who mentored him and later recommended him to lead Tuskegee Institute. ### [George Washington](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/characters/george_washington) _professional_ George Washington was a teacher at Tuskegee Institute under Booker T. Washington's leadership. ### [Portia M. Washington](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/characters/portia_m_washington) _family_ Portia M. Washington was Booker T. Washington's daughter, and he had a close, affectionate relationship with her. ### [Papa](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/characters/papa) _family_ Papa is Booker T. Washington's father figure (likely his stepfather or a close elder), with a respectful and affectionate bond. ### [Miss Olivia A. Davidson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/characters/miss_olivia_a_davidson) _romantic_ Olivia Davidson was Booker T. Washington's first wife, and they shared a loving partnership in building Tuskegee. ### [George Washington](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/characters/george_washington) _professional_ George Washington was a teacher at Tuskegee Institute under Booker T. Washington's leadership. ## In the story ### [Up from Slavery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/up-from-slavery) The author and narrator, reflecting on his life from slavery to founding Tuskegee. ### [A Slave Among Slaves](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/i-a-slave-among-slaves) The author and narrator, reflecting on his childhood as a slave and his early experiences. ### [II: Boyhood Days](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/ii-boyhood-days) Narrates his boyhood experiences, including his longing for education and work in the salt-furnace. ### [The Struggle for an Education](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/iii-the-struggle-for-an-education) Overhears about Hampton Institute, works for Mrs. Ruffner, travels to Hampton, cleans a room to gain admission, and works as a janitor. ### [Helping Others](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/iv-helping-others) Reflects on his second year at Hampton, his mother's death, and his teaching work in Malden. ### [V: The Reconstruction Period](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/v-the-reconstruction-period) Narrator reflecting on his experiences during Reconstruction, his time at Hampton, teaching in West Virginia, and studying in Washington, D.C. ### [VI: Black Race and Red Race](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/vi-black-race-and-red-race) Narrator and protagonist; reflects on his work with Indian students, his political canvassing, and his return to Hampton. ### [VII: Early Days at Tuskegee](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/vii-early-days-at-tuskegee) Narrator and protagonist; arrives in Tuskegee to start the normal school. ### [VIII: Teaching School in a Stable and a Henhouse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/viii-teaching-school-in-a-stable-and-a-henhouse) Founder and sole teacher at the opening of Tuskegee, he secures a loan from General Marshall to buy the plantation and oversees the conversion of a stable and henhouse into schoolrooms. ### [Anxious Days and Sleepless Nights](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/ix-anxious-days-and-sleepless-nights) Narrates the financial anxieties and determination to keep the school's credit high, borrowing from local white men and receiving help from General Armstrong. ### [X: A Harder Task Than Making Bricks Without Straw](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/x-a-harder-task-than-making-bricks-without-straw) Narrates the chapter, detailing his determination to have students build their own buildings and learn industrial skills despite opposition. ### [Making Their Beds Before They Could Lie on Them](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/xi-making-their-beds-before-they-could-lie-on-them) Narrates the chapter, describing his efforts to provide for students and his philosophy of trust and responsibility. ### [Raising Money](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/xii-raising-money) Reflects on his fundraising experiences and principles, including his avoidance of 'begging' and his emphasis on presenting facts. ### [Two Thousand Miles for a Five-Minute Speech](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/xiii-two-thousand-miles-for-a-five-minute-speech) The narrator and protagonist, who prepares for and delivers the Atlanta Compromise speech, reflecting on his anxieties and motivations. ### [XIV: The Atlanta Exposition Address](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/xiv-the-atlanta-exposition-address) Delivers the Atlanta Exposition address, emphasizing racial cooperation and industrial progress. ### [XV: The Secret of Success in Public Speaking](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/xv-the-secret-of-success-in-public-speaking) Describes his management philosophy and the organization of Tuskegee; recounts his Atlanta speech and its reception; shares personal habits for rest and recreation. ### [Europe](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/xvi-europe) Reflects on his family, his work at Tuskegee, and his surprise at being given a European vacation. ### [Last Words](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/chapters/xvii-last-words) Reflects on the growth of Tuskegee and receives honorary degree from Harvard. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/characters/booker_t_washington - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/up_from_slavery_se/characters