45. 301 Up from Slavery (53)

1. Who wrote 'Up from Slavery '?

A:- Booker T Washington wrote 'Up from Slavery'.

2. When was Booker T Washington born?

A:- Booker T Washington was born in 1858/59 and died in 1915. The month or day of his birth was not known to him.

3. Where was he born?

A:- BTW was born as a slave in a plantation in Franklin County, Virginia. His exact place of birth is not known. His earliest memories were of slave quarters only and he was born in a typical log cabin, about fourteen by sixteen feet square.

4. How was the starting life of BTW?

A:- BTW's life was miserable, desolate and of discouraging surroundings. His owners were very cruel.

5. With whom did BTW live?

A:- BTW lived with his mother, older brother John and sister Amanda. 0

6. When did BTW become free from slavery?

A:- BTW became free from slavery after the Civil War.

7. How did BTW reach America?

A:- BTW came to know that his ancestors on his mother's side, suffered in the middle passage of the slave ship while being bought from Africa to America.

8. What is the Middle Passage?

A:- The Middle Passage was thr stage of the Atlantic slave trade in which millions of enslaved Africans were transported to the Americans (New World) as part of tge triangular (transatlantic ) slave trade. It lasted for 80 days. The captives or slaves were called middle because it was the middle leg of a three-part voyage. 15% grew sick and died without ventilation or sufficient water. The voyage began and ended in Europe. The first leg included iron, cloth, brandy, firearms and gunpowder.

9. What was the 'cat-hole'?

A:- In the lower right-hand corner of the rooms of the slaves, there used to be a 'cat-hole'. Every mansion or cabin in Virginia possessed it during the antebellum period or before civil war. It was a square opening, about seven by eight inches, provided for the purpose of letting the cat pass in and out of the house during night.

10. What were the different works BTW did as a slave-boy?

A:- As a slave-boy, BTW cleaned the yards, carried water to the men in the fields, went to the mills to take the corn to be grounded once a week.

11. What punishment did BTW receive if went late from mill?

A:- BTW used to be severely scolded or flogged if he reached late from mill.

12. Did BTW had schooling and what was his first knowledge ?

A:- BTW had no schooling. The first knowledge that he got was the fact that they were slaves and freedom of slaves were discussed through "grape-vine" telegraph.

13. Who were the earliest agitators for freedom from slavery?

A:- Garrison, Lovejoy and others first agitated for freedom from slavery in America. 

13. How did news got spread to the blacks when war between the north and south took place?

A:- News by the whites about the war between the north and south were received by the blacks via the coloured people of post office where the whites gathered and discussed the war.

14. Who was Booker T. Washington?

A:- Booker T. Washington was a Negro or black educator and reformer.

15. What did the author search for till late in the night?

A:- The author was searching for some proper place to take rest at night.

16. Why did the author go to the vessel?

A:- The author went to the vessel in order to get job for earning money for food.

17. What kind of man was the captain?

A:- The captain was a kind hearted man.

18. When did the author thank the captain?

A:- When the author had saved enough money to reach Hampton, he thanked the captain for offering him job.

19. With how much money did the author reach Hampton?

A:- The author reached Hampton with an extra amount of fifty cents.

20. What gave a new life to the author?

A:- The first sight of the school building fascinated the author. It seemed to him as a reward of his hard labour and the starting of a new life.

21. Why was the author not permitted in the classes?

A:- The author was untidy and so not permitted by the head teacher inside the classes.

22. Why do you think the author dusted the room after sweeping?

A:- The author dusted the room four times after sweeping it because he did not want the head teacher to find a single bit of dirt anywhere inside the room. His future depended when and if the head teacher was convinced with his sweeping.

23. What was the full name of the school?

A:- 'Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute' was the school's full name. It was situated at Hampton in America's Virginia.

24. Who talked about a great school for coloured people?

A:- Two coal miners talked about the beautiful school for coloured people in Hampton.

25. Why did Booker think school to be the greatest place in earth?

A:- Booker thought school to be the greatest place in earth because it was the one that provided education and earning opportunity both.

26. What was his mother's reaction?

A:- Booker's mother was unwilling to let him go to Hampton. She was unwell too and unsure if she will ever see her son again.

27. How did Booker spend his few nights in Richmond?

A:- In Richmond, Booker spent few of the nights on the pavement or raised sidewalk of Richmond.

28. How does Washington aim to lift his race out of poverty?

A:- Washington believes that industrial education is the key. Rather than moving to the north he advises blacks to "cast down buckets where are" they and establish themselves in the South only and by befriending the whites. He encourages them to excel in agriculture, mechanics, commerce, domestic service and also glorify common labour. And for all these he needs Tuskegee students master any trade but along with studying academics.

29. What is Washington's relationship with southern whites?

A:- Despite having been enslaved as a boy, Washington maintains an attitude of respect. He views all as potential helpers including the white Southerners. The whites in turn solicit his participation in political negotiations such as requesting that the federal government support the Atlanta Exposition. Washington does not challenge the dominant white class but rather seeks to assuage their guilt at enslaving his people by assuring them that blacks have no bitter feelings about their former masters. He highlights the similarities between the races and seeks to "civilize" his students to be more like their white neighbours.

30. How can the race problem be solved as per Washington?

A:- Washington believes that it is best to bring together the races and to encourage friendly relations. The Negro can always try to improve and excel himself wherever he is. He gives the example of a Tuskegee graduate who could produce five times the average amount of sweet potatoes which automatically attracted whites to come to him and seek advice. Similarly, Tuskegee students built positive relationships with their white neighbours when they began providing them with high-quality bricks and vehicles produced at the school.

31. What is Washington's attitude towards women?

A:- Washington mentions women lesser but when he does he accords them power and shows respect. He credits Viola Ruffner with teaching him to work hard and keeping up a property. He praises Mary Mackie, the head teacher at Hampton as she helps him clean the institute despite from a high pedigree. He talks less about his family but hugely praises the hard work of all his wives in the making of Tuskegee.

32. What was the purpose of 'Up From Slavery?'

A:- Washington wrote the book 'Up from Slavery' in order to share his life and show that blacks can accomplish just as much as the whites. He wanted to promote the work of his school and spread his views on race and necessity of hard work and shine in academics.

33. What were some of the challenges Washington faced making bricks?

A:- Digging the clay pit, burning the bricks properly, failing kilns and not being able to find straw are some of the challenges Washington faced while making bricks.

34. Who was Booker T. Washington?

A:- Booker T. Washington lived from 1865 to 1965. He was born into slavery and rose to becoming a leading Afro-American intellectual of the 19th century. He founded the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute which is now known as Tuskegee University in 1881 and the National Negro Business League twenty years later.

35. Name the characters mentioned in 'Up From Slavery.'

A:- Booker T. Washington, Mrs. Ruffner, General Samuel C. Armstrong, Miss Mary F. Mackie, Miss Olivia A. Davidson, General J. F. B. Marshall, Andrew Carnegie and President Grover Cleveland are some of the important characters mentioned in 'Up From Slavery.'

36. At what age was Washington freed?

A:- Washington was freed from slavery at the age of nine.

37. Who founded the Tuskegee Institute?

A:- Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver and Lewis Adams founded the Tuskegee Institute.

38. What is the "big-house"? What did BTW do there?

A:- "Big-house" is the master's house.

BTW went there to fan the flies from the table by means of a large set of paper fans operated by  a pulley. He used to hear all conversation of the whites which were about freedom and war. When he saw the ginger-cakes being eaten by the women, ge thought if ever he got free he would secure such ginger-cakes for eating.

39. Why did the slaves felt less deprived of food when the war was on?

A:- The slaves had the usual diet like corn bread and pork acquired from the plantation. So they were less deprived of food during the war. Whereas, the whites ate more readymade foods which were absent during the same civil war. They used to substitute for parched corn as coffee and black molasses instead of sugar.

40. What kind of clothes did the slaves wear?

A:- The slaves were forced to wear flax shirts. And that part of the flax from which their clothing was made was largely the cheapest and roughest refuse. BTW too wore the same and one flax shirt was his single garment until he was young. He was flogged over that shirt which hurt him tremendously.

41. Did BTW had any schooling?

A:- No, BTW had no schooling in Virginia.

42. Were the blacks fully bitter towards the whites during the civil war?

A:- No, the blacks were not always bitter towards the whites despite war was on between the two races. BTW himself felt tremendous real sorrow when two of his young masters were killed in the war. Some of the slaves nursed "Mars Billy" when wounded with whom black children used to play during childhood. Many other wounded masters were nursed or assisted in nursing. Apart from these, any slave selected to sleep in the "big house" during the absence of males were considered to have the place of honour. Anyone attempting to harm "young Mistress" or "old Mistress" during the night would have had to cross the dead body of the slaves to do so.

43. As per BTW, did all the slaves want freedom?

A:- As per BTW, each slave wanted freedom. And, as per him there was a rumour that some of the slaves did not want freedom.

44. Was slavery a creation of the whites as per BTW?

A:- As per BTW, no one section of America was wholly responsible for the introduction of slavery in the country. In America, it was established for selfish and financial reasons, and not from a missionary motive. The whole machinery of slavery was so constructed as to cause labour as a rule to be looked upon as a badge of degradation and inferiority. Hence, labour was something that both races on the slave plantation sought to escape. As per BTW, young children of his master never mastered a single trade or special line of productive industry. The girls were not taught to cook, sew or take care of the house. All these were left to the slaves. So, slavery was a necessity for the whites. The slaves were masters in handicraft and they were not ashamed to labour.

45. How did the slaves celebrate the freedom?

A:- The slaves sang more in their slave quarters after freedom. This time it was bolder singing and lasted till late nights. Most of the verses of the plantation songs had some reference to freedom. Now, freedom in their songs meant freedom of the body in this world. All was excitement and expectancy. Freedom was a more serious thing than they had expected.

46. Which were some of the earliest signs of freedom? Explain how.

A:- One of the earliest signs of freedom was  to leave the old plantation for a few days or weeks in order to to feel really free for sometime and another sign was to abandon bearing the surnames of their former owners.

For example, if a coloured man was named "John Hatcher" or "Hatcher's John", it meant that the coloured man "John" belonged to the white master "Hatcher." After freedom or Emancipation Proclamation, many cases abandoned changed to for example, "John S Lincoln" or "John S. Sherman". The initial "S" standing for no name, it being simply a part of what the coloured man proudly called his "entitles."

47. How was the new relation with their former masters?

A:- The free slaves made some kind of contract with their former owners by which they remained on the estate.

48. Did BTW's mother remarry? How was the new neighborhood where her husband took them? Where was the new place?

A:- BTW's mother remarried and bore a son named John. After freedom, BTW's stepfather called them three to West Virginia where he was working in salt-mines. The journey to the new place was tedious as it had to be covering the mountains. Then the new house was worser than the old house. The neighborhood who mostlt worked in the salt business, was a motley mixture of coloured and some of the poorest and most ignorant people. Drinking, gambling, quarrels, fights and immoral practices were frequent. As a small boy, BTW worked in the salt furnace along with his stepfather and step brother.

     The new place where their stepfather took them was called Malden. It was a small town which was about five miles from Charleston the then capital of the state.

49. How was the first knowledge instilled in BTW?

A:- BTW came in touch with knowledge for the first time in the salt-furnace. The number allotted to his stepfather was "18". The barrels his stepfather worked upon were all labelled as "18" by the end of each day. BTW soon learnt to recognize that figure. This was his first knowledge about formal education and from that time he started developing intense longing to learn to read. He decided to get enough education to be able to read common books and newspapers. 

50. Which was his first book?

A:- BTW's mother got an old copy of Webster's "blue-back" spelling book which contained the alphabet followed by meaningless words as "ab," "ba," "ca," "da,". This was his first book and he devoured the book without the help of any teacher. No teacher was available to him either. And he was timid to approach any white man.

51. How was his mother's reaction towards seeking knowledge?

A:- BTW's mother despite ignorant, shared high ambitions for her children. She had a large fund of good, hard, commonsense which helped her everywhere. BTW realizes that if he had done anything worth in life, it was because he inherited this disposition from his mother.

52. How was a school opened in the village?

A:- It was decided that a school be opened in the village for the coloured children. It would be the first school for coloured children in Virginia. An ex-soldier from Ohio was made the teacher. Each family agreed to pay a certain amount per month. With time, the old too wanted to learn in night-schools. The principal book studied in the Sunday-school was the spelling book. Day-school, night-school and Sunday-school were always crowded and often many had to be turned away for want of room.

53. Did BTW's stepfather allow him to go to school for a long time? What did BTW do to continue learning? Was school totally separated from him?

A:- Since BTW had a good financial value in the salt furnace works, his stepfather did not permit him to go for school for a long time. His mother was disappointed at this too and kept consoling him.

     To continue studies, he arranged the school teacher to give him some learning at nights.

     School was not fully severed from him. Soon, he was permitted again in few months to go to school but he should rise early in the morning and work in the furnace till nine o' clock. Then he should immediately return after school closed in the afternoon for at least two more hours of work.