Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Exposition Speech, September 18, 1895

    Courtesy of Library of Congress, Washington, Booker T., "Address By Booker T. Washington, Principal Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, Tuskegee, Alabama, At Opening Of Atlanta Exposition," 18 September 1895

    Description

    On September 18, 1895, Booker T. Washington was selected to give a speech that would open the Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia. The speech, which is often referred to as the "Atlanta Compromise," was the first speech given by an African American to a racially-mixed audience in the South. In it, Washington suggested that African Americans should not agitate for political and social equality, but should instead work hard, earn respect and acquire vocational training in order to participate in the economic development of the South. By doing so, eventually, he stated, African Americans would gain the respect of white society and be granted the rights of full citizenship.

    Full Transcription of Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Exposition Speech

    Transcribed Excerpts from Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Exposition Speech

    Source-Dependent Questions

    • What did Booker T. Washington ask of the African-American members of his audience? What did he ask of the white members of his audience?
    • According to Washington, what did African Americans in the South need to do to achieve economic and social equality? How would you characterize this approach? Use evidence from the speech to characterize it.
    • Many African Americans agreed with Washington's approach, yet many others were very critical of it, referring to the speech as the "Atlanta Compromise." Defend each side of the debate using evidence from the speech.

    Citation Information 

    Washington, Booker T., "Address By Booker T. Washington, Principal Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, Tuskegee, Alabama, At Opening Of Atlanta Exposition," 18 September 1895. Courtesy of Library of Congress

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