my notes for the 2nd step of research

Person A- Booker T. Washington

Birth date and place:
Booker T. Washington was born in Virginia, as a slave on a farm in Franklin valley (1). He was born in 1856 and never knew his father (2).

Age, Date of death:
Booker T. Washington died in November 1915 (2). No one was sure what he died of but the theories are that he was either overworked or had a nervous breakdown (2).

Where did he live most of his life? He lived a long time in Virginia as a slave (1).

What roles did he play in the field of education? He was a teacher at Hampton and believed in an industrial education (3). He did believe in the lecture format, where students simply learned by listening or in learning things such as the English language but instead, believed that a true education would help students learn about the real world and how to work (3). He even created a school, the Tuskegee Institute (3.). He was also an advocate for his race and an activist (4). He was a wonderful speaker and he spoke about the economy and about it being self-sufficient. He also suggested the use of literacy tests (4). He also wrote a book called UP From Slavery. (1).


Educational Beliefs? - He believed in self-determination and economic independence, and job skills (4). He also believed that blacks and whites should not be segregated in the economy (4).

What schools of thought did he agree with?
Progressivism, because Washington believed in hands on approaches. He wanted to increase social skills, and learning about real life (5).

What should of though did he disagree with:
Essentialism because the teacher is the center and the material learned in class is the normal sort, like language etc. It gives students the basic studies and gives students traditional values. The students do not have a choice in what they learn but are expected to do it anyway. This is used in a lecture format (6).

How do you see effects of this person in education? - His ideologies made what we know of as technical schools, a very hands on approach to education.


1. Washington, B.T. (1939). Up From Slavery. New York: Doran and Company.
2. Reece, D.M. (n.d.) Washington, Booker T. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from
http://www.learningtogive.org/papers/index.asp?bpid=133.
3. Booker Taliaferro Washington on Education. (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2007, from http://northbysouth.kenyon.edu/1998/edu/home/btw.htm.
4. McElrath, J. (n.d.). Booker T. Washington. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from http://afroamhistory.about.com/od/btwashington/a/bio_btw_2.htm.
5. Progressive Education. (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2007, from http://www.tcs.pvt.k12.ca.us/page.cfm?p=21.
6. Essentialism. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2007, from http://www.siue.edu/~ptheodo/foundations/essentialism.html.



Frederick Douglass

Birth, date and place: Frederick Douglass was born in Tuckahoe, which was about twelve miles way from Easton, which was located in Maryland (1). He was born (as far as experts can find out because most slaves did not know their age) on February 1818 (2).


Age, and date of death: He died on Feb. 20th, 1895 (2). The cause of death was a heart attack at his home in Anacostia (3).

Where did he live most of his life? He moved around but was mostly living in Maryland. He first lived inner Easton but was separated and was sent to Baltimore, Maryland. He then went to New York City and then when he raised his family when to Massachusetts (2).

What roles did he play in the field of education? He was an abolitionist and an activist as well as a supporter of civil rights. He also believed in the idea of African Americans being equal and that women were equal and deserved the same rights as everyone else. (2). He also wrote a book (1). He also spoke about the role of education in his speech at Manassas, Virginia called Blessing so f Liberty and Education (4).

Educational Beliefs: he believed that education was important and that all people should have the benefit of education. He believed that African Americans could learn and could be good at jobs that were not just menial labor. He believes that people need to discover their potential and the best inside them. He also stated that education meant freedom. (4).
What school of thought did he disagree with? Progressivism- because he believed that African Americans were better than just menial labor but could become better by learning through traditional methods (5). He believed that the African American could learn through this method because it would encourage reasoning and would train the mind. In fact Frederick Douglass believed that everyone could go to college (6).
What school of thought did he agree with.
Essentialism because he believed that learning traditional information would give African Americans the step up, allowing them to be more than just laborers.


Contributions to education: He worked all his life to make sure that African American schools could succeed, allowing African American students to thrive (7).

Effects of this person: His ideas contributed to a multicultural education. He also inspires people, especially the poorer African Americans who do not have a good school where they live to become educated. He was a slave and had to teach himself and yet, he became very intellectual, proving that people of all statuses can succeed (7).


How they are similar and how are they different- Both Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass believed that African Americans were equal and that they both deserved a chance to be important in society. They were both influential leaders who spoke out against inequality. However, Booker T. Washington was willing to deal with white people. He was non confrontial and only wanted the whites to recognize African American’s potential. He did not care so much for the segregation issue and really couldn’t care less. However, he did want the African Americans to have a better life than they were living already. He was much more well liked because of his nonconfrontial views. Frederick Douglass wanted racial equality in everything, not just in the economy. Furthermore, he fought for women’s rights and believed that everyone should be given the opportunity to have an equal educational opportunity. In fact, their philosophies were very different. They had the opposite philosophies, one hands on and one more for the lecturing style.


Works Cited

1. Douglass, F. (1994). Autobiographies. New York: The Library of America.
2. Frederick Douglass. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2007, from http://www.winningthevote.org/FDouglass.html.
3. McElrath, J. (2007). The Life of Frederick Douglass. Retrieved November 12, 2007, from http://afroamhistory.about.com/od/frederick
douglass1/a/bio_douglass_f.htm.
4. Douglass, F. (1894). Blessings of Liberty and Education. Retrieved November 12, 2007, from http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/ index.asp
?document=543.
5. Essentialism. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2007, from http://www.edst.purdue.
edu/georgeoff/phil_am_ed/ESSENTIALISM.html.

6. Frederick Douglass Charter School 2002-2003 Annual Report. (2002-2003). Retrieved November 12, 2007, from http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/reports /2003/annual/0442.pdf.
7. Altenbaugh, R.J. (1999). Historical Dictionary of American Education. Retrieved November 12, 2007, from http://books.google.com/books? id=U_HSk9Yhe
BYC&pg =PA115&lpg=PA115&dq=frederick+douglass+contributions+
to+education&source=web&ots=pXizWThpg3&sig=Z1Eh5E5ZVIwf8
lxSYkWwaHzjG9o#PPR4,M1.