• Campbell University

• HIST 100 American History

Guiding Questions: Washington and DuBois
Booker T. Washington
1. (Close reading) Read lines 1-5. What is Washington encouraging African
Americans to do when he tells them to “cast down their bucket” in making
friends?
He is telling African Americans to stay in the South and
establish an economic network
He felt that economic opportunity for African Americans was
in the south instead of moving to the north.
2. (Close reading) Read lines 7-13. What sort of work is Washington
encouraging African Americans to do? And why?
Farming. Tilling the land will provide sustenance on a daily
basis and future prosperity
3. (Close reading) Read lines 15-30. What is Washington encouraging
white Southerners to do? And why?
He is telling white Southerners to stay in the South and establish an
economic network, because blacks have already toiled Southern land
and established a familial bond with white families.
4. (Close reading, corroboration) Louis Harlan, a historian who wrote extensively
about Booker T. Washington’s life and career, has argued that Washington was
willing to ignore the evils of racial segregation in the South if it brought financial
and professional gains to African Americans. What passages from lines 29-34
of this speech could be used to support Harlan’s conclusion? (Cite the line
numbers of specific sentences or passages.)
Lines 31 and 32 and/or Lines 33 and 34
5. (Close reading, corroboration) Raymond Smock, a historian who wrote a book
about Washington’s career in 2009, has argued that Washington was willing to
appease white Southerners’ demands for racial inequality in exchange for their
support for his plans. What passages from this speech could be used to
support Smock’s conclusion? (Cite the line numbers of specific sentences or
passages.)
Lines 24 - 28
6. (Contextualization) Given the context of the time, why might Washington have
chosen to look the other way on segregation and to appease white Southerners?