Booker T. Washington was born into slavery in Hale's Ford, Virginia, in either the year 1858 or 1859. The specific day is unknown. His mother's name was Jane, an African-American slave of James Burrough, and his father was said to be the white slave owner of the plantation he grew up at.

In 1865, at the age of 9, Booker T. Washington and his family gained their freedom under the Emancipation Proclamation. After this, Washington's mother took him and his siblings from Virginia to West Virginia to join back up with their step-father, an African American man named Washington, who had also been enslaved.

Booker T. eventually made his own way, by picking up side jobs during his journey, to Hampton Normal Agricultural Institute. This is where he met General Samuel C. Armstrong, a white male who took a strong liking to Washington. The General saw the potential Booker T. had, eventually giving him a scholarship to attend the institute.

1858/1859

Booker T. Washington is born

1860

Abraham Lincoln is elected president

1861

American Civil War begins

1863

Lincoln delivers the Emancipation Proclamation

1865

13th amendment ratified- slavery is outlawed

Civil War ends

Lincoln is assassinated

14th amendment is ratified- grants citizenship to all people born in the US

1868

1870

1875

1880

1896

1914

1915

15th amendment is ratified- ensures the right to vote regardless of race, color, or previous servitude.

Civil Rights Act passed

States start passing Jim Crow laws

Supreme court rules Separate but equal is legal in Plessy v. Ferguson

World War 1 Begins

Booker T. Washington dies

Once graduating from Hampton, Booker T. returned to his original grade school to begin his impact on helping the African American community fight for equality in education. Booker T. began giving speeches, representing the African American community and their push for educational rights.

Booker T. & His First Voice in Education