Exodusters
Because of Southern violence & injustice some A-A decided to leave the rural South. At first they moved to Southern cities—Atlanta Then they began to move west
1862—Congress along with Lincoln passed the Homestead Act. Homestead Act-gave 160 acres of land to anyone who Cultivate it for 5 years Make improvements Build a house At the end of 5 years the land was yours free and clear.
40,000 A-A went to Kansas to establish towns Called themselves Exodusters—like Exodus— being lead out of slavery to land of milk and honey
Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois 2 Approaches to rights for A-A
Booker T. Born a slave in 1856 Became most influential A-A of his time— Up From Slavery
Started Tuskegee Institute Thought A-A should learn a trade—manual labor—farmers Not agitate for political rights “There is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem. It is the bottom of life we must begin, and not at the top.”
Expressed his political philosophy at Atlanta Cotton Exposition of st time an A-A spoke to an integrated crowd. Whites loved Booker T. He preached social inequality between races.
“In things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.” Accommodation—go along with white supremacy—do not agitate for social or political rights
Whites loved Booker T. –They gave money to his school & supported Tuskegee. He was even invited to the White House to have dinner with T. Roosevelt in This was a little shocking. TR got a lot of hate mail over this.
Washington believed that upon achieving economic stability, & proved their worth to whites, A- A could gradually obtain social & political rights
W.E.B. DuBois Born free in MA 1 st A-A Ph.D.— Harvard Sociologist & teacher.
At 1 st the two men agreed-- both of them blamed A-A for their conditions. DuBois came to change his philosophy. He called Washington’s 1895 speech the Atlanta Compromise
Documented his new philosophy in The Souls of Black Folks (1903) DuBois began the movement for civil rights for A-A.
Believed Washington’s ideas accepted the inferiority of A-A. DuBoise wanted— 1)the ability to vote 2)End of Southern injustice 3) Education of A-A according to their ability
Wanted liberal arts training for A-A—not voc. Training “Talented Tenth”-college- educated elite would lead economic & cultural uplift for A- A.
1909-Formed the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) This used court system to fight segregation & discrimination The Crisis-magazine of NAACP