First published in 1901, Up From Slavery is one of the classic books from the era of American slavery. In it, Booker T. Washington details his rise from a child born into slavery to a free man with a college education. He offers readers his views on the future of blacks in America, charting a course for their development that starts with an education in practical trades. By proving themselves to be important parts of society, he believed they would be granted civil rights without a bloody struggle. Students of history will find this an essential read from the dawning of the civil rights struggle in America. American author BOOKER T. WASHINGTON (1856-1915) was born to a white father and black slave mother in Virginia. His Atlanta Address of 1895 brought him great acclaim, and for the rest of his life he remained a respected figure in the African American community. Among his most influential writings is an article for Atlantic Monthly called "The Awakening of the Negro" (1896).