It is in these three places - Virginia, West Virginia, and Alabama - that Washington made a substantial impact on his local communities in the era immediately following the Civil War, known as Reconstruction. From there, he headed to Hampton, Virginia and attended Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute (now Hampton University) with some trips back home to West Virginia.Īt about the age of 25, Washington relocated to Tuskegee, Alabama, where he lived for the remainder of his life, founding, stabilizing, and growing what is today Tuskegee University. There, he received an initial education through perseverance, squeezing in lessons around a hard work day in the mines (keeping in mind he was still a child).

His birthplace is a National Monument, which we have visited, and you can, too! Check that post out here.Īfter being granted freedom, Washington spent the next portion of his life in Malden, West Virginia, nearby the state capital Charleston. He was born and worked on a farm in Hardy, Virginia, in the Piedmont region of Virginia about 30 minutes away from Roanoke. Washington was born and remained enslaved until he was 9 years old and was freed at the end of the American Civil War as a result of the Emancipation Proclamation. Black American experiences * Auto-biographies * American history * Historic primary sources TRAVEL INSPIRATION:īooker T.

Washington up from slavery