This autobiographical book chronicles Washington's journey from a slave child to one of the most influential educators and orators of his time. Through his experiences, he recounts the challenges he faced as a black man trying to make his way in post-Civil War America and the strategies he used to succeed. With compelling prose, this book provides a unique perspective on the struggle for African American equality and is a must-read for anyone interested in American history. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.