WASHINGTON, Booker T. Up From Slavery: An Autobiography. New York: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1901. First edition, first printing. With a typed, signed letter from Washington to Mr. W. R. Warner on Tuskegee stationary during the time Washington served as principle. Octavo (8 1/8 × 5 3/4 in.). Original maroon vertically-ribbed cloth, gilt lettering to spine and front board, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. [6], vii–ix, [1], 1–330 pp. Frontispiece portrait of the author with tissue guard.
Condition:
Very good condition with normal edge wear and a small tear to the top of the spine, as pictured. Gilt is lovely and bright. Typed and signed letter is pasted inside the front cover. Only slight discoloration on endpaper. Pages inside are clean and bright.
Up from Slavery is Booker T. Washington’s powerful and deeply personal account of his journey from slavery to freedom, becoming one of America’s most influential Black leaders. Born into slavery in 1856, Washington overcame unimaginable adversity through relentless determination, education, and self-reliance.
This landmark autobiography details his rise to prominence, the founding of the Tuskegee Institute (the first University for African Americans), and his controversial Atlanta Compromise speech, in which he advocated for vocational education and economic progress as the key to racial uplift. A defining work of American history, Up from Slavery offers invaluable insight into the struggles of Reconstruction-era America and remains a vital testament to perseverance, leadership, and the pursuit of progress.
Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington is one of the most significant autobiographies in American history, particularly in the context of African American progress, education, and race relations in the post-Civil War United States. Adding to this first edition’s value is the incredible signed letter where Booker T. Washington describes his surprise of the success of his book.
