Analysis Of The Speech 'Atlanta Exposition' By Booker T. Washington

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The speech “Atlanta Exposition” was written by Booker T Washington on September 18, 1895. Washington was a very influential African American in that time period, due to his influence as a leader and founder of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. The intended audience during this time was the President of the United States and all people across the country. The main argument presented by Washington is that whites and blacks should focus on working together in order to better our society as a whole. He describes that if both sides come together, there would be more growth industrially and socially. Washington states, “Cast down your bucket where you are” cast it down in making friends, in every manly way, of the people of all races by whom we …show more content…

While saying this he says that, “Not only this, but the opportunity here afforded will awaken among us a new era of industrial progress” (BTW pg 2). He thinks that if can achieve equality or at least treat each other better, it would thrust America into a more productive society. He was stating all of the positive qualities of the black community and the amount of help that they could bring to these communities. Only two years before this speech was given Ida B. Wells released a book about the reality of lynching and how many people were actually being killed. The years following before the speech was given there was a large number of lynchings still occurring around America and I believe this was a large reason that he gave this speech. He was also very smart with how he worded his speech so that he did not offend the audience, but rather try to relate and open their eyes with examples of how beneficial this idea would be. The speech was given in Atlanta Georgia in front of a predominantly white crowd in a “Cotton State” which was a big deal due to the racial tension in the south at the time. He presented this argument for two reasons. One was for the better treatment of his people, and the second was to help give more people here

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