Paper about raising the status of African-Americans during the period of Reconstruction after the Civil War.
The general thesis of this paper is that Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois had similar goals of raising the status of African-Americans during the period of Reconstruction after the Civil War. Although their goals were similar, their differing methods resulted in wide variety of results. The author includes numerous examples.
“During the decades of Reconstruction following the Civil War, African Americans struggled to be assimilated into the new American society. To do this African Americans required social and economic equality. Two great Negro leaders that emerged for this cause were Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois. With these two strong-headed men, another problem arose. They both sharply disagreed upon the strategies needed to gain these equalities. Washington preferred a gradual, submissive, and economically based plan. On the other hand, Du Bois relied upon a more agitating and politically aggressive plan. Although both men worked towards a similar goal for the common good of African Americans, the philosophies of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois both helped and hindered their cause.”