Author’s Reasons for Writing Autobiography—Ancestry—Mother—Author’s Early Recollections and Impressions of Her—Father—Who He Was—When and Where Author Was Born—A Description of the Cabin Where Born—Dress of the Author in Early Childhood—The “Tow Shirt"—Early Services of Author at Holding Horses and Going to the Mill—Name of Author’s Owner—His Treatment of His Slaves—Author First Hears of the War from the Slaves in the “Quarters"—He Assembles with His Mother at the “Big House” and Hears Freedom to the Slaves Announced—Removal of Author’s Family to West Virginia—Incidents of the Journey—Of Whom the Family Consisted at That Time.

Beginning Life in West Virginia—Author Sees a Negro Reading a Newspaper in Malden which Kindles His First Ambition—He Learns His Letters while Working in Coal Mines and Salt Furnaces—Attends His First School—Author Gives Himself a Surname—He Turns Forward the Hands of the Clock to Enable Him to Get to School on Time—Author Learns of Sunday School from an Old Man and Becomes a Regular Attendant—Some Experiences in the Coal Mines—Author Goes to Live with the Family of Gen. Lewis Ruffner—He Runs Away, but Returns—Some Experiences as a Market Boy while Working for Mrs. Ruffner—Mrs. Ruffner, Author’s Estimate of Her—Author Hears of the Hampton Institute while Working in the Coal Mines and Resolves to go There—Joins the Baptist Church in Malden Before Leaving for Hampton—Still a Member of This Church.

Author Starts for Hampton in 1872—The Journey—How Made—Sleeping Under Sidewalk in Richmond—Unloads Pig Iron from a Vessel in Richmond and Thereby Earns Money Enough to Continue the Journey to Hampton—Arrives at Hampton—Sees Miss Mary F. Mackie, the Lady Principal—Undergoes a “Sweeping Examination” and is Admitted as a Student—Author Sees Gen. Armstrong for the First Time—First and Last Impressions of Him—Hampton Institute when Author First Entered It—His Connection with the Debating Societies—His Destitute Condition at Hampton—After Two Years at Hampton, Author Spends Vacation at Home in Malden—Death of His Mother—He is Graduated at Hampton in 1875—Some Helpful Friends at Hampton, Misses Nathalie Lord and Elizabeth Brewer—Goes as a Waiter to Saratoga Springs.

Author Begins Teaching at Malden—Encourages His Pupils to go to Hampton—Helps His Brother John to Enter Hampton—Enters Wayland Seminary, Washington, D. C., and Spends a Year There—Stumps the State of West Virginia in the Interest of the Removal of the State Capital—Studies Law for a Short Time—Invited by Gen. Armstrong to Deliver the Graduate’s Address—Asked to Return to Hampton by Gen. Armstrong as a Special Student and to Take Charge of Night School—Accepts—The “Plucky Class"—In Charge of Indian Boys at Hampton—The Call from Tuskegee for Some One to Start a Normal School—Gen. Armstrong Recommends the Author—Author Accepts and Proceeds to Tuskegee.

Author’s Difficulty in Locating the Town of Tuskegee Before Starting Thither—Description and Some Early History of Tuskegee by Maj. W. W. Screws—Author’s Meeting with Mr. Lewis Adams, Who First Advanced the Idea of a Normal School at Tuskegee—How Mr. Adams Secured the First Appropriation Through Hons. A. L. Brooks and W. F. Foster—The Opening of the Normal School, July 4, 1881—The House in which the School Was Started.

The Necessity for a Permanent Location for the School Early Seen by the Author—Objections of the Early Students to Manual Labor—Gen. Marshall, Treasurer at Hampton, Lends $500 with which the Present Site of Tuskegee Was Purchased—The Coming of Miss Olivia A. Davidson and Her Valuable Service to the School in Its Early Struggles—The Struggle for Money—Generosity of Both White and Colored Citizens of Tuskegee Towards the Institute—Miss Davidson Goes to Boston in the Interest of the School and Secures Money for the Erection of Porter Hall—More About the Shanty in which the School Was Started and Taught for the First Year—Author is Married to Miss Fannie N. Smith of Malden—Birth of Daughter Portia, and the Mother’s Early Death.

The Putting the Farm in Order for the Raising of a Crop—The Students Volunteer to Assist in Clearing the Land—Mr. Campbell Gives the School Its First Horse—Old Buildings Put in Use—First Service in Porter Hall, Sermon by Rev. R. C. Bedford—Knowledge of the School Spreads and Brings Increase of Students—Hardships and Discomforts Undergone by the Young Men During the Second Winter of the School—The Rule that All Students Should do Some Work in Connection with Studies—Early Objections of Parents and Students to This Rule—Objections Now Passed Away—Early Determination of Author to Have Students do All the Work of Putting up Buildings and Carrying on Departments—The Legislature of Alabama Increases the Appropriation to the School from $2,000 to $3,000—The Work of Hon. W. F. Foster in Securing This Increase—The Letter of Rev. R. C. Bedford to Gen. Armstrong in Regard to the Increase of Appropriation and the Work of Tuskegee—Gen. J. F. B. Marshall, Treasurer of Hampton Institute, Visits Tuskegee and Writes a Letter to the “Southern Workman” in Regard to the Work There—The Celebration of the Second Anniversary of Tuskegee—The Building of Cottages at Tuskegee—The Coming of Mr. Warren Logan to the School and His Valuable Services Ever Since—Mr. J. H. Washington Accepts a Position in the School—His Efficient Services as Superintendent of Industries—The Finance Committee, the Principal’s Cabinet—The Trustees of the Slater Fund Through Rev. R. C. Bedford, Donate $1,100 to the School—Slater Fund Annual Appropriation Now Increased to $11,000—Gen. Armstrong Invites Author to Accompany Him and Speak in the Interest of Tuskegee at a Series of Meetings which He (Gen. Armstrong) Proposed to Hold in Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Other Cities—Author Accepts and Meetings Result Largely in Favor of Tuskegee—Miss Mary F. Mackie, Lady Principal at Hampton, Visits Tuskegee and Writes an Encouraging Letter to a Friend—Commencement at Tuskegee in May, 1884—Author Invited to Address National Educational Association at Madison, Wisconsin—Author’s First Opportunity of Presenting the Work at Tuskegee to Such a Large Audience of National Character—Extracts from the Address—Good Impression Made by This Address Brings Many Invitations to Speak.

Growth in Number of Students, Teachers and Officers, and Buildings during the Early Years of This Period—Hard Work of Raising Money with which to Meet the Increasing Demands—Some Providential Ways Whereby the School Was Helped Out of Tight Places Financially—Financial Assistance Rendered the School by the Citizens and Banks of Tuskegee—First Donation from the Peabody Fund—Dr. Curry Reasons That the School That Makes Extra Effort to Secure Funds is the School to be Helped—Some Statistics in Regard to the Money Raised for Tuskegee during This Period—Our Financial Embarrassment during the Fourth Year—Gen. Armstrong Comes to Our Relief by Lending Us Nearly all the Money He Possessed—Author’s Fourth Annual Report, Extracts—Generosity of Gen. J. F. B. Marshall Enables Tuskegee to Start a Sawmill—The Opening of the Night School—The Advantages it Affords Needy Students—Full Description of the Seventh Commencement or Anniversary of the School Indicating its Growth to that Time—Tuskegee’s Daily Program in Force in 1886—The Death of Mrs. Olivia Davidson Washington—An Estimate of Her Character and Worth to Tuskegee by Rev. R. C. Bedford—Further Growth of the School in Number of Students—The Visit of the Hon. Frederick Douglass to Tuskegee—His Views in Regard to Industrial Education and Other Matters Affecting the Negro Race—His Letter to Mrs. Harriett Beecher Stowe in 1853, Pleading for an Industrial College for Negroes—Author’s Marriage to Miss Maggie James Murray—Her Interest in and Labors Towards the Advancement of the Work at Tuskegee.

Author Invited to Deliver Lecture at Fisk University Under Auspices of the Fisk Lecture Bureau—Full Description of the Occasion, an Excellent Synopsis of Lecture Published in Nashville Daily Papers—Lecture Caused Much Newspaper Comment—Account of the Lecture by the Nashville Daily American—Memphis Commercial Appeal, in an Editorial, Uses the Published Accounts of This Lecture as a Basis for an Argument for More Industrial Training for the White Race—The Editorial.

Invitation to Accompany a Committee of Atlanta Gentlemen to Washington to Intercede for a Congressional Appropriation for the Cotton States’ Exposition—The Author Among Others Speaks before the Committee on Appropriations—Arguments Set Forth by Him in Favor of an Appropriation—Appropriation Granted—The Negro Building at the Atlanta or Cotton States’ Exposition and the Success of the Negro Exhibit under Chief Commissioner, I. Garland Penn—The Exhibit of the Tuskegee Institute—Author Invited by the Board of Directors to Deliver an Address at the Public Exercises on the Opening Day—He Feels the Weight of this Responsibility—An Account of the Author’s Feelings as the Time Drew Near for the Opening of the Exposition—He Leaves Tuskegee for Atlanta, Accompanied by Mrs. Washington and His Daughter Portia and the Two Boys, Baker and Davidson—Incidents of the Day before the Time for the Opening Exercises at the Exposition—At the Exercises Author is Introduced to the Audience by Ex-Governor Bullock, Who Presided on that Occasion—Author’s Speech in Full—Author Invited by D. C. Gilman of Johns Hopkins University to be one of the Judges of Awards in the Department of Education in Atlanta—An Account of the Reception of His Speech Written by James Creelman, Correspondent to the New York World—Hon. Clark Howell, Editor of the Atlanta Constitution, Writes Concerning the Speech to the New York World—Some Samples of What the Press of the Country Had to Say in Regard to this Speech—His Letter in Full—In a Few Hours After the Speech Author Begins Receiving Messages of Congratulation—He Returns to Tuskegee the Next Day, at Every Station on the Route Meeting Crowds of People Anxious to Shake Hands with Him—Hon. Grover Cleveland, then President of the United States, Writes Author a Letter in Regard to the Atlanta Speech—Author Receives Many Flattering Offers from Lecture Bureaus to Deliver Lectures but Refuses Them All—He Continues His Labors in Behalf of Tuskegee.

Author Writes an Open Letter to Senator Tillman during the Meeting of a Constitutional Convention in South Carolina—He Sets Forth the Negro’s Claim upon the Whites for Justice and Fair Play—He Urges the Whites to Help and Not to Hinder the Progress of the Negroes—He Pleads for Negro Education—The Letter in Full—Is Asked by an Atlanta Paper to Write a Letter on the Benefits of the Atlanta Exposition of 1895—Complies in an Interesting Letter which Outlines the Benefits of the Exposition Alike to Negroes, Southern Whites, and to the Country Generally—This Letter in Full—Author Continues His Campaign of Speech Making in the North during the Winter of 1895-6—Speaks at Carnegie Hall, New York, Appearing with Dr. T. DeWitt Talmage and Others, President Grover Cleveland Presiding—Some Extracts from the Speech Delivered on this Occasion—Returning to Tuskegee to be Present at the Annual Meeting of the Tuskegee Negro Farmer’s Conference—In March, 1896, Speaks Before the Bethel Literary Society of Washington, D. C.—Answers Some Criticisms by Colored Newspapers of His Atlanta Speech.

Tuskegee Institute, in Connection with Hampton, Makes an Industrial Exhibit in New York, Boston and Philadelphia—Academic Work at Tuskegee, Its Thoroughness—The Great Surprise of the Author’s Life—An Account of Commencement at Harvard in June, 1896—The Degree of Master of Arts Conferred Upon Author—Takes Lunch with President Eliot Along with Gen. Miles, Dr. Savage and Others Receiving Honorary Degrees—Speaks at the Alumni Dinner—A Notable Address—The Address in Full—Thos. J. Calloway’s Letter to the Colored American Concerning this Event—Some Newspaper Comments—Speaks to a Large Audience at the Meeting of the National Christian Endeavor Convention, Washington, D. C.—The Following Evening Addresses the National Educational Association at Buffalo, New York, Where 20,000 Teachers Were Present—Some Newspaper Accounts of this Address—Visits North Carolina in October, 1896, and Speaks to the Colored People at a Fair in Durham—While in Durham Invited to Address Students of Trinity College, White—Warmly Received and Heartily Cheered by Students.

The Washington Post and Other Papers Urge the Appointment of the Author in the Cabinet of President McKinley—Some Extracts From Articles Urging Such Appointment—In the Midst of this Discussion Author Declares He Would Not Accept a Political Position That Would Compel Him to Turn Aside From the Work at Tuskegee—He Speaks in Washington in March, 1897—He Urges Negroes to Cease Depending Too Much on Office Getting, and Give More Attention to Industrial and Business Enterprises—Certain Criticisms of Author Answered.

Author Invited to Make an Address at the Dedication in Boston of a Monument to Col. Robert Gould Shaw and Regiment—He Accepts and Delivered the Address—The Speech in Full—Impressions of this Speech as Told by the Boston Transcript and Other Papers—The Thrilling Incident of Sergeant Carney, the Color-Bearer for the Old Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts During the Dedicatory Exercises—The Visit of Secretary of Agriculture, Hon. James Wilson, and Other Prominent Statesmen and Educators at the Dedication of the Agricultural Building—Something of the Agricultural Department at Tuskegee—An Open Letter to the Louisiana State Constitutional Convention—In this Letter Author Pleads that More of a Christian Spirit Should Animate the Races in their Dealings with each Other—That Negroes be not Treated as Aliens—That if Ballot Restrictions be Necessary, any Law Passed on the Subject Ought to Apply Alike to Whites and Blacks—That in the Same Degree the Ballot Box is Closed to the Negro, the Public Schools be Opened to Him—The Letter in Full—Author’s Position Endorsed by the Leading Democratic Papers in New Orleans—Author Delivers an Address Before the Regents of the University of New York in June, 1898.

The Movement at Tuskegee for the Education of Cubans and Porto Ricans—The Trustees of the John F. Slater Fund Enables Author and Mrs. Washington to Lecture in the Cities of the South—These Lectures were Plain Talks to the Colored People about the Financial, Physical, Mental and Moral Needs—The Peace Celebrations in the United States after the Spanish-American War—The Author Invited to Speak at the Chicago Peace Jubilee—Accepts and Speaks October 16, 1898—Many Prominent People Present, Including President McKinley, Cabinet Officers, Heroes of the Late War, and Others—Names of Other Speakers—Author’s Speech in Full on this Occasion—What the Chicago Times-Herald had to say in Regard to this Speech—President McKinley Listened to this Speech and Bowed His Appreciation—Some Criticisms in the South of Portions of this Speech—Criticisms Replied to by Author in a Letter to the Birmingham (Ala.) Age-Herald—Author’s Policy in Speech Making—The Need of Greater Charity of the Races Towards Each Other.

Author’s Early Desire to Have the President of the United States Visit Tuskegee—After Years of Work and Struggle, Author is More than ever Determined to Secure a Visit from the President—President McKinley’s Coming to Atlanta Gives Author Opportunity to Invite Him to Tuskegee—For this Purpose Author goes to Washington and Sees the President—He Goes a Second Time to Washington Accompanied by Mr. Chas. W. Hare of Tuskegee—Dr. J. L. M. Curry, Without Author’s Knowledge Urges the President to Visit Tuskegee Institute—During His Second Visit to Washington Author Secures a Definite Promise from the President to Visit Tuskegee—President McKinley in Conversation with Author Exhibits Great Interest in the Welfare of the Negro—Other Prominent Men with the President’s Party—Great Crowds at Tuskegee on the Day of the President’s Visit—How the Day was Spent—The Parade—Exercises and Speech-making in the Chapel—The President’s Address—Extracts from Address of Secretary of the Navy, John D. Long—Postmaster-General Smith’s Closing Remarks—White and Colored Citizens of Tuskegee Show Great Interest in the President’s Visit—They Assist Materially in Giving the President a Becoming Reception—The President’s Opinion of the Visit Told in His Letter to Author—The Letter in Full.

How the Conference Movement was Started—The First Invitations that were Sent Out—The Financial Condition of the Negroes in the Black Belt—The Mortgage System—The Large Number that Came to the First Conference a Surprise to Author—Author States in His Opening Address His Plans of Conducting the Conference—The Method of Ascertaining the Condition of the People in the Various Communities—Things Discussed—Others Present Besides Negro Farmers of the Black Belt—Newspaper Representatives Present—The Declarations of the First Conference—The Number of Conferences Already Held—The Attendance at the Conferences—Similar Conferences in Other States—Local Conferences—The Spirit of the Earlier Conferences as Compared with the Later Ones—What These Conferences have Taught the People—Some Extracts from Talks or Reports at the Conferences Made by Black Belt Negroes—The Workers’ Conference—Of Whom Composed—The Subjects Discussed in Workers’ Conferences.

Author Appears with Dr. W. E. B. DuBois and Paul Laurence Dunbar Before a Representative Audience at Hollis St. Theatre, Boston—He Speaks Before the Birmingham Lyceum, Birmingham, Ala.—Kind Friends in Boston Arrange to Have Author and Mrs. Washington Spend a Vacation in Europe—They Sail for Europe in May, Landing at Antwerp—Visit the Rural Districts in Belgium and Holland and Look Into the Dairy Systems—From Holland Back to Antwerp and thence to Brussels—From Brussels to Paris, Remaining there Six Weeks—The Stay in Paris—Attentions from the American Ambassador—Author Addressed the University Club—The Stay in Paris a Restful One—From Paris to London—The Stay in England Full of Social Functions—Author Speaks at Essex Hall on the Race Problem—The American Ambassador, Hon. Joseph H. Choate, Presides, and Hon. James Bryce also Speaks—Reception to Author and Wife in Connection with this Meeting by Rev. Brooke Hereford and Wife—Other Receptions—Editorial in the London Daily Chronicle in Regard to Author and His Work—The Most Restful and Interesting Part of the Vacation in England—Several Cities in England Visited—Author Writes Letters to the American Press, and Makes a Study of Africa While in London—In Letter Written While in London he Argues Against American Negroes Emigrating to Africa—Some Reasons for His Position—A Letter to the American Press on Lynching—A Strong Appeal Against this Evil—Facts and Figures Presented Showing that Lynching Does Not Lessen Crime, and is Not Inflicted for Any One Crime.

The Return from Europe—A Communication from W. Herman Smith, Mayor of Charleston, West Virginia—An Invitation to Visit Charleston, Signed by the Governor, ex-Governor, and Many of the Most Prominent Citizens—The Invitation Accepted—The Reception at Charleston—Receptions to Author by the Citizens of Atlanta, Montgomery and New Orleans—The Industrial Convention at Huntsville, Ala.—Author Invited to Address that Convention—His Address on that Occasion—The Address of ex-Governor MacCorkle—The Influence of that Address and of the Huntsville Convention—The Movement for an Annual Conference in Montgomery to Afford Opportunities for Generous and Liberal Discussions of the Race Question—Its Fitness Discussed.

How the Money for Carrying on the Work at Tuskegee Was Being Raised during Eighteen Years—The Need of an Endowment Fund—The Grant of 25,000 Acres of Land by Congress—The Organized Effort to Secure Endowment Fund—The Meeting for this Purpose in Madison Square Garden—Ex-President Grover Cleveland Interested in the Movement—Prominent People Present at This Meeting—President Cleveland’s Encouraging Letter Stating His Inability to be Present—Hon. Carl Schurz Presides at This Meeting—Address of Mr. Walter H. Page—Mr. W. H. Baldwin, Jr., Speaks—Extracts from This Address—The Financial Condition of the Institute Stated—The Author Speaks at This Meeting—Dr. Rainsford’s Remarks—Some Immediate Results of This Meeting—The Gift of Mr. C. P. Huntington and Others Towards the Endowment.

The Building Up of the Institute, the Author’s Life Work—A History of the Institute Unavoidable in His Autobiography—The Land Owned by the Institute—The Buildings—The Brickyard—The Present Valuation of the Property—The Agricultural Department of the Institute—Its Director—The Agricultural Experiment Station—Some of Prof. Carver’s Experiments—The Home Farm—The Marshall Farm—The Mechanical Department—A Description of the Slater-Armstrong Memorial Trades Building—The Trades Taught—The Department of Domestic Sciences, Mrs. Booker T. Washington Directress—What the Department Embraces—The Nurse Training Division—Facilities for Instruction in Connection with the School’s Hospital—The Course of Study, what it Embraces—The Division of Music—The Course in Piano Forte—Vocal Music—Musical Organizations at the Institute—The Band and Orchestra—The Bible Training Department—Phelps Hall—Objects of This Department—The Academic Department—The Course of Study—Students in This Department—The Day School—The Night School—The Chapel of the Institute—A Description of It.

The Nature of the Author’s Work at Tuskegee—The Discouragements Met with in the Early Years—Author’s First Experience at Speaking to Northern Audiences—General Armstrong’s Advice and Helpfulness—His Interest in the Work at Tuskegee—His Last Visit to Tuskegee—His Reception by Teachers and Students—Author’s First Public Address in the North—Author’s Campaign of Speech-making in the South to His Own People—His First Opportunity to Speak to a Large Audience of White People in the South—Some Incidents and the Results of this Speech as Told by the Christian World—Author’s Rule About Engagements of a Public Nature—The Difficulty in the Early Years in Getting Interviews with Prominent People—The Difficulty to Secure Opportunities to Speak in Churches in the Beginning—Some Reasons Why This Was So—The First Legacy Received by the School—Later Legacies—Some of Author’s Experiences with Benefactors—Some Interesting and Lucky Experiences of Author While Collecting Money—An Article in the “Outlook” on the Ministry—Criticism and Censure—Bishop D. A. Payne Corroborates Author’s Position—Credit Given T. Thomas Fortune and E. J. Scott, Author’s Private Secretary—The Financial Policy of Tuskegee at Present Contrasted with That of the Early Years—The System of Book-keeping at Tuskegee—$1,000,000 Raised—How to Succeed in Any Undertaking—The Kind of People the World Needs—Hard Work the Author’s Synonym of “Luck” and the Price of All Success.