The Story of the Negro: The Rise of the Race from Slavery and The Negro as a Freeman.

WASHINGTON, Booker T. [William Howard Taft].

$28,000.00

Item Number: 149850

New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1909.

First edition, association copy of Booker T. Washington’s significant history of Americans of African descent, inscribed by him to William Howard Taft as his advisor in the first year of Taft’s presidency. Octavo, two volumes, original publisher’s red cloth with gilt titles to the spine, top edge gilt, tissue-guarded photographic frontispiece portrait of Booker T. Washington by George G. Rockwood. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper of in the year of publication and first year of Taft’s presidency in volume 1, “To President William H. Taft with the highest appreciation of Booker T. Washington Tuskegee, Alabama. Dec. 9, 1909.” As president of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, Washington played a pivotal role in shaping the educational framework for African Americans, focusing on industrial and agricultural skills. Washington’s influence extended beyond education into the political sphere, where he became a trusted advisor to Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. His advisory role was instrumental in advocating for policies that promoted Black economic progress, though his philosophy of gradualism and accommodation toward racial inequality drew criticism from figures like W. E. B. Du Bois. Washington’s invitation to the White House by Roosevelt in 1901 marked a significant moment in his political career, symbolizing his prominence but also drawing scrutiny from those who believed his conciliatory approach undermined the push for immediate civil rights. Washington’s relationship with Taft, who succeeded Roosevelt in 1909, was built on mutual respect and shared political interests, particularly regarding the economic development of Black communities in the South. Washington advised Taft on matters related to race relations and the needs of Black Americans, using his influence to encourage policies that would foster economic opportunities for African Americans. Their relationship was characterized by a pragmatic approach to race, with Washington advocating for the economic advancement of African Americans through education and labor rather than political or social confrontation. In very good condition with some rubbing and slight fraying to the cloth extremities. A fine association, linking two prominent figures in early 20th century American history.

In The Story of the Negro, Booker T. Washington traces the history of African Americans from slavery through the early twentieth century, underscoring education and self-reliance as essential foundations for progress. In the preface, he writes, "If the reading of these chapters shall in any degree inspire any Negro to make himself useful and successful in the world...I shall feel that I have accomplished what I started out to do in the writing of these pages." This ethos—rooted in vocational training, discipline, and economic self-sufficiency—had long shaped Washington’s public philosophy. His earlier autobiography, Up from Slavery, presents a personal narrative of his ascent from bondage to national prominence, culminating in the founding of Tuskegee Institute, an institution dedicated to industrial education and practical skill-building. Washington’s educational model, though widely influential, was not without its critics. Most notably, W.E.B. Du Bois challenged what he perceived as Washington’s emphasis on manual labor and economic accommodation at the expense of political rights and higher education. For Du Bois, Washington’s approach risked reinforcing existing racial hierarchies by training Black Americans to accept second-class status. Washington framed his approach as a form of pragmatism, aimed at securing concrete progress within the constraints of an era marked by racial violence, legal segregation, and widespread disenfranchisement. The Story of the Negro and Up from Slavery together articulate his vision of racial advancement through labor, moral discipline, and the development of autonomous Black institutions. These texts also became central to ongoing debates over the strategies and responsibilities of Black leadership in the early twentieth century, particularly the tension between vocational training and the pursuit of political and intellectual equality.