Booker T. Washington Vs W.E.B. Du Boise

In reference to the years between 1877 and 1915, I assessed that, based on between each of these strategies, Booker T. Washington's approach was more appropriate during the time period between 1877 and 1915 than W.E.B. Du Boise's strategy, because while Booker T. Washington's strategy would take longer to deal with the problems of poverty and discrimination in comparison to W.E.B. Du Boise's strategy, it is far more likely that changes to a society would be accepted if they were introduced slowly into people's minds by Booker T. Washington's approach.

In 1877 Reconstruction ended with the signing of the Compromise of 1877. In 1877 there was no presidential candidate that had received the appropriate number required to take the white house. Samuel Tilden had gotten only 184 of the 185 that he needed to beat Hayes. Therefore it was up to Congress to decide who would win the presidency. There were a total of 15 people voting. Seven of them were republicans; while the other eight were democrats. Obviously the Republican candidate, Rutherford Hayes, won the presidency. However, to avoid claims of unfair voting, President Hayes agreed to three compromises. He would pull troops out of the south; give money to the south for internal improvements, such as railroads, and to allow a well known southerner to be in his cabinet. This is significant because it marked the end of reconstruction. Reconstruction was unsuccessful because according to (Doc J). "colored" people were still drinking from "colored" water fountains. Booker T. Washington's strategy would be more appropriate because segregation was still very prominent in many areas. It would be more difficult to accustom people to the association of blacks and whites suddenly, than if it were done over time.

Viewing "School Enrollment Graph" in (Doc A), it is apparent that W.E.B Du Boise's strategy for reducing discrimination in schools may have worked, if it were not for the fact that there simply were not enough people willing to teach black students. Although there were a few black teachers educating young black American's, it was still not enough to turn the tides of discrimination until a later date. Many people in this time period are just not ready to accept the education of blacks in school. It goes against the values and traditions they were taught. An appropriate reference is that of the talented tenth. The talented tenth was a phrase used by W.E.B. Du Boise to express the possibility that only one out of ten in the black population would one day leaders. He believed that only through education that this one tenth would one day accomplish this. However, Booker T. Washington's approach was much more silent and effective. In the Atlanta compromise, Booker T. Washington agrees with southern white leaders for black people to, not promote suffrage for their people, protest against discrimination, all while