The Appropriateness of Booker T. Washington and W. E. B....

Essential Question: Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois offered different strategies for dealing with the problems of poverty and discrimination faced by Black Americans at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries. Assess the appropriateness of each of these strategies in the historical context in which each was developed. After the period where big businesses operated the country to benefit themselves, the middle class activists began to rise against these unjust actions. The new era was known to be the Progressive Era. Not only were progressives fighting for restoration in social equality, others like muckrakers were revealing the inadequate conditions in factories. Due to these events, African†¦show more content†¦Because of these actions and different techniques, society divided into those who advocated Du Bois and those who advocated Washington. However, Du Bois gained less support than Booker T. Washington because Washington’s viewpoint was promoted by much of the white population. Therefore consequence of this support was that Washington’s approaches to gain full citizenship was more suitable than Du Bois’ policies. The Progressive Era was a term used to describe a time period that had numerous reforms to correct the problems of the country. The origins of this time period was created from the lower class aiming to, â€Å"eliminate corruption in government, regulate business practices, address health hazards, and improve working conditions.† Not only did the lower class support reform, but middle class workers too because they were in competition with immigrants for jobs or they were women struggling for the same rights that men had. Another reform Progressives wanted was the right to a direct say in the primaries of elections so the public had more control within government. With more control in the government, this would allow the power of big corporation to be limited and prevent future problems that the middle and lower classes could endure. These goals the reformers had in the Progressive Era, led to a plethora of movements and actions in