- The end of Reconstruction marked a new chapter in Georgia's history, the New South era.

During this time, Georgia was changing fast.

New industries were growing, and many people, Black and white, were looking for ways to move forward.

Reconstruction had created some economic, political, and social opportunities for African Americans.

Out of these experiences, two different visions for how the South should move forward, began to develop.

The main leaders who represented these ideas were Booker T. Washington, and W.E.B Du Bois.

Both men wanted to improve the lives of Black Americans, but they had very different backgrounds, beliefs, and plans for how to achieve that goal.

Even so, Washington and Du Bois had a major influence on the political direction of Black Americans during the New South era and beyond.

Booker T. Washington was born into slavery in Virginia to an enslaved mother and a white father.

When the Civil War ended, he gained his freedom at just nine years old.

As a kid, Washington worked two tough jobs, one at a local salt works before school, and another in a coal mine after school.

It was in that coal mine that he first learned of the Hampton Institute, a school in Virginia established for formerly enslaved people.

Determined to get an education, Washington walked 500 miles to enroll at the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute.

The Hampton Institute was a normal school or a school that trained teachers, but it also provided instruction in skilled traits.

When he arrived, Washington fully embraced the school's mission.

He excelled as a student and earned the respect of the school's Founder Samuel Armstrong, who later invited Washington to return as a teacher.

Booker T. Washington adopted Armstrong's ideas about Black education, believing that African Americans would gain equality through slow, steady progress.

He thought economic success was the key to earning the respect of whites, and that political and social inequalities would fade over time if Black Americans could prove their value in the workforce.

Because of this, Washington encouraged Black Americans to learn skilled trades like carpentry and machine work, rather than white collar jobs.

These ideas gained support from powerful white leaders and helped Washington become a national leader in politics and education.

He later became the co-founder and principle of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, another school that trained Black teachers and skilled workers.

But in Georgia's history, Booker T. Washington is best known for his speech at the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition.

It was called "The Atlanta Compromise."

In his speech, Washington encouraged Black Southerners to prioritize economic success and to accept segregation, for the time being.

This meant postponing demands for equal rights like voting.

In return, he, they would gain basic legal protections, the chance to own property, job opportunities, and training in vocational and industrial skills.

Many in the audience, Black and white, supported his message.

This moderate approach to race was a key idea of the New South era and continued even after Washington's lifetime.

But Washington wasn't the only voice shaping Black society in the New South.

To understand the full picture, we have to meet the man who challenged Booker T. Washington's ideas.

His name was W.E.B.

Du Bois.

The Bois's background was very different from Washington's.

His father was from Haiti, and his mother's family had been free for generations.

That meant Du Bois was born a free citizen of the United States, something many African Americans in the South had not experienced.

He grew up in Massachusetts in a family that had owned their own land for more than 150 years.

He also went to a college preparatory school in an integrated community, which gave Du Bois opportunities many Black Americans didn't have at the time.

In 1888, Du Bois enrolled at Harvard College where he eventually earned three degrees.

It was Du Bois's life experiences and access to education that shaped his beliefs.

He held more progressive views in Washington, believing that white collar executive work was achievable for African Americans.

Du Bois argued Black people could and should become doctors, lawyers, business owners, and work in high status positions.

Determined to share his message with young minds, W.E.B.

Du Bois became a prominent writer and a professor at Atlanta University, where he taught courses on history, economics, and human society.

Eventually, Du Bois gained so much support that he became an important voice for the Black community.

Though they had their differences, W.E.B.

Du Bois and Booker T. Washington didn't always disagree about what the path to racial equality should look like.

Earlier in his career, Du Bois actually supported Washington's push for gradual advancements for Black people, and even praised his 1895 "Atlanta Compromise" speech.

Du Bois would also join Washington as a member of the staff at the Tuskegee Institute.

but their perspective split after W.E.B.

Du Bois released a book that challenged some of Washington's views.

In it, Du Bois argued that Washington's slow and steady strategy would not stop discrimination, and that accepting racism would only allow it to continue.

Unfortunately, it looked like Du Bois was right.

Heavy violence, numerous lynchings and events like the 1906 Atlanta race massacre tarnished Washington's approach.

These crimes made it clear to Du Bois: African Americans would need to demand speedier change.

So in 1905, W.E.B.

Du Bois helped form the Niagara Movement, a political group that stood firmly against racial segregation and advocated for full civil and political rights.

This movement helped lead to the creation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP, another organization Du Bois helped found to fight for Black civil rights.

Publicly, Washington disapproved of Du Bois's criticisms and continued to push for gradual change, but privately Booker T. Washington funded causes that supported Du Bois's push to end discriminatory laws.

In the end, Booker T. Washington played a huge role in African American advancement during the New South era by encouraging gradual progress.

While W.E.B.

Du Bois called for immediate change, making him one of the earliest and most influential civil rights leaders of his time.

Their paths didn't always line up, but together, Washington and Du Bois helped shape the voice and future of the New South.

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