Washington

Question: How is Washington providing an answer to the “go north” or “stay south” debate we looked at in Frederick Douglass’s Life and Times?
Answer: Washington suggested staying south. Washington is saying basically to save the economy in the south and to use each other to do so. He tells the whites to help the blacks, and in return blacks would help whites. He says “ cast it down in making friends in every manly way of the people of all races by whom we are surrounded”. He is speaking to the white man and telling them make friends with the blacks. Later Washington says, “Casting down your bucket among my people, helping and encouraging them as you are doing on these grounds, and to education of head, hand, ad heart, you will find that they will buy your surplus land, make blossom the waste places in your fields, and run your factories” Washington is saying that if whites befriended blacks or gave them a chance then they could help better the economy. Washington also said, “ in all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.” During Washington’s first half of the speech he emphasized casting down the bucket, and now he has provided another reason why to cast down the bucket and why to give blacks a chance. He basically has said that it is not necessary to be separate because it will get not get anybody anywhere but that all people know to progress everybody needs to be on mutual terms. He told them that are the only way to progress.