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Booker T. Washington (1856)close

Born in Hales Ford, Virginia, Booker T. Washington founded Tuskeegee Institute, the first college for African Americans, in 1881 in Alabama. He was a leader in helping African Americans begin gaining equality with white people.

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This page presents short biographies of more than 200 famous Americans drawn from our unit, "The 50 States." These personalities are arranged by theme.

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