Tourgee and Washington both emphasize the importance of education in elevating Southern black people during Reconstruction. Much of Tourgee’s Bricks Without Straw revolves around the creation of a school for the black children of Red Wing. Washington’s autobiography, Up from Slavery, chronicles his own education at Hampton and his founding of Tuskegee. Tourgee and Washington, however, disagree on the importance of politics. While Washington eschewed a career in politics for one in education, Tourgee emphasizes how white Southerners forced black men out of politics and contested their voting rights. Whereas Tourgee portrays Southern whites as being hostile to black voters and politicians, as well as their white allies, Washington focuses on harmony between the races. For Washington, commercial interdependence, such as when white Southerners buy bricks from Tuskegee, is more essential than political participation.
