Monday, November 2, 2026 

EOTO: Positive Outlook 

The founding of Tuskegee University in 1881 

The founding of Tuskegee University is an important part of American history. The school was established in Tuskegee, Alabama, on July 4, 1881, during a time when educational opportunities for African Americans were extremely limited.

According to the National Park Service, Tuskegee began as a school focused on training African American teachers. Its first class consisted of about 30 adult students, and the school did not have its own permanent campus when it opened.

One of the most important people behind Tuskegee's creation was Lewis Adams. Adams was born into slavery but understood the importance that education could have for African Americans after emancipation. He helped push for the establishment of a school where Black students could receive an education.

Lewis Adams continued supporting Tuskegee after it opened. He served on its first governing board and helped students learn skilled trades. His involvement showed that Tuskegee was built not only through the work of national leaders, but also through the efforts of members of the local Black community. More about his role can be found through the National Park Service's history of Lewis Adams.

Booker T. Washington became Tuskegee's founding principal in 1881 and played a major role in developing the school. Washington believed students should receive a traditional education while also learning practical skills that could help them find work and support themselves

Under Washington's leadership, students learned skills connected to agriculture, carpentry, brickmaking, and other trades. Students even helped construct buildings as the campus expanded. His leadership eventually helped transform Tuskegee from a small school into a nationally recognized institution. The Tuskegee University History and Mission page provides more information about this development.

George Washington Carver became another major figure in Tuskegee's history. He was not an original founder, but he joined the faculty in 1896 and became known for his work in agriculture and science. His research helped educate Tuskegee students while also providing farmers with information about improving their farming practices.

Tuskegee's early years were far from easy. The school had limited money, supplies, equipment, and buildings. Although Alabama provided funding for teachers' salaries, Washington still needed to raise additional money to help the institution expand.

AI DISCLOSURE: AI was used heavily on this assignment. I put in a detailed prompt into Claude AI to write a 500-600 word blog post about the reconstruction part I was tasked to do. I also asked AI to include embedded links to reliable sources. 

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 Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Plessy v. Ferguson Mock Trial Reaction

Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark 1896 case

     

In class today, I was a part of the audience that watched the two mock trial teams in the case of Plessy V Ferguson, with the first team being the team defending Plessy. These are some facts I wrote down about the case and some things I already knew about the case. Homer Plessy was a black man who could “pass” and live in white society. He bought a first-class ticket for a white car illegally and was fined under the Separate Car Act, with the defending side asking whether this violated his rights under the 14th Amendment.

They argued the Constitution should not play into a citizen’s legal rights because of race. Plessy was not drunk or disorderly; he simply was there and had to face consequences for it.

Citizens who purchase tickets and obey the laws have a right to equal service, and Plessy paid an equal fare for an equal seat.

Segregation, they said, is unjust and unconstitutional, and bad for the community. It teaches children racism; do we want children to grow up this way? 

It also has costs that affect the entire nation: separation causes unnecessary confusion, may leave valuable seating unused, harms workers and users, and risks businesses losing supporters and customers.       

                           

Now, for the side that is defending Ferguson, we have to look at the Separate Car Act because that act does not treat people differently; they are separated but treated equally. Louisiana did not invent this law, but it happens everywhere.

The 13th and 14th Amendments did not allow races and social life to mix, and they do not reach private, social distinctions. 

The 13th abolished slavery and did nothing more, and the 14th made people equal only by law, not through social mingling. The Congress that drafted the 14th knew of the rulings and left it anyway.

To honor order is not hatred; it’s humility. Inferiority lies not in the act, only in the meaning itself. 

No society has been able to exist without some form of social expectations, and the idea of separate institutions has existed for generations. Whether someone approves is not the issue here. Law cannot overcome social customs.      

 Monday, November 2, 2026 

         Reconstruction Era Documentary 

Portraits of important historical figures of the Reconstruction Era.

While watching the Reconstruction video, I was able to see many events that I and I would think most people probably don't know about. It showed things like what life was like for Black people after the Civil War. It also told us that life for people in New Orleans was very hard and filled with violence all around. Black communities in New Orleans were frequently attacked by white mobs, and at least 48 people died from these attacks. 

There had to be a change, as what was happening to people in the black communties were devestving and needed to be addressed immediately, so some actions were taken to try to stop the violence happening and the risk of future violence against black people.  But with Survivors of these attacks, like Lucy Tibbs, testifying to Congress, it helped to bring widespread attention to this issue and helped in the process of solving it.

 

During the 1800s, the 14th Amendment became one of the most important laws, as it established a birthright to citizenship in the country. So basically, if you were born in the country, then the state cannot deny any person due process or equal protection under the law.

The 14th Amendment also made it so that southern states had to allow black men to vote in the country and they could hold office.

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In 1867, activists and army officers were able to register black voters across the South. The share of black men nationwide who could vote rose from being under 1% at the start of the year to more than 80% by the end of the year. That year, Congress also divided the Confederacy into five military districts, which US generals oversaw. 

Although many people were against black people in the aftermath of the Civil War, there were still some people who were actually fighting with them. For example, poor farmers were one of the alies that they had with them because they both wanted the same thing: better conditions for farmers and both races. 

To conclude, I think video is a very good insight and a way to see how history treats change in the country. As many people did not want to change and did not like change in general, the change that happened during the Reconstruction era was one of the best changes this country has gone through and helped to make this country what it is today.