Up from slavery ,an autobiography of Booker T.Washington.Chapter 2 :Boyhood days of Booker T. Washington .Page: 15 to 23.

Washington`s name presented another problem . He always had been called simply "Booker",before going to school ,he never had encountered any need for a last name .But when he heard the school roll call, he noticed that all of the other children had both a first and a last name . Later in life , he discovered that his mother had given him the name Booker Taliaferro soon after he was born . He then adopted the name Booker Taliaferro Washington .When Washington was a small child , he decided that ,if he accomplished nothing else in life .He somehow got enough education to be able to read common books and newspapers. In all his efforts to learn to read , his mother encouraged him and aided him in every way that she could .Although she was illiterate , she had high ambitions for her children .The period during which he was permitted to attend day school was short , and his attendance was irregular .Soon he had to devote all of his time to work . The work was dangerous and hard . There always was the chance of being blown to pieces by a premature powder explosion or of being crushed by falling slate . Such accidents occurred frequently and keep him in constant fear .
In fact , most of his boyhood education was obtained through night schooling . Often he had to walk several miles at night to have lessons . Throughout his youth , no matter how discouraging his circumstances were , he remained determined to obtain an education .I think Washington was an open-minded boy and eager to learn .He was dedicated to studying although he had difficulty attending school .