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George Washington Carver was an African American scientist born into slavery in the 19th century. He was raised by his owners, who encouraged his intellectual pursuits. He studied agriculture and became a teacher in Tuskegee, Alabama, where he helped poor farmers improve their crops and lives. He discovered over 100 uses for sweet potatoes and peanuts, and his fame grew, leading to personal acquaintances with three US presidents. He lived frugally and never married, and received numerous awards and honors, including a national monument in Diamond, Missouri.
George Washington Carver was an African American scientist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His exact birth date and year of birth are said to be unknown, although some say he was born in or around Diamond Grove, Missouri in the 19th century. What is known is that he was born a slave. Both his mother and his sister and he were kidnapped when he was a child. Their owner, Moses Carver, searched for them, but could only find the child, abandoned. Later, records suggest that both his mother and sister died of the disease.
His relationship with his owners Moses and Susan, whom he called uncle and aunt, was one of kindness and consideration. When he was still small, slavery was abolished. Susan and Moses raised him and his brother Jim as a family. Susan especially encouraged the young men in her intellectual pursuits. Susan and Moses were happy to see the end of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, and they became very serious about raising the two boys.
Carver was a sickly and frail child, suffering from a persistent cough. As a result, he could not work on farms and work like his brother did. Instead he fell in love with the flowers and plants that surrounded his house and wanted to know every existing plant. He discovered a love for painting early on and would use fruits and vegetables to make paints so he could paint his beloved flowers of him.
Since she could receive only little instruction from “Aunt Susan,” she moved from town to town in Kansas and Missouri in pursuit of a higher education. It took her years longer than most students to graduate because she had to work to support herself. Later, a family in Iowa encouraged him to try out for college. Eventually he was accepted to Simpson College and then transferred to Iowa State University.
While Carver intended to study music and art, he was persuaded to study agriculture instead since he could look forward to a better life. Music and art became secondary loves while he seriously studied agricultural science.
1896 brought him an offer from Booker T. Washington to teach in Tuskegee, Alabama. He accepted and remained there until his death in 1943. He took an early interest in helping poor black farmers in the surrounding area, and was particularly interested in crop rotation to improve cotton production. To do so, he advocated planting crops that would add nitrogen to the soil, including peanuts and sweet potatoes.
Because farmers needed to get the most out of their crops, Carver came up with over 100 uses each for the sweet potato and peanut. Contrary to popular belief, he didn’t invent peanut butter. Instead he made oils, soaps and glues from the products, as well as adding them to foods.
During the 1900s, Carver led a mobile school for poor farmers to teach them how to make the most of their land. He showed them how to make clay colors and taught them how to weave mats for their floors. Although initially both poor black and white farmers were suspicious of his motives, he managed to become an important member of the farming community, helping to significantly improve the lives of the poor.
His fame grew, particularly after the eulogy delivered at Booker T. Washington’s funeral in 1915. He later became personally acquainted with three US presidents: both Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge. His personal philosophy of sharing his learning with the community has been hailed as a tremendously humanistic approach. He lived very frugally and never married.
He also received numerous awards during his lifetime, and many posthumously. Her face has appeared on two US postage stamps. He was the first African American subject for a national monument, located in Diamond, Missouri.
