Armstrong

BIOGRAPHY    Gerorge Washington Carver (1864-1943) was born of slave parents near Diamond Grove, Missouri. He lived with his mother Mary and his brother, James. One night a couple of kidnappers, kidnapped him and his mom, Mary. They were successful in finding George but they couldn't find his mother.  When George returned he was really sick.  He had contracted the whooping cough.  His masters, The Carvers, nursed him back to health. The Carvers raised George and his brother, James as one of their own.  Slaves did not have last names that is why after the war they took the Carvers' last name.  For the first couple years of his life he worked in the farm. At an early age George already showed interest in plants and enjoyed caring for them, especially the sick ones.  He was known as the Plant Doctor.  When he turned ten years old he left Missouri and settled in Minneapolis, Kansas, where he worked his way through high school with the help of Andrew and Mariah Watkins, a black couple.George spent the next couple of years trying to fill his thirst for knowledge.  By 1855 he had saved enough money and he decided to go to college.  He enrolled in a couple of colleges but were denied because they didn't admit black students.  He was encouraged to apply at Simpson College of Iowaand he was accepted.  He later transferred to Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts to study botany. George believed that nothing would help his people as much as a through knowledge of the science of agriculture.  Iowa State was the leader in agricultural research and education.  George joined the college faculty and specialized in bacteriological laboratory work in systematic botany.He graduated in 1894.  Through his research George became known to the agriculture departments throughout the country.  He became really interested in the offer that he received from Booker T. Washington, the founder of Tuskegee Institute.  Carver believed that the best way for African Americans to overcome racial prejudice was to learn the skills that will help them to become productive members of society.He accepted a position as Director of Agricultural Research Department at Tuskegee Institute in April of 1896.  He began to experiment with ways to improve the soil. In those days cotton was planted exclusively by African Americans but each year the yield was less.  Cotton didn't replace the nitrogen it used back to the soil; However, peanuts and sweet potato did.  Carver encouraged his people to plant peanuts and sweet potatoes.  This was a problem because there was not enough market for these items.  This is when George decided to go in his laboratory and invent over  three-hundred ways to use peanuts and over a hundred ways to use sweet potatoes.  He also worked with soybeans.  This made southern farmers start planting other crops, besides cotton.  He also taught them methods of soil improvement. He became known as a brilliant and inventive scientist by all, whites and blacks.  This man is a part of what is now called the Harlem Renaissance, when people began to really take African Americans seriously.  George Washington Carver was the person most responsible for the economic survival of the South.  With his great inventions people didn't have a choice but to take him serious, even though he was black.Just like George other African Americans began to show their abilities during this time,the media had to recognize that they were good.Because of this, George received numerous awards honoring his achievements, For ex: he was named Fellow of Royal Society of London, England and he was also awarded the Spingarn Medal in 1923 from the NAACP. Unfortunately everyone has to die someday.  The brilliant George Washington Carver died on January 5, 1943.  George Washington Carver is perhaps the nations best known African American scientist.  He will always be remembered for his great achievements and inventions.                                                                                                     Articles                                                                       EXTRA!  EXTRA!  READ ALL ABOUT IT!                                         "New ways to use Peanuts and Sweet Potatoes"    Do you need more money?  Are you having problems with growing crops on your soil?  If your answer is yes to these questions, you are in luck.  The brilliant scientist George Washington Carver experimented with peanuts and sweet potatoes and found some great results.  Finding that peanuts and sweet potatoes bring nutrients back into the soil, helping you to enrich your soil and also grow more crops.  To add to this great invention he also found great new ways to use peanuts and sweet potatoes since there was not enough market for these products.  Some of the marketable products made from peanuts were peanut butter,shampoo, milk, cheese, mayonnaise, instant coffee, flour, soap, dyes, face powder, oil, adhesives, plastics and pickles. The products made from sweet potato included, vinegar, flour, starch, molasses and ink, etc.                                                                                                                                                                                                          "A Man Committed to his People "    George Washington Carver, a brilliant and inventive scientist, was a man who worked hard to help see the advancement of his people, African Americans. While inventing new uses of peanut butter and sweet potatoes and ways to improve the soil, George Washington Carver never allowed anyone to give him money for his inventions.  He wanted to earn his own way.  He just waned to help his people, even though he could have added fortunes to his fame he chose not to.  Before the magnificent George Washington Carver died he donated all the money he saved up to the research in natural science.

Editorial   George Washington Carver, a brilliant scientist, is known for his great inventions.  Millions of people remember him as the peanut butter man.  George Washington Carver took peanuts and sweet potatoes and invented many uses for them.  These uses include plastics, synthetic rubber, shaving cream, paper, etc.  Without this incredible invention who knows what great products we would be missing out on.  Before his invention farmers basically depended on growing cotton.  He helped them realize that by growing other crops such as peanuts and sweet potatoes not only would the farmers improve the soil on their land they would also make some extra money.  What a great invention!!!!!                                                                                                                                              Historiography Why did Carver invent these things, to help his people or to save the South?Many people say that George Washington Carver is the man most responsible for the economic survival of the South.  During this time the South had many economical difficulties.  Cotton yield was smaller every year.  This was because cotton did not return nitrogen back into the soil.  George Washington Carver, " The Plant Doctor, American Educator, and an innovator in the agricultural sciences."  But why did George Washington really invent these things.  Was it to help save the South's economy or was really it to help the advancement of his people, African Americans?  Many authors state that Carvers' main reason for inventing these things was because he love science and he wanted to help save the South's economy while introducing new crops, ways to use them and ways to improve the quality of the soil, so crops would grow.  Many would disagree with this statement.  Many other authors will disagree because George Washington Carver was a man who greatly wanted to see the advancement of his people.  Would Carver dedicate his whole life to contribute his inventions to the world of science just so African Americans would be taken serious in the United States of America?  He still would be classified as a wise man great scientist and no matter what the real reason is!!!!