George Washington Carver Peanut Discoveries

George Washington Carver was a renowned scientist. He discovered many uses for the peanut and potato. Carver was also a botanist, and he was able to revive dying plants. His work with agricultural techniques and the peanut in particular made him famous. From his position as a professor at Tuskegee Institute, Carver taught many people how to rotate crops and care for the land. He saved many southern farmers from starvation and financial ruin.
History
George Washington Carver was born in “ca.1865” to Mary Carver, a servant of Moses and Susan Carver. As an infant, George was kidnapped with his mother by bushwhackers. A neighbor who was a Union scout and knew the movements of those who had taken the pair was able to find George and return him to Mr. Carver, who rewarded him with a racehorse in gratitude. The Carvers took George and his brother, James, in as their own sons. They paid for George’s education, and they also sent him off to school when he had surpassed what they knew. He was brought up as a Christian man, and he continued in this faith all his life. Carver went to Simpson College in Iowa at the age of 26 in about 1890. He received a warm welcome, and blossomed in art and botany. As a result of his showing talent, he was encouraged to transfer to Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts in Ames, Iowa, from which he graduated in 1894. George had a talent with plants, and he used it to help other people by restoring their sick plants. He moved to Tuskegee, Alabama to teach at Tuskegee College in about 1896.
Peanut Discoveries
In the late 1800s the peanut was often referred to as a “goober.” It was used to feed livestock, and was thought not fit to be eaten by humans. Carver thought it had great potential as human food and realized its nitrogen fixing qualities would make it a good crop to rotate with cotton. Many southern farmers were entirely committed to growing cotton repeatedly in the same soil. Carver warned the farmers about the potential for the boll weevil to ruin the entire crop and for repeated plantings to leach nutrients out of the soil. He encouraged them to rotate their crops. At first, cotton plantation owners were skeptical. When harvest came, though, there was no cotton to sell. The boll weevils had eaten it all. In desperation, the southern farmers turned to peanuts after Carver had proven correct about the cotton crop failing. When a good crop of peanuts came in, the southern farmers were not happy when there was nowhere to sell the peanut, because everyone was growing them.
Feeling responsible for the situation and fearing he had made a mistake, Carver worked feverishly and discovered over 300 uses for the peanut and the vine and skin. Carver said that he was not alone when he was in the laboratory for 6 days and 6 nights. Carver said that God was with him. Carver discovered that candies, milk, cookies, coffee, butter, oil, paper, and even that over 30 dyes could be made. He also found out that faux chicken could be made, salad, ice cream, face cream, relish, bread, sausages, salves, and even shaving cream. He made sure that the southern farmers would not go hungry because of his mistake. He issued bulletins publicizing the work being done at the experimental station. In one he described the varieties and growing methods of peanuts, and listed the benefits of the peanut in agriculture:
He also produced more than a hundred recipes for its use for human consumption, including peanut soups, breads and other baked goods, meat substitutes, salads, candies and of course, peanut butter. It is important to make note, however, that while he produced a recipe for peanut butter, the actual invention of the substance was developed many hundreds of years ago by Native South Americans. Agriculture in America was revolutionized by Carver’s discoveries and consumers were provided with many new products. The soil could be replenished naturally through crop rotation, and food for the livestock was plentiful.
There was still one problem. There were no tariffs being set for imported peanuts. Carver went to Washington, D.C., and spoke to the Senate. He was first scheduled to have 10 minutes, but the senators became so intrigued that they wanted Carver to tell them more. Carver had samples of almost every single thing that he discovered, and these were tasted and pondered. After almost 2 hours, the senators were put to vote and voted in the favor of the peanut tariff
Carver tried to start a company for the many dyes that he had discovered, but after 6 months his company failed. Carver has been celebrated for finding the uses of the peanut, and many of his discoveries are in use today. Later in his career, Carver made a traveling school promoting the agricultural value of the peanut and potato. Carver loved to experiment with plants, and he continued to do so until he died.

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