1. George Washington Carver
Creativity
By Mrs. White

2. Who was George Washington Carver?
Born: January 1864 in Diamond Grove, Missouri
Died: January 5, 1943 in Tuskegee, Alabama
Born a slave and became free as a child when slavery was abolished.
His slave owners raised him as their own child, teaching him to read and write.

3. His Education & Career
George W. Carver working in his lab.
The 1st African American student at Iowa State College
After graduating with a master’s degree in agriculture and science, he became the first African American professor at Iowa State College.
He was invited to teach at an all-black college in Tuskegee, Alabama, where he taught agriculture and science for the rest of his life.

4. Crop Rotation One of the main crops in the south.
Problem: Growing cotton year after year can remove nutrients from the soil and eventually, the cotton crop would grow weak.
Solution: Mr. Carver taught his students crop rotation. One year they would grow cotton, followed by other crops such as sweet potatoes. By rotating the crops the soil stayed enriched.

5. Boll Weevil Insect Problem #2: Eats cotton which destroyed the crops
Solution: Carver discovered the insect hates peanuts.
Problem #3: Farmers weren’t sure they could make money from peanuts.
Solution: Carver invented products from peanuts.

6. Peanuts, Sweet Potatoes, and Pecans
More than 300 Products
made from Peanuts
More than 115 from Sweet Potatoes and 75 from Pecans
Cooking oil
Dyes for clothing
Plastics
Fuel for cars
Peanut butter
Cheese
Milk
Facial Cream
Ink
Shampoo
Soap
Flour
Starch
Bleach
Buttermilk
Instant Coffee
Mayonnaise
Paper
Chili Sauce
Shaving Cream
Shoe Polish
Sugar