George Washington Carver: World-Famous Botanist and Agricultural Inventor
5 CHAPTER ONE George Washington Carver grew up to become a notable botanist and agricultural innovator It was unlikely George Washington Carver would grow up to be an influential scientist He was born during a time of slavery in the United States in Diamond Grove Missouri and was owned by Moses and Susan Carver He was known as Carver’s George George never knew his exact birthday but some historians believe he was born in 1864 GROWING UP CARVER’S GEORGE
Poor Records George’s exact birth date is unknown because birth and death records of slaves were not well kept Slave owners may have kept a record of the number of slaves they owned but they often did not keep a record of their names Slaves did not have legal rights so legal contracts such as marriage licenses were also rarely kept Because educating a slave was illegal many were unable to read or write Slaves could not keep records for themselves 6 Little is known about George’s parents George thought his father was a slave from a nearby farm That man was killed in an accident and George never met him George and his mother were kidnapped from the Carver farm shortly after George’s birth They were sold to another slave owner in Arkansas Moses Carver hired a neighbor to find his slaves The neighbor found only baby George George never knew what happened to his mother When African people were first brought to the United States in the early 1600s they were sold as property to white people Many were forced to work for no pay on large farms
The Civil War Views on slavery divided the United States and sparked the Civil War Southern states wanted to continue enslaving African Americans The Northern states were against slavery The issue of states rights was another factor in the war Southern states did not believe the government had the right to decide how people should live They thought the laws should be determined by each state The Civil War ended when the South surrendered on April 9 1865 7 called plantations On January 11 1865 four months before the American Civil War 1861 1865 ended Missouri slave owners legally had to emancipate or free their slaves With no parents young George and his older brother James had nowhere to go The Carvers enjoyed the brothers and moved them from the slave cabin into their own home The Young Plant Doctor George spent much of his early childhood sick with illnesses such as whooping cough Unable to work in the fields like his brother he worked in the house with Mrs Carver Mrs Carver also taught George how
