George Washington Carver

Did you know one man used peanuts and sweet potatoes to help millions of farmers? That man is George Washington Carver. Born around 1864, he lived through the late 1800s and early 1900s and became a famous agricultural scientist. Today we'll focus on his biggest idea: using smart farming and plant science to help poor Southern farmers fix tired soil and earn money.

Carver worked at the Tuskegee Institute, where he taught, researched, and shared simple experiments farmers could use. He showed how planting crops like peanuts and soybeans could put nitrogen back into the soil so it would grow healthy crops again. This idea, called crop rotation, helped farmers stop depending only on cotton.

He also discovered many new uses for everyday plants. Carver developed recipes and processes that used peanuts and sweet potatoes to make dyes, paints, soaps, and other helpful products. He wrote easy-to-read bulletins and traveled to teach farmers, and he often chose not to patent his ideas because he wanted everyone to benefit.

Carver's work changed farming across the South, improving both land and people's lives. He became a respected teacher and scientist, and today he's remembered with museums and a national monument. His story shows that curiosity, creativity, and kindness can turn small plants into big change, and that you can help the world with science, too.