George Washington Carver for Kids Learn all about his incredible life and story

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Who is George Washington Carver? He wasn't the first President of the United States, even though his name is very similar! In this video, you and your kids will learn about this incredible scientist. You will discover many interesting facts about the history and life of this special man. For instance, George Washington Carver's exact birth date remains a mystery! Because he was born into slavery, his birth records were not kept. And he, one of his sister's, and his mom were kidnapped by Confederate raiders when he was a baby! He was eventually found, however, and returned to the Carver farm where he was born.

Unlike other boys his age, George didn't work in the fields. He was taught how to tend to the kitchen garden. And what a stroke of luck for the world! George learned all about plants and how to improve their health. He was very intelligent and graduated high school at a young age. His passion for plants led him to study botany in college. After graduating, he was asked to teach agriculture at a Tuskegee College.

Throughout his life, he discovered many wonderful things about plants that would end up helping farmers grow larger and healthier crops. These discoveries spread throughout the world. One of the most famous is his realization that growing and harvesting peanuts every other year or so with cotton kept a specific pest away from the crops and yielded healthier soil. Even though many farmers resisted initially, George came up with several inventive uses for peanuts that would make growing peanut crops worthwhile.

George Washington Carver's life work earned him several special nicknames: The Plant Doctor, The Peanut Man, The Farmer's Friend. We celebrate him and his life on January 5, George Washington Carver Recognition Day.