George Washington Carver's Influence On The Culture Of Southern America

Peanut butter sandwiches are a favorite school lunch choice for millions of children, but while smearing the delicious spread across the bread, few people realize that peanuts helped rebuild southern America after the Civil War. This was largely due to the efforts of a former slave. In a time when minorities had little influence and access to education, George Washington Carver’s scientific discoveries changed not only the culture of southern America, but the entire agricultural world. Born into slavery, Carver was fueled by his burning desire for education. With God’s help, he discovered dozens of uses for peanuts and other plants. These discoveries helped rebuild the culture of the south after the cotton crops failed.
George was born into

There, he studied nature, geography, and art. He graduated in 1889 when he was twenty-one (Collins 38). He was given a scholarship because of his good grades and planned to attend college to finish his education. Excited to further his studies, he applied and was accepted to Highland University in Kansas. However, when he arrived, his application was rejected because of his skin color. George was poor because he had spent all his money to go to Highland. He was discouraged, but he did not give up. At age twenty-six, he sought further education and was admitted to Simson College where he mostly studied art and music. After graduating in 1891, he moved on to Iowa State University at Ames. There, he studied geology, botany, chemistry, and zoology while he earned his Bachelor’s Degree.
It was often difficult to fund his education so George had to find ways to make money and feed himself. Being a hard worker, he did housework like cooking and dusting. He also did fieldwork and helped people in their gardens and their stables (Collins 21). George often worked for food instead of money. Even though slavery was abolished, sometimes he was refused a job because he was