George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver

Born a Slave George Washington Carver was born in Missouri in 1864, during the Civil War. Because his mother was a slave, he was born a slave, too.

When the Civil War ended, George became free. He stayed with the people who had owned him, Susan and Moses Carver. Susan taught George to read and write. More than anything, he liked to garden and explore the world outside.

Learning on His Own George taught himself about plants and animals. He wanted to go to school to learn more. In many places, black and white students could not attend the same schools. George could not go to the school nearby because he was black. When he was twelve, he left home to go to another school. A year later, he left for Kansas.

When George finished high school in Kansas, he tried to go to college there. Once he arrived, though, the college told him he had to leave. It did not allow black students.

He didn't give up, though. Instead, he went to college in Iowa. There, George learned all about farming. He was the first black student to finish and to become a professor at his college.