George Washington Carver was
born a slave during the Civil War, possibly around the date of JULY 12,
1865, but there are no records.
Within a few weeks, his father, who belonged to the next farm over, was killed in a log hauling accident.
Shortly after the Civil War, while still an infant, George, with his mother and sister, was kidnapped by bushwhackers.
Moses Carver sent friends to track down the thieves and trade his best horse to retrieve them.
The thieves left baby George lying on the ground, sick with the whooping cough. George never saw his mother and sister again.
Illness claimed the lives of his two other sisters and they were buried on the Carver farm.
George
and his older brother, Jim, were raised in Diamond Grove, Missouri, by
"Uncle" Moses and "Aunt" Sue Carver, a childless German immigrant
couple.
In poor health as a child, George stayed near the house
helping with chores, learning to cook, clean, sew, mend and wash
laundry.
His recreation was to spend time in the woods.
George worked his way through school and eventually taught on staff at Iowa State College.
In
the fall of 1896, George surprised the staff at Iowa State College by
announcing his plans to give up his promising future there and join the
Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.
The staff showed their
appreciation by purchasing him a going away present, a microscope, which
he used extensively throughout his career.
At Tuskegee, George assembled an Agricultural Department.
He visited nearby farmers and taught them farming techniques, such as crop rotation, fertilization and erosion prevention.
Carver noticed that the soil was depleted due to years of repeated cotton growth and produced very poorly.
Also, an insect called the boll weevil swept through the South, destroying cotton crops and leaving farmers devastated.
Farmers heeded Carver's advice but soon had more peanuts than the market wanted, as peanuts were primarily used as animal feed.
Get the book, George Washington Carver-His Life & Faith in His Own WordsGeorge determined to increase the market for peanuts by discovering and popularizing hundreds of uses for them.
He did the same for the sweet potato, pecan, soybean, cowpea, wild plum, and okra.
George credited Divine inspiration for giving him ideas regarding how to perform experiments.
In
the summer of 1920, the Young Men's Christian Association of Blue
Ridge, North Carolina, invited Professor Carver to speak at their summer
school for the southern states.
Dr. Willis D. Weatherford,
President of Blue Ridge, introduced him as the speaker. With his high
voice surprising the audience, Dr. Carver exclaimed humorously:
"I always look forward to introductions as opportunities to learn something about myself..."
He continued:
"Years ago I went into my laboratory and said, 'Dear Mr. Creator, please tell me what the universe was made for?'
The
Great Creator answered, 'You want to know too much for that little mind
of yours. Ask for something more your size, little man.'
Then I asked, 'Please, Mr. Creator, tell me what man was made for.'
Again the Great Creator replied, 'You are still asking too much. Cut down on the extent and improve the intent.'
So then I asked, 'Please, Mr. Creator, will you tell me why the peanut was made?'
'That's better, but even then it's infinite. What do you want to know about the peanut?'
'Mr. Creator, can I make milk out of the peanut?'
'What kind of milk do you want? Good Jersey milk or just plain boarding house milk?'
'Good Jersey milk.'
And
then the Great Creator taught me to take the peanut apart and put it
together again. And out of the process have come forth all these
products!"
Among the numerous products displayed was a
bottle of good Jersey milk. Three and-a-half ounces of peanuts produced
one pint of rich milk or one quart of raw "skim" milk, called boarding
house "blue john" milk.
Get the book, Miracles in American History - 32 Amazing Stories of Answered PrayerOn
January 21, 1921, Carver addressed the United States House Ways and
Means Committee on behalf of the United Peanut Growers Association on
the use of peanuts to improve Southern economy.
George expounded on the many potential uses of the peanut as a means to improve the Southern economy.
Initially
given only ten minutes to speak, George Carver so enthralled the
committee that the Chairman said, "Go ahead Brother. Your time is
unlimited!"
George spoke for one hour and forty-five minutes, explaining the many food products that could be derived from peanuts:
"If
you go to the first chapter of Genesis, we can interpret very clearly,
I think, what God intended when he said, 'Behold, I have given you
every herb that bears seed. To you it shall be meat.'
This is
what He means about it. It shall be meat. There is everything there to
strengthen and nourish and keep the body alive and healthy."
The Committee Chairman asked Carver:
"Dr. Carver, how did you learn all of these things?"
Carver answered, "From an old book."
"What book?" asked the Chairman.
Carver replied, "The Bible."
The Chairman inquired, "Does the Bible tell about peanuts?"
"No, Sir" Carver replied, "But it tells about the God who made the
peanut. I asked Him to show me what to do with the peanut, and He did."
On November 19, 1924, Carver spoke to over 500 people at the Women's Board of Domestic Missions:
"God is going to reveal to us things He never revealed before if we put our hands in His. No books ever go into my laboratory.
The thing I am to do and the way are revealed to me the moment I am inspired to create something new.
Without God to draw aside the curtain, I would be helpless. Only alone can I draw close enough to God to discover His secrets."
On March 24, 1925, Carver wrote to Robert Johnson, an employee of Chesley Enterprises of Ontario:
"Thank God I love humanity; complexion doesn't interest me one single bit."
On July 10, 1924, George Washington Carver wrote to James Hardwick:
"God
cannot use you as He wishes until you come into the fullness of His
Glory. Do not get alarmed, my friend, when doubts creep in. That is old
Satan.
Pray, pray, pray. Oh, my friend, I am praying that God
will come in and rid you entirely of self so you can go out after souls
right, or rather have souls seek the Christ in you. This is my prayer
for you always."
Watch
Faith in History
No comments:
Post a Comment