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It is almost impossible to measure the full extent of George Washington Carver's contributions. With the creation of more than 500 new agricultural products, Carver almost single-handedly saved the economy of the rural American south.
The son of slaves, Carver made strides thought impossible for black men of his generation. Carver was forced to move away from his family just to find a high school that would accept black students. Having completed high school at the top of his class, Carver became the first African American to enroll at what is now Iowa State University.
At the invitation of Booker T. Washington, Carver joined the faculty of Tuskegee Institute. It was there that Carver did most of his breakthrough agricultural research. Carver created well over 300 products from peanuts and another 100 from sweet potatoes. He developed new hybrids of cotton.
Carver's research revolutionized agriculture in the southern states, by introducing the science of crop rotation. By alternating such nutrient-depleting crops as cotton with soy and peanuts (crops that replenished the soil), farms could not only remain active and productive, but it helped to diversify and enrich the economy of the south.
Carver refused to reap what would have been substantial financial rewards from his patents, giving away his discoveries for free. Carver's contributions and life are best summed up by the words that grace his gravestone...
"He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world."
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