Civil War
The Story of George Washington Carver
Presented by:
Paxton J. Williams*
In Partnership with the Missouri Department of Corrections
Publish Date:
February 2007
Presentation Length:
14 minutes 31 seconds (14:31)
Description:
Williams is the author of a one-person play telling the story of George Washington Carver. Born into slavery near Diamond, Missouri, George Washington Carver endured a difficult and dangerous childhood and acquired an excellent education that complimented his innate understanding of botanical science. Invited to join Booker T. Washington's Institute, Carver became known as the "Wizard of Tuskegee" and virtually revolutionized the southern agrarian economy by freeing it from continued dependence on cotton. Carver's more than 300 uses for the peanut, and hundreds more for soybeans, were simply part of his desire to "fill the poor man's empty dinner pail." He largely refused to patent or profit from his many inventions and products.
*Note: Paxton J. Williams is Executive Director of the George Washington Carver Birthplace Association, which serves to advance programs of the National Park Service at the George Washington Carver National Monument at Diamond, Missouri.
