Moses Carver

Moses Carver

Moses Carver (1812–1910) was a settler and foster father of George Washington Carver.

Moses Carver and his brother Richard migrated to southwest Missouri around 1838 from Ohio and Illinois. The Preemption Act of 1841 allowed farmers who lived on and improved 160 acres (0.65 km2) of land for six months to buy the land from the government at a low price. Moses Carver purchased a total of 240 acres (0.97 km2) in Marion Township, Newton County, Missouri.

As an early settler in the area, Carver selected a good site with an abundant water supply. He built a one-room log cabin with a window, a fireplace, and no floor. This is where he and his wife Susan initially lived, along with three nieces and nephews, whom they raised after Richard's death in 1839.

Though opposed to slavery on principle, Moses needed help as the farm prospered. In 1855, he purchased Mary, a thirteen-year-old slave girl, from a neighbor.

Mary later gave birth to several children, among whom was Jim and George. Towards the end of the Civil War, George and his mother were abducted, probably by bushwhackers. George was brought back, costing Moses a prize horse, but his mother was never seen again. After slavery was abolished in Missouri (1865), Moses and his wife Susan continued to raise Jim and George on the farm.

In a state strongly divided by the tensions leading to the Civil War, the independent-minded and eccentric Moses Carver was in a difficult position, since he offended Confederates by being a Unionist, and Unionists by owning slaves.

George left the farm when he was eleven to go to the black school in Neosho, Missouri. He returned to the Moses Carver farm on weekends, but never lived permanently with the Carvers again.

The Moses Carver farm became the George Washington Carver National Monument by an act of Congress in July 1943. The National Park Service maintains 210 acres (0.85 km2) of the original 240-acre (0.97 km2) farm.

References



Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Carver, George Washington — born 1861?, near Diamond Grove, Mo., U.S. died Jan. 5, 1943, Tuskegee, Ala. U.S. agricultural chemist and agronomist. Born a slave, Carver lived until age 10 or 12 on his former owner s plantation, then left and worked at a variety of menial jobs …   Universalium

  • Carver — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Carver peut désigner : Patronyme Carver est un nom de famille notamment porté par : George Washington Carver (1864 ou 1865 1943), botaniste et… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Moses Appaqaq — Jr. (born: April 2, 1946) is a soap stone carver former retail clerk, and a former territorial level politician from Sanikiluaq, Northwest Territories (now Nunavut, Canada). Appaqaq ran for a seat in the 1979 Northwest Territories general… …   Wikipedia

  • Moses Hart — For the founder of a Jewish synagogue in London, see Moses Hart (1675 1756). Moses Hart (November 26, 1768 – October 15, 1852) was a Canadian businessman and seigneur, eldest son of Aaron Hart. Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life 1.2 Political… …   Wikipedia

  • George Carver — George Washington Carver (1906) George Washington Carver (* um 1864; † 5. Januar 1943) war ein Botaniker in der Landwirtschaftsforschung in den Südstaaten Amerikas. Sein offizielles botanisches Autorenkürzel lautet „Carver“. Er lehrte ehemalige… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • George Washington Carver National Monument — George Washington Carver (1906) George Washington Carver (* um 1864; † 5. Januar 1943) war ein Botaniker in der Landwirtschaftsforschung in den Südstaaten Amerikas. Sein offizielles botanisches Autorenkürzel lautet „Carver“. Er lehrte ehemalige… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • George Washington Carver — (1906) George Washington Carver (* um 1864; † 5. Januar 1943) war ein Botaniker in der Landwirtschaftsforschung in den Südstaaten Amerikas. Sein offizielles botanisches Autorenkürzel lautet „Carver“ …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • George Washington Carver — Infobox Person name = George Washington Carver caption = birth date = January 1864cite web | url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/gwca/expanded/gwc tour 01.htm | title=About GWC: A Tour of His Life | publisher=National Park Service | work=George… …   Wikipedia

  • George Washington Carver — Fotografía de George Washington Carver tomada por Frances Benjamin Johnston en 1906 …   Wikipedia Español

  • George Washington Carver National Monument — Infobox protected area | name = George Washington Carver National Monument caption = locator x = 157 locator y = 93 location = Newton County, Missouri, USA nearest city = Diamond, MO lat degrees = 36 lat minutes = 59 lat seconds = 10.8996 lat… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”