Carver's Biological Parents
George Washington Carver's mother was Mary, an enslaved woman owned by Moses and Susan Carver. His father was likely an enslaved man from a neighboring farm who died in a log-hauling accident before George was born.
Because records of enslaved people were minimal, little else is known about George's biological parents. Mary was kidnapped when George was an infant and was never found, leaving him effectively orphaned as a baby.
Mary (Mother)
An enslaved woman purchased by Moses Carver around 1855. She gave birth to at least two sons: James and George. Mary was kidnapped by Confederate raiders when George was an infant and was never recovered. She is presumed to have died during or after the kidnapping.
Father (Unknown)
Believed to have been an enslaved man named Giles, who worked on a neighboring farm owned by Grant. He died in an accident involving a load of logs before George was born. Little documentation exists about him.
James (Brother)
George's older brother, also born to Mary. James was recovered along with George after the kidnapping. The brothers were raised together by the Carvers. James remained in the Diamond, Missouri area as an adult.
The Carvers Who Raised Him
After Mary's disappearance, Moses and Susan Carver raised George and James as their own children. Though they had purchased Mary as an enslaved worker, after the Civil War they chose to keep and nurture the orphaned boys.
- Moses Carver: A German immigrant farmer who, despite personally opposing slavery, had purchased Mary for household help
- Susan Carver: Taught young George to read and encouraged his interest in plants
- The couple had no biological children of their own
George took the surname "Carver" from the family that raised him, later adding "Washington" to distinguish himself from another George Carver.