The Numbers
George Washington Carver is credited with developing over 300 products from peanuts and 118 products from sweet potatoes. These ranged from food products to industrial materials, cosmetics, and medicinal preparations.
However, it's important to understand these numbers in context - not all of these were unique "inventions" in the patent sense, but rather practical applications and products he developed to help farmers find uses for their crops.
Peanut Products by Category
Food Products
~95- Peanut milk and cream
- Peanut flour
- Peanut cooking oils
- Breakfast foods
- Candies and confections
- Worcestershire-style sauce
Industrial Products
~100- Paints and stains
- Dyes (30+ colors)
- Plastics
- Lubricants
- Gasoline
- Nitroglycerin
Cosmetics
~30- Face creams
- Hand lotions
- Shampoos
- Shaving cream
- Hair oils
- Soaps
Medicinal Products
~25- Antiseptics
- Laxatives
- Tonics
- Medicinal oils
- Goiter treatments
- Skin treatments
Important Context
While the numbers 300+ and 118 are commonly cited, historians note that:
- Many were variations of similar products (different colors of dye, for example)
- Some were theoretical applications never commercialized
- Carver focused on practical solutions for farmers, not commercial patents
- He deliberately chose not to patent most discoveries, believing they belonged to humanity
Beyond the Numbers
Carver's true impact wasn't just about the number of products - it was about transforming Southern agriculture. By showing farmers the many uses for peanuts and sweet potatoes, he encouraged crop rotation away from cotton, which had depleted the soil.
His work helped establish the peanut as a major commercial crop in the American South, ultimately benefiting millions of farmers and transforming the regional economy.