The peanut is not native to North America. This globally significant crop, valued for its oil and protein content, originated on a different continent entirely. The peanut is botanically a legume, though it is often mistakenly categorized as a nut. It became a staple in the United States only after a long journey driven by exploration, trade, and the tragic history of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Its establishment in the U.S. is a story of agricultural adaptation that transformed a minor crop into an agricultural powerhouse.
The True Origin of the Peanut
The peanut, Arachis hypogaea, is botanically a legume belonging to the pea family (Fabaceae). Its specific epithet, hypogaea, is Greek for “under the earth,” referencing its unusual reproductive method called geocarpy. After the plant’s yellow flowers are pollinated above ground, a stalk-like structure called a peg pushes the fertilized ovary into the soil where the seed pod develops.
The center of origin for the peanut is South America, specifically the Gran Chaco region encompassing modern-day Bolivia and parts of Brazil. Archaeological evidence indicates that indigenous cultures in the Zaña Valley of northern Peru were cultivating the peanut as far back as 8,500 years ago. Andean civilizations domesticated the crop and spread it throughout the continent before European contact.
The Peanut’s Journey to North America
The peanut began its journey to North America with Spanish and Portuguese explorers in the 16th century. They encountered the legume in the New World tropics and transported it across the Atlantic to Europe and then to Africa. The crop thrived in West Africa’s sandy, dry soils, quickly becoming an agricultural staple integrated into local cuisine.
The peanut was forcibly introduced to North America via the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Enslaved Africans carried the seeds with them, either as provisions for the Middle Passage voyage or concealed for planting in the New World. This established the peanut in the American South, where it was initially grown on small plots and often considered food for the enslaved, the poor, or livestock feed. The crop was known by its Bantu name, nguba, which was anglicized in the South to “goober” or “goober pea.”
Peanuts in Modern American Agriculture
For many years after its introduction, the peanut remained a minor crop, relegated to garden plots and not grown commercially on a large scale. Its status began to change during and after the Civil War, when soldiers consumed them, leading to a wider acceptance of the legume as a snack food. The invention of peanut butter in the late 19th century further increased its popularity and commercial potential in the United States.
The transformation of the peanut into a major commodity is largely attributed to agricultural chemist George Washington Carver at the Tuskegee Institute. Carver advocated for its cultivation to struggling Southern farmers, primarily as a rotation crop to restore nitrogen to soil depleted by cotton monoculture. He also discovered that the peanut was resistant to pests and diseases that plagued other crops, making it a reliable source of income.
Carver’s research focused on creating market demand, resulting in the development of over 300 products from the peanut, including food items, cosmetics, and industrial applications. His efforts helped diversify the South’s economy, turning the peanut into a leading cash crop by the mid-20th century. Today, the U.S. peanut industry is significant, with runner-type peanuts most commonly used for the production of peanut butter.