Modern Georgia 1945 - Present

1. Modern Georgia1945 - Present

2. Transformation of GA’s Agriculture • GI Bill provided educational opportunities to veterans…men left the farm for school. • Better technology and farming methods led to lees people needed to work on the farms. • Increase in synthetic materials led to a decrease in the demand for cotton,

3. Atlanta Develops • “Forward Atlanta Commission” was an advertising campaign that spent millions around the country. Telling the nation about the location, transportation, climate, resources and workforce. • In three years 700 new firms brought 17,000 new jobs to Atlanta.

4. Hartsfield and Allen • Hartsfield was the first mayor to push for the development of a first class airport. • Allen Was the leader of the Forward Atlanta Commission.

5. Hartsfield Ivan Allen Jr.

6. Professional sports • Braves, Falcons, Hawks, and Thrashers. • The teams give hundreds of people jobs and help generate business for the teams, cities, Marta, and downtown businesses.

8. Ellis Arnall • Ran for governor against Eugene Talmage and promised reform. • First he reduce the power held by the governor. • Removed from controlling university and public education. • Gov could no longer pardon criminals. • Gov could no longer veto constitutional amendments

9. Ellis Arnall • Reduced the voting age to 18, GA was 1st in nation to lower it. • Rewrote the State Constitution to make it less confusing. • Got rid of the poll tax and the white primary. Blacks were now allowed to vote in GA’s primaries.

10. Ellis Arnall

11. Three Governors Controversy • Eugene Talmadge was running unopposed for reelection in 1946, but he was in poor health. • He died before being sworn in: Thompson was the Lt. Gov. but not sworn in yet. Carmichael had 669 votes and Herman Talmadge had 617.

12. Three Governors Controversy • 58 votes that were not counted were found in Telfair County (Talmadge’s county). • Three men claimed the right to be governor. • M.E. Thompson was appointed acting gov for 2 years and Talmadge was elected in the next election.

13. Herman Talmadge • Like his father he promised a return of the white primary. • He fought hard to preserve the segregation of the races, but was unable to restore the white primary. • Created the first state sales tax and increased funding for education by 74%

15. Benjamin Mays • President of Morehouse College from 1940-1967. • While he was president enrollment doubled and its endowment quadrupled. • Became a mentor to MLK, suggested he study the teachings of Gandhi. • Local civil rights leader

17. Brown v Board of Education • 1954 Supreme Court Ruling that ended segregation in all schools stating that “separate facilities were not equal” • There was no date that school had to be desegregated, so many southern states delayed the equality.

19. Martin Luther King Jr. • Created the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) which was headquartered in Atlanta. • Believed in nonviolent protest. • While in jail wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” • Explained why the civil rights movement could not slow down, because blacks were being beaten and killed.

21. Martin Luther King Jr. • Led the March on Washington were he gave the “I Have a Dream” speech. • March was intended to show support for the Civil Rights Bill of 1964. • The bill passed.

23. 1956 State Flag • Before 1956, the GA state flag did not have the Confederate Flag. • After 1956, it had the Confederate Flag. • The Flag was changed to protest the integration of schools and Federal laws. • Defenders of the changed flag said that it represented Southern heritage.

24. Then Now

25. Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) • Students began to protest like MLK and SCLC. • Headquarters were located in Atlanta, GA. • Thought SCLC was too passive, SNCC was more militant. • Strained relationship between both groups.

26. SNCC Atlanta Headquarters

27. Sibley Commission • GA General Assembly appointed a committee to “study” the effects of integration in schools. • Opened the door for desegregation to start in Georgia.

28. Sibley Commission

29. Hamilton Homes & Charlayne Hunter • First two black students to attend the University of Georgia. • Homes became a physician and Hunter became a journalist.

31. The Albany Movement • Created by SNCC in Albany, GA • Goal was to end segregation through negotiation instead of protest and demonstration. • Hundreds of blacks went to jail as they tested segregation laws. • Movement began to split over involvement of outside people like MLK.

32. The Albany Movement • Movement fails • People lose enthusiasm and money for being arrested. • Many of the lessons learned would lead to success with future demonstrations and civil disobedience.

34. March on Washington • 250,000 people marched on Washington to show support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. • Highlighted by MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech

35. Civil Rights Act • Prohibited racial discrimination in employment and labor unions and in public facilities, such as swimming pools and playgrounds. • Private businesses could not deny service to any race.

36. Maynard Jackson • Elected Mayor of Atlanta, 1973. • First black man elected mayor of a major southern city.

38. Lester Maddox • Outspoken segregationist became GA’s governor in 1967. • Encouraged parents to send their kids to private schools instead of desegregated public schools. • Claimed the civil rights movement was controlled by liberals and communists.

40. Andrew Young • First black man in GA elected to congress since Reconstruction. • Resigned from Congress to become the US ambassador for the United Nations. • Top Aide of MLK, Jr. • Very important in bringing the Olympics to Atlanta.

42. County Unit System • A special formula for counting votes in primary elections of the democratic party. • Applied for only state wide elections like governor or US Senator. • Went to keep political power in the rural area ad not the growing urban areas. • Most votes in a county won that county. • Whoever won the most counties won the election.

43. County Unit System • Most votes in a county won that county. • Whoever won the most counties won the election. • Not the statewide vote winner • This gave rural voters more representation than urban voters.

44. Reapportionment • The redrawing of voting districts every 10 years. • GA was forced to do it after the County Unit System was ruled a violation of the voters rights.

45. Jimmy Carter • Became governor in 1970. • Ran on a platform of ending segregation, modernize state government, and better serve the people of the state. • 1976 he became the first person from GA to become president. • Stressed honesty and restoring confidence in government.

46. Jimmy Carter • Received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. • Recognized his decades of work for finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts. • MLK, Jr. & Carter BOTH received the Nobel Peace Prize.

48. 1996 Summer Olympics • Atlanta prepared for the games for 5 years. • Olympic Stadium was renamed Turner Field and is used by the Braves. • Provided a huge boost for GA’s economy. • Georgia was left with many sports venues and parks from the Olympics.

50. New Immigrant Communities • Provides a larger tax paying population. • Each ethnic group assimilates into GA’s culture, but also contributes by sharing their own traditions. • The largest growing sector of immigrant communities is Hispanic.