Notes: Georgia from World War II to Modern Times
I. Atlanta A. Atlanta was a large city before WWII, but its growth really accelerated after the war. 1. Growth was caused by the three Interstate Highways which run through the city. 2. Growth was caused by the airport which was the vision of Mayor William Hartsfield.
3. During WWII Georgia became an industrial center as it manufactured war supplies. a. U.S. Senator Richard Russell, Jr. played an important part in bringing in business b. U.S. Representative Carl Vinson played a big role in promoting industry
4. Businesses moved to Georgia after WWII because of the warm climate and lack of unions (cheap labor)
B. Ivan Allen, Jr. became Atlanta s mayor in the 1960s. 1. He took down the white only signs from public buildings 2. He built a sports stadium and got professional sports teams to move to Atlanta
C. Professional Sports 1. Atlanta Braves moved to the city in the 1960s (Hank Aaron set the homerun record) 2. The Atlanta Falcons and Hawks also moved to Atlanta during this time period
II. After World War II A. Eugene Talmadge had been governor three times, but in 1942 he lost to Ellis Arnall 1. Arnall lowered the voting age to 18 years old 2. Arnall made it possible for African-Americans to vote in the previously white only primary elections
B. Three Governor s Controversy 1. In 1946 Eugene Talmadge won the Governor s race, but he died before taking office. 2. Eugene s son Herman received the most writein votes and claimed the office. 3. Ellis Arnall tried to hold onto the governor s office 4. The newly elected Lieutenant Governor Melvin Thompson claimed to be governor 5. The Courts ruled that the Lieutenant Governor would serve until a special election
C. Herman Talmadge 1. He won the special election and served as governor and eventually a U.S. Senator 2. As governor he fought to keep segregation in place and fought Civil Rights 3. He tried to fight the integration of public schools imposed by the U.S. Supreme Court
III. Civil Rights Movement A. In 1954 The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education said that everyone had to go to the same public school the is known as school integration or desegregation
B. 1956 Georgia State Flag In response to Brown v. Board of Education Georgia s leaders made the Confederate Battle flag from the Civil War a part of Georgia s state flag as a symbol of protest
C. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1. was an Atlanta native. 2. He became a nationally known Civil Rights leader after successfully leading a boycott of the Montgomery buses after Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat. 3. He worked with U.S. Presidents Kennedy and Johnson 4. He used a non-violent method of protesting that brought many changes to the country such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 5. He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968
D. Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) 1. was a Civil Rights group that protested with sit-ins, freedom rides, etc. 2. Participated in the 1963 March on Washington with Dr. King this is where MLK gave the famous I Have a Dream Speech and the results of this movement was the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which ensured equal rights for African-Americans
E. Sibley Commision 1. Was a study which found that the majority of Georgians did not want to integrate public schools 2. It helped boards of education slow down the desegregation process
F. University of Georgia Integrates 1. Charlayne Hunter was the first African-American woman to attend UGA 2. Hamilton Holmes was the first African-American man to attend UGA
G. Albany Movement 1. Occurred before the March on Washington 2. Purpose was to integrate Albany public schools 3. Dr. King and others were arrested in Georgia for fighting for Civil Rights in this movement
IV. Social Changes A. Lester Maddox 1. Became Governor of Georgia in 1967 2. Known as a staunch segregationist who chased people out of his Atlanta restaurant 3. He appointed more African- Americans to government positions than any previous governor
B. Maynard Jackson 1. Became the first African- American mayor of Atlanta in 1973 2. Promoted affirmative actions to help African-Americans get better jobs 3. Expanded the Atlanta airport and contributed to the MARTA (Atlanta s mass transit system)
C. Andrew Young 1. First African-American to be elected to U.S. Congress since Reconstruction 2. Civil Rights participant with Dr. King 3. Was the Atlanta Mayor when the city was chosen to host the 1996 Olympic Games
D. County Unit System 1. A voting system that was outlawed in the 1960s 2. It gave the smaller populated counties of Georgia (rural areas) more total votes than the more populated areas of the state which allowed the white farming communities to control state elections
3. The end of this system and the end of the white primary allowed all Georgians an equal vote in elections 4. Georgia s Congressional Districts were also reorganized based on population so that everyone was truly represented by their Congressman
E. Two Political Parties 1. Democrats dominated all of Georgia s elections from the end of Reconstruction until the 1990s. 2. Sonny Perdue became the 1st Republican Governor in over 100 years in 2002
V. Jimmy Carter A. Served in the U.S. Navy B. Was a member of the Democratic Party C. Served as Georgia s Governor in the early 1970sand effectively reorganized the state government D. Was elected President of the U.S. in 1976 1. dealt with an energy crisis 2. faced the Iran hostage crisis
E. Was defeated by President Ronald Reagan in 1980 F. Hometown Plains, GA G. Actively worked in Habitat for Humanity and Won Nobel Peace Prize
VI. Dr. Benjamin Mays A. African-American Civil Rights Leader from Georgia who inspired the thinking of Dr. King and others B. Served as the President of Morehouse College in Atlanta C. Served as President of the Atlanta Board of Education
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is named for Mayors William Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson.