Transcript Georgia and the American Experience

Georgia Studies
Unit 7: Modern
Georgia and Civil
Rights
Lesson 3: Georgia
in Recent History
Lesson 3: Georgia in
Recent History
• ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
– How did the policies and actions of Jimmy
Carter influence the state, nation and world
politically and socially?
– How did the 1996 Olympic Games provide
opportunities for economic development
and contribute to Georgia’s international
image?
– How do new immigrants change social
structures and influence economic policies
and practices?
Political Changes
• “One Person, One Vote”: The concept that
each citizen’s vote should equal every
other citizen’s vote
• County-unit system was declared
unconstitutional in 1962
• This change caused more representatives
to come from urban areas
• Reapportionment – General Assembly had
to reapportion (redraw) voting districts to
ensure districts of equal population size
Georgia in the 1970s
• Ted Turner: TBS television network expanded
from one station to a national network
• MARTA: Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit
Authority – began rapid rail service in Atlanta
• James (“Jimmy”) Earl Carter: 1970 – elected
governor of Georgia; 1977-1980 served as
President of the United States
– As president, negotiated peace between Israel and
Egypt
– Problems as president: high energy costs, high interest
rates, high inflation, 52 American hostages held in Iran
• Georgia cities began to lose population to the
suburbs; cities have began to work to attract
residents
Jimmy Carter
• Born: October 1, 1924 in Plains, GA.
• Elected to the GA Senate in 1962 and 1964.
• Elected as governor of GA in 1970. Worked to
streamline Georgia’s government and improve
education in rural areas.
• Won the presidential election in 1976. Worked to
develop peaceful relations between numerous
countries. Due to the Iranian hostage crisis and
economic problems during his presidency,
President Carter lost the 1980 election to Ronald
Reagan.
The Women’s Rights
Movement
• Women’s Rights Movement: women gained
confidence that they could do the same jobs as
men and should have the same rights
• Women often could not get credit at banks
• NOW: National Organization for Women –
promoted women’s rights issues
• ERA: Equal Rights Amendment – never became
part of the Constitution
• 1972: Title IX – President Nixon signed law which
prohibited discrimination in education (academics
or athletics)
Vietnam Divides America
• North Vietnam: communist
• South Vietnam: democratic
• USA began support South Vietnam against
the North
• 1968: Over 500,000 Americans involved in
Vietnam War
• Protests against the war increased
• 1973: war ended with no clear victor –
Vietnam is now united and communist
Watergate
• 1972: Group of men arrested for breaking
into the Watergate building in Washington,
DC to “bug” Democratic National Committee
offices
• Evidence supported that President Nixon
knew of the burglary and tried to cover it up
• Nixon resigned and Vice-President Gerald
Ford became president
The Energy Crisis
• 1973: US supports Israel in its war with
Egypt
• Arab nations stop selling oil to the US
• Price of gas went up and there were
shortages
• Georgians began to drive less and purchase
fuel-efficient cars
• Prudhoe Bay, Alaska: Alaskan Pipeline
brought oil to the “lower 48” states
The End of the Cold War
• Ronald Reagan: “Great Communicator”
elected president – served 1981-1989
• Reaganomics: “supply-side” economics, tax
cuts, heavy defense spending, limited
government, limited regulation on business
• Reagan tough with USSR
• By end of 1980s, Cold War ending
• Mikhail Gorbachev: leader of USSR
• 1989: Berlin Wall came down
• 1991: Communist USSR government
collapsed
Rise of the Two-Party System
• Political shift in Georgia (and other southern states) during the
1980’s and 1990’s.
• Increase in the amount of conservatives (mainly Republicans),
especially in national elections. As more Republicans were
elected to office Georgia began to have a real Two-Party
(Democrats and Republicans) System for the first time in over
100 years.
• Notable Elections in the rise of the Two-Party System:
– 1980 – Mack Mattingly becomes first Republican elected to
the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction.
– 1992 – Republicans win most Georgia’s congressional
elections; however, Atlanta Democrat Cynthia McKinney
became the first African American woman from GA to be
elected to Congress.
– 1994 – Republicans gain a majority in the U.S. House of
Representatives for the first time in 40 years; GA’s Newt
Gingrich is elected Speaker of the House.
– 2002 – Sonny Perdue elected Governor of GA; first
Republican Governor since Reconstruction.
1996 Olympic Summer
Games
• 1996 Olympic Summer Games held in Atlanta,
Georgia. Events were also held in the cities of
Savannah, Columbus, Athens, Gainesville, and
Cleveland.
• Major economic impact on Georgia. Hotels added
7,500 new rooms and new sports venues and event
sites were created (such as the Georgia Dome and
Centennial Olympic Park)
• More than 72 million visitors came to Atlanta during
the Olympics
• Helped to create large amounts of tax revenue for
Atlanta, Georgia. Also, helped to increase the
popularity and media exposure of Atlanta as a
major southern city.
Immigrants Coming to GA
• Immigrants – People who move to an area from other
countries.
• 1965 – Large numbers of immigrants began coming to
the United States.
• By the 1970’s almost 4.5 million people legally entered
the country.
• In the 1990’s almost 9 million people came to the
United States. 80% of these came from Asia, the
Caribbean, or Latin America.
• Many of the immigrants coming to the United States
are illegal immigrants. In 1986, the Immigration Reform
and Control Act created penalties and punishments for
companies that hire illegal immigrants. However, these
immigrants often times help fill jobs in farming and
manufacturing.
“The Day That Changed
America”
• September 11, 2001: Islamic terrorists hijack US
passenger planes and crash them into the World
Trade Center and Pentagon
• One additional plane (United flight 93) was retaken by passengers but crashed in Pennsylvania
• WTC towers collapse killing 2,774
• The War on Terror began shortly after 9/11 as the
United States began to fight against countries that
harbored and funded terrorist groups.
Enduring Freedom and
Iraqi Freedom
• al-Qaeda linked to the September 11 attacks – based in
Afghanistan
• October 2001: Operation Enduring Freedom – US and
other nations’ troops invade Afghanistan to destroy alQaeda camps and destroy Taliban government
• Osama bin Laden escaped
• Saddam Hussein in Iraq continued to violate UN
resolutions regarding weapons of mass destruction and
inspections
• March 19, 2003: US and coalition forces attack Iraq –
combat phase over by May
• Weapons of mass destruction were not found
• Saddam Hussein captured and later executed on
December 30, 2006.
Challenges for the Future
• 8 million people live in Georgia – large increase
puts demands on environment; more traffic,
pollution and less resources.
• Three main challenges:
1. water resources
2. differences between urban (city) and rural (country) GA
3. tremendous population growth
• Alabama, Florida and US government have
demanded Georgia reduce water use and pollution
• Difficult to fund services such as schools in rural
areas as those areas do not generate enough tax
revenue (mainly through property and sales taxes).