Georgia Studies Unit 7: Modern Georgia and Civil Rights Lesson 3: Georgia in Recent History Study Presentation

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

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.

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 re-taken 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.

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: water resources differences between urban (city) and rural (country) GA 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).