AKS 41:POST WWII GEORGIA

*The student will evaluate key post-World War II developments of Georgia from 1945 to 1970*

a. Analyze the impact of the transformation of agriculture on Georgia’s growth.

b. Explain how the development of Atlanta, including the roles of mayors William Hartsfield and Ivan Allen Jr., and

major league sports, contributed to the growth of Georgia.

c. Discuss the impact of Ellis Arnall

AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AFTER WWII

• Agriculture was no longer AS important after WWII• During the war many had moved from farms to

work in wartime industries and factories.• Demand for cotton fell when synthetic fabrics such

as rayon and nylon began to be used• Trees, peanuts, soybeans and corn were planted

instead of cotton . . . Poultry became a major industry

AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AFTER WWII• Farm machinery allowed fewer workers to work more land• Farms grew – 1940 average size was 110 acres and in 1950 it was 1299 acres

• Population shifted from rural to urban areas (cities)• In 1940 66% of GA’s pop. = rural & 34% was

urban• In 1970 40% of GA’s pop. = rural & 60% was

urban

DEVELOPMENT OF ATLANTA• Returning veterans were able to attend college on

the G.I. Bill or buy houses• Suburbs or residential areas around cities were

built• Businesses moved to the state for various reasons

• Mild climate• Low business and individual tax rates• GA was a non-union state so businesses could

pay lower wages and not deal with labor demands from unions

DEVELOPMENT OF ATLANTA

• Growth of aviation created more jobs (Hartsfield-Jackson Airport)

• Interstate highway system was developed under President Eisenhower in the 1950s.

• GA’s economy diversified. By 1954, around 800 new industries had started in Atlanta

• Almost 1200 national corporations had Atlanta offices• People moved to GA for the jobs• Descendents of African Americans who left after the

Civil War began to return as racial discrimination was replaced by moderation, integrated schools, improved economic opportunities and a higher standard of living

DEVELOPMENT OF ATLANTA• Atlanta annexed (adding territory to an existing

city or town) over 100 square miles • Today, more than half of the state’s population is

in the Atlanta metropolitan area

WILLIAM B. HARTSFIELD• Served as mayor of Atlanta for

6 terms 1937-41 and 1942-61

• Helped make Atlanta an

aviation hub for the Southeast

• Chose the site for the Atlanta

airport

• Helped lead the city in the area of civil rights• 1946 - After white primaries were outlawed, he organized a

biracial coalition that worked on voter registration drives.• 1948 – hired 8 black police officers for restricted duties

WILLIAM B. HARTSFIELD• 1958 – asked state to allow Atlantans to decide whether to

keep integrated schools open• State was refusing to fund integrated schools

• 1960 – state committee found overwhelming support for keeping schools open• Atlantans thought keeping public schools open was more

important than issues involving school integration

WILLIAM B. HARTSFIELD1955 – city’s golf courses integrated without

incident1957 – city busses integrated

• August 30, 1961 – four all-white high schools in Atlanta were integrated without incident

• 1961 - local Chamber of Commerce joined Hartsfield and local African American leaders in ending lunch counter segregation

IVAN ALLEN JR.• Served as mayor of Atlanta for 2 terms from 1962 –

1970• Continued Mayor Hartsfield’s approach to peaceful

integration• Ordered removal of the “Colored” and “White” signs

on all entrances and exits to City Hall• Removed restrictions on African American police officers• Integrated city’s fire dept and city government

IVAN ALLEN JR.• Oversaw construction of a number of public

facilities including the Peachtree Center and Atlanta Fulton County Stadium

• With new businesses moving to Atlanta skyscrapers and office buildings were built in the downtown area

• He is credited with bringing professional sports to Atlanta

MAJOR LEAGUE SPORTS

Sport Team Facts

Baseball Braves Came from Milwaukee in 1966, plays at Turner Field, won World Series in 1995

Football Falcons 1966 league expansion team, plays in Georgia Dome

Basketball Hawks Came from St. Louis in 1968, plays in Phillips Arena

Hockey Thrashers 1997 league expansion team, plays in Phillips Arena (NOT ANYMORE!!)

ELLIS ARNALL• Governor from 1943 – 1947

• First to serve a 4 year term• Youngest governor in the nation

• Corrected problems with the university accreditation that Gov. Eugene Talmadge created.

• General Assembly passed a constitutional amendment that made the Board of Regents a separate organization, no longer under the control of the governor’s office.

ELLIS ARNALL• Removed the prison system from the governor’s

control• Established Board of Corrections to oversee

prisons • Established Pardon and Parole Board

• Abolished the poll tax• Led GA to become the first state to grant 18 year

olds the right to vote in state elections• When young men were drafted during WWII he

argued that individuals who were old enough to fight for their country were old enough to vote.