Post WWII GA

WWII brought many changes in Agriculture & Technology in GA
The Great Migration of African Americans & White Sharecroppers
- Fleeing Sharecropping for jobs in cities in GA and throughout the US
Atlanta's population grew rapidly due to economic opportunities encouraged by progressive mayors
- William B. Hartsfield & Ivan Allen, Jr.
The state endured the 1946 governor's race & the end of the white primary

• New technologies make farm work quicker and requires fewer workers

• Number of farms decreased, size of farms increased

Population Changes

• New seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides

• Tractors, threshers

  *AAA paid farmers to plant fewer crops

Technology Changes

Population Changes

William B. Hartsfield

Father of Atlanta Aviation

• Served on ATL City Council where he pushed for aviation

• Elected Mayor in 1937 & 1941 [served over 20 years]

• Best known for:

  • ATL Airport

  • Peaceful ATL school integration "City Too Busy To Hate"

  • Tripled the size of the city

  • Expanded the Highway System

Ivan Allen, Jr.

Mr. Major League City

• Elected Mayor of ATL [1962-1970]

• Removed segregation signs from City Hall & worked with leaders like Dr. King to keep integration in ATL peaceful

• Known for:

  • Bringing Major League Teams to ATL

  • Adding new buildings to the city

  • Expanding I-285 & being an early supporter of MARTA

The White Primary

• The White Primary was a system used to disenfranchise Black voters

• Primary [first] elections are the first round of voting where political parties choose their candidates for the general [main] election & Black voters were not allowed to participate, giving little/no say in who was elected

• This kept political power in the hands of White voters and made it hard for African Americans to have their voices heard in government

End of the White Primary

• The White Primary was challenged in 1944

• The Supreme Court ruled that the White Primary was unconstitutional in the case of Smith v. Allwright

• 1946 GA governor's race:

  • Democrat Eugene Talmadge [yeah, the guy who hated the New Deal] ran for office

  • Political Platform - He promised to bring back the White Primary

Coming Tomorrow...

Georgia's
Three Governors
Controversy