Post-World War I & World War II Georgia

1. Post-World War I & World War II Georgia SS8h8 Analyze the important events after World War I and their impact on Georgia SS8H9 Describe the impact of World War II on Georgia’s development economically, socially, and politically

2. The Great Depression • Take notes while watching the video and complete a table like the one below. Include two entries under each heading.

3. Boll Weevil • How did the boll weevil impact Georgia? • Drastically reduced the states’ cotton crop • Millions of African-Americans moved to northern cities • Many sharecroppers and tenant farmers moved to Georgia cities • Forced Georgian’s to diversify their economy

4. Drought • How did drought impact Georgia? • Severely impacted Georgia farmers’ ability to produce agricultural products • Georgia began to suffer from a depression long before the rest of the United States

5. Great Depression Causes • Bank Failures • Too many bank customers tried to withdraw their money so banks ran out and there was no insurance protecting deposits • Many people lost their life savings • Reduction in Purchasing • The average consumer stopped purchasing goods • Companies in turn lowered their production rates so many consumers lost their jobs and had no money to spend • Overproduction of Agricultural Products • Many farmers overproduced which led to a drop in prices and limited the profit margins of farmers

6. Eugene Talmadge • Who was Eugene Talmadge? • Important Georgia politician • What positions did he hold in Georgia’s government throughout his political career? • Commissioner of Agriculture & governor of Georgia • When did he serve as governor of Georgia? • 1932-1936 & 1940-1942 (elected in 1946, but died before taking office) • Where did he receive most of his political support from in Georgia? • Rural areas (very popular with rural Georgians)

7. Eugene Talmadge • Why do historians often debate if his policies did more harm than good? • Fought against Roosevelt’s New Deal policies and opposed his re-nomination in 1936 • Caused all white colleges in Georgia in to lose their accreditation when he forced two UGA faculty members to be fired for supporting integration • How did he impact Georgia? • Balanced the state’s budget • Lowered the utility rate • Reduced the price of auto tags • Reorganized the state highway board

8. New Deal • Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) • Hired over 3 million unemployed young men to work on public service projects, including erosion control, flood prevention, and public parks • Planted over 22 million trees and built or improved several state parks, including Chickamauga, Kennesaw Mountain, A.H. Stephens, and Hard Labor Creek, in Georgia • Rural Electrification (REA) • Brought electricity to all parts of the country, including rural Georgia • 25% increase in the number of rural households that had electricity, and for a reasonable price

9. New Deal • Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) • Paid farmers not to grow crops that were being overproduced, such as cotton and tobacco, and driving prices down • Caused the price of agriculture products to rise • Often harmed sharecroppers and tenant farmers because landowners would keep the money for themselves and not distribute it to those who lived and worked the land • Social Security (SSA) • Offered benefits to those over 65, those who were disabled, or those who were the survivors of a beneficiary who had died • Still running today

10. World War II • Lend-Lease Act • 1. What was the Lend-Lease Act? • Passed in 1941 • Allowed the U.S. to send billions of dollars worth of supplies and military equipment to the United Kingdom, France, the Soviet Union, and China in exchange for U.S. base rights in these countries military bases • 2. How did it lead to American involvement in World War II? • Even though America officially stayed out of the war until December 1941, the U.S. was anything but neutral and lent support to the Allies throughout the war

11. World War II • Bombing of Pearl Harbor • 1. What was the bombing of Pearl Harbor? • Japanese surprise air attack on the Navy base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941 • Over 2000 Americans were killed and the U.S. lost over 150 ships • 2. How did it lead to American involvement in World War II? • Changed the vast majority of opinion about the U.S. staying out of the war • The next day the U.S. declared war on Japan • Germany and Italy then declared war on the U.S., which America did in turn

12. Georgia’s Contributions During World War II • List AND explain the ways that Georgia contributed to the war effort during World War II. • Airplanes • Over 650 B-29 bombers were produced at Bell Aircraft Company in Marietta • Military Bases • Trained and supplied the military and held thousands of enemy prisoners • Fort Benning, near Columbus, was the largest and viewed as the best infantry facility in the U.S. • Ships • 187 “liberty ships” that were used to transport troops or supplies were built in shipyards at Savannah and Brunswick

13. Georgia’s Contributions During World War II • Explain the importance of BOTH Richard Russell and Carl Vinson before, during, and after World War II. • Richard Russell • Governor of Georgia and U.S. senator for 38 years • Advocated for a strong military during the 1930s and helped the U.S. prepare to fight in World War II • Carl Vinson • U.S. representative for 51 years and the “Father of the Two Ocean Navy” • Advocated for a strong military, especially Navy, during the 1920s and 1930s

14. Impact of the Holocaust on Georgians • 1. What was the Holocaust? • The systematic mass murder of over 6 million Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, and political dissidents by the Nazis in Europe • 2. How did the Holocaust impact Georgians? • Many Holocaust survivors moved to the state and their stories touched the lives of many Georgians • Made some Georgian’s re-think their treatment of minorities in the state and “look in the mirror” and re-examine their racial practices

15. Roosevelt’s Ties to Georgia • 3. How was President Roosevelt tied (connected) to Georgia? • He visited the state over 40 times and had a home in Warm Springs, known as the “Little White House” • He exercised in the warm water pools of the spring to help ease the crippling effects of polio • 4. How did President Roosevelt impact Georgia? • Made several appearances and gave many speeches throughout the state • His New Deal programs provided aid to many suffering from the effects of the Great Depression