In this unit, you will learn about Georgia after World War II. You will study the rise of agriculture, the growth of businesses, and the importance of transportation. You will also learn about the capital, Atlanta.

 

KEY TERMS

 

Agriculture: The science of farming. It is an important part of Georgia’s economy. During the Civil War, cotton was the state’s leading product and was shipped to ports around the world. Today, the state is the world’s leading producer of pecans. It continues to produce cotton and is a major world supplier of peaches, peanuts, rye, and tobacco, as well as poultry and eggs. (SS8H10a)

 

Ivan Allen Jr.: The two-term mayor of Atlanta during the civil rights era of the 1960s. He opposed segregation and helped revitalize the city’s economy. (SS8H10b)

 

Atlanta: The capital of and largest city in Georgia, founded in 1837. It is the ninth-largest metropolitan area in the United States, and its economy is the tenth largest in the nation. (SS8H10b)

 

Entrepreneurship: The process of starting and organizing a business. The economies of many countries are supported by small businesses begun by entrepreneurs who were willing to take risks to start businesses. (SS8E2a, b)

 

Governor’s Race of 1946: In 1946, Georgia’s governor-elect, Eugene Talmadge, died before taking office. The General Assembly voted his son, Henry Talmadge, into office. The newly elected lieutenant governor, Melvin Thompson, however, insisted that he was the new governor. The Georgia Supreme Court ultimately ruled that Thompson was the rightful acting governor until a special election could be held to replace the elder Talmadge. (SS8H10c)

 

William B. Hartsfield: The two-time mayor of Atlanta who helped develop the city’s airport into the major transportation hub it has become today. He also worked with civil rights leaders during the Civil Rights Movement. (SS8H10b)

 

White primary: Primary elections in which only whites were allowed to vote. In 1944, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled them unconstitutional, and most Southern states ended the practice. (SS8H10c)

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