SS8H11a
Describe major developments in civil rights and
Georgia’s role during the 1940s and 1950s;
include the roles of Herman Talmadge,
Benjamin Mays, the 1946 governor’s race and
the end of the white primary, Brown v. Board of
Education, Martin Luther King, Jr.,
and the 1956 state flag.
Concepts:
Conflict and Change
Individuals and Groups
Rule of Law
WHAT ROLE DID THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE AND EVENTS PLAY IN THE CIVIL
RIGHTS MOVEMENT OF THE 1940s and 1950s?
1940s
1950s
1946 GOVERNOR’S RACE /
END OF WHITE PRIMARY
BROWN v. BOARD OF
EDUCATION
HERMAN TALMADGE
DR. MARTIN LUTHER
KING, Jr.
BENJAMIN MAYS
1956 STATE FLAG
Georgia's Three Governors Controversy
In 1947, one of the most bizarre incidents took place in the history of U.S. state
politics. Eugene Talmadge had been elected governor of Georgia for the fourth
time in November 1946. The problem arose when "Ole' Gene" died of cirrhosis of
the liver on December 21,1946 before he had been inaugurated governor.The
controversy that followed quickly evolved into a constitutional crisis. This was the
first time blacks were allowed to vote in the primary since Reconstruction.
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Who would become the governor of Georgia?
QuickTi me™ and a
TIFF ( Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi ctur e.
Would it be Herman Talmadge?
Knowing that Eugene Talmadge was not well
going into the November general election, some
of Talmadge's followers undertook a write-in campaign his
son, Herman Talmadge. The reason for the write-in
campaign was due to a provision which stated that the
Georgia General Assembly would elect a governor from the
next two candidates, "then in life" if the winner of the general
election died before taking office. Since no Republican
candidate was present, the Talmadgites reasoned that young
"Hummon" would become governor should Eugene die.
QuickTi me™ and a
TIFF ( Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi ctur e.
Would it be Ellis Arnall?
The outgoing governor, Ellis Arnall, announced that he would not leave the
office until it was clear who the new governor was. Arnall's actions
galvanized Talmadge's supporters, who bitterly hated his anti-Talmadge
policies. The legislature's election of Talmadge provoked a confrontation
between the Talmadge and Arnall camps. Talmadge asked Arnall to honor
the General Assembly's election. Arnall maintained that the legislature had
no right to elect a governor and refused to step aside. Talmadge then
ordered state troopers to remove Arnall from the capitol and see that he
returned home safely. On January 15, the day of the legislative election,
both Herman Talmadge and Ellis Arnall claimed to be governor of Georgia
and shared the same offices in the capitol. By the next day Talmadge had
seized control of the governor's office and had the locks on the doors
changed. Arnall continued to maintain his position as governor and even
set up a governor's office in exile in an information kiosk in the capitol.
Ultimately, Arnall relinquished his claim as governor and supported
Thompson.
Would it be Melvin Thompson?
QuickTi me™ and a
TIFF ( Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi ctur e.
In the wake of Talmadge's death, his supporters
proposed a plan that allowed the Georgia
legislature to elect a governor in January 1947.
When the General Assembly elected Talmadge's
son as governor, the newly elected lieutenant
governor, Melvin Thompson, claimed the office
of governor since as the lieutenant governor he
would replace the governor in case of death.
In March 1947 the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that Melvin
Thompson was the rightful governor because he was lieutenant
governor–elect when Eugene Talmadge died. In a five-to-two
decision the justices ruled that Thompson would be the acting
governor until a special election could be held to decide the
remainder of the original term.
Turn-and-talk with a
partner and complete
the 3 governors
controversy section of
your graphic organizer.
SOCIAL CHANGE
IN
AMERICA
WHILE THE REST OF AMERICA WAS EMBRACING SOCIAL EQUALITY AND
FAIRNESS BETWEEN WHITE AND BLACK AMERICANS, HERMAN TALMADGE
TRIED TO MAINTAIN THE “JIM CROW” LAWS OF SEGREGATION.
IF HERMAN TALMADGE HAD HIS WAY
- YOU WOULDN’T SEE THIS ON TELEVISION
Herman Talmadge
•Seved in Navy during WWII
•Law degree from UGA
•Followed father Eugene into politics
•Served as governor in late 40s early 50s
•Part of 3 governors controversy
•Brought first sales tax to GA to help fund
public schools
•Attracted new businesses to our state
•Served as US Senator 1956-1981
•Sponsored bill that created Food Stamps
to not only help poor but to provide a
market for farmers as well
•Price controls and other support for Ag.
•Ag, Finance, and Watergate Committees
•National figure as GA Senator
He can be considered generally
progressive in the context of Georgia
politics at that time. However, like
most southern governors of that era,
Talmadge was a staunch
segregationist who resisted all
attempts to integrate the public
school system.
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Turn-and-talk with a
partner and complete
the Herman Talmadge
section of your graphic
organizer.
Benjamin Mays
•African American minister.educator, scholar,
social activist
•Longtime president of Morehouse College
•Significant mentor to MLK, Jr.
QuickTi me™ and a
TIFF ( Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see thi s pi ctur e.
•One of the most articulate and outspoken
critics of segregation before the rise of
Civil Rights
Mays's unwavering emphasis on two
ideas in particular the dignity of all
human beings and the incompatibility of
American democratic ideals with
American social practices became vital
strains in the language of King and the
civil rights movement.
Turn-and-talk with a
partner and complete
the Benjamin Mays
section of your graphic
organizer.
BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCATION
SUPREME COURT CASE
IF BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCATION ENDED SEGREGATION IN PUBLIC
SCHOOLS IN 1954, THEN HOW COME IT TOOK SOUTHERN STATES
OVER A DECADE TO FINALLY INTEGRATE?
THIS PICTURE IS FROM A COURT
HOUSE IN GEORGIA.
THE SUPREME COURT IN PLESSY
V. FERGUSON RULED THAT
SEGREGATION WAS LEGAL
AS LONG AS
FACILITIES WERE EQUAL.
DOES THAT LOOK EQUAL?
HOW IRONIC THAT THE WATER
FOUNTAINS IN THIS PHOTO ARE
IN A COURT HOUSE,
OF ALL PLACES.
Turn-and-talk with a
partner and complete
the Brown v. Board of
Education section of
your graphic organizer.
Dr. MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr.
Turn-and-talk with a
partner and complete
the Martin Luther King,
Jr. section of your
graphic organizer.
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
State Flag, 1956-2001 Georgia's General Assembly ratified the addition of
the Confederate Battle Flag to the state flag in 1956 as a backlash to
the Brown v. Board of Educationﾊdecisions, which federally imposed
integration of public schools.
WHAT ROLE DID THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE AND EVENTS PLAY IN THE CIVIL
RIGHTS MOVEMENT OF THE 1940S and 1950s?
1940s
1946 GOVERNOR’S RACE / END OF
WHITE PRIMARY
•
1st
time blacks allowed to vote in primary
election since Reconstruction.
• Eugene Talmadge lost the popular vote but won
the election b/c of the county unit system (rural
support), but died before taking office, which
created the “Three Governors Controversy”.
HERMAN TALMADGE
1950s
BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCATION
• Overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson court case
that allowed “Jim Crow “ segregation laws
• Segregation of public schools became illegal
and unconstitutional because in reality
separate facilities were not equal.
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr.
Became Governor of Georgia after
the Three Governor’s Controversy.
• Like his father Eugene, Herman was
a segregationist and supporter of
white supremacy.
• Civil Rights leader from Atlanta
• Led the Montgomery bus boycott after Rosa
Parks was arrested
• Led non-violent protest marches and
speeches to gain racial equality in America
BENJAMIN MAYS
1956 STATE FLAG
• Minister, educator, civil rights activist, and
president of Morehouse College
• Was a mentor to his student Martin Luther King
• Believed in the dignity of all human beings
• Believed that there was a difference between
American democracy and actual social practices.
• Flag was changed to include the Confederate
battle emblem as a sign of protesting the
integration of blacks into all white public
schools
• The flag would be changed in 2001
•
SS8H11b
Analyze the role Georgia and prominent Georgians
played in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and
1970s; include such events as the founding of the Student
Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Sibley
Commission, admission of Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne
Hunter to the University of Georgia, Albany Movement,
March on Washington, Civil Rights Act, the election of
Maynard Jackson as mayor of Atlanta,
and the role of Lester Maddox.
Concepts:
Conflict and Change
Individuals and Groups
Rule of Law
IF BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCATION ENDED SEGREGATION IN PUBLIC
SCHOOLS IN 1954, THEN HOW COME IT TOOK SOUTHERN STATES
OVER A DECADE TO FINALLY INTEGRATE?
1954
BROWN
V.
BOARD OF
EDUCATION
Supreme
Court rules 9-0
that
segregation in
public schools
is illegal unconstitutional
1956
GEORGIA
STATE
FLAG
Georgia
changed the
state flag to
protest Brown
v. BOE
Georgia was
against
integration
1960
1961
SIBLEY
DESEGREGATING
UNIVERSITY OF
GEORGIA
COMMISSION
Georgia had
to decide
whether to
close schools
or integrate.
The state
asked
citizens.
Hamilton
Holmes and
Charlayne
Hunter
became the 1st
AfricanAmerican
students to
attend UGA.
1964
CIVIL
RIGHTS
ACT
Segregation of
public facilities
were
outlawed.
This was the
end of the Jim
Crow era.
SS8H11b
Analyze the role Georgia and prominent Georgians
played in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and
1970s; include such events as the founding of the Student
Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Sibley
Commission, admission of Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne
Hunter to the University of Georgia, Albany Movement,
March on Washington, Civil Rights Act, the election of
Maynard Jackson as mayor of Atlanta,
and the role of Lester Maddox.
Concepts:
Conflict and Change
Individuals and Groups
Rule of Law
SNCC
• STUDENT
NON-VIOLENT
COORDINATING
COMMITTEE
• Young blacks and
whites organized sitins, marches,
freedom rides, and
voter registration to
end segregation in
the South.
1961 ALBANY
MOVEMENT
1963 MARCH ON
• Movement to
desegregate the city
of Albany
• SNCC, Martin Luther
King, Jr., and the
NAACP used nonviolent protests,
marches, and
boycotts. Hundreds
were arrested,
including Martin
Luther King.
• Large rally for jobs
and freedom
• 300,000 Americans
attended and
listened to Martin
Luther King, Jr. give
his famous “I Have A
Dream” speech.
• The march helped
pass the Civil Rights
Act of 1964
WASHINGTON
SNCC
• STUDENT
NON-VIOLENT
COORDINATING
COMMITTEE
• Young blacks and
whites organized sitins, marches,
freedom rides, and
voter registration to
end segregation in
the South.
1961 ALBANY
MOVEMENT
1963 MARCH ON
• Movement to
desegregate the city
of Albany
• SNCC, Martin Luther
King, Jr., and the
NAACP used nonviolent protests,
marches, and
boycotts. Hundreds
were arrested,
including Martin
Luther King.
• Large rally for jobs
and freedom
• 300,000 Americans
attended and
listened to Martin
Luther King, Jr. give
his famous “I Have A
Dream” speech.
• The march helped
pass the Civil Rights
Act of 1964
WASHINGTON
IF BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCATION ENDED SEGREGATION IN PUBLIC
SCHOOLS IN 1954, THEN HOW COME IT TOOK SOUTHERN STATES
OVER A DECADE TO FINALLY INTEGRATE?
1954
BROWN
V.
BOARD OF
EDUCATION
Supreme Court
rules
9-0 that
segregation in
public schools
is illegal unconstitutional
1956
GEORGIA
STATE
FLAG
Georgia
changed the
state flag to
protest Brown
v. BOE
Georgia was
against
integration
1960
1961
SIBLEY
DESEGREGATING
UNIVERSITY OF
GEORGIA
COMMISSION
Georgia had
to decide
whether to
close schools
or integrate.
The state
asked
citizens.
Hamilton
Holmes and
Charlayne
Hunter
became the 1st
AfricanAmerican
students to
attend UGA.
1964
CIVIL
RIGHTS
ACT
Segregation of
public facilities
were
outlawed.
This was the
end of the Jim
Crow era.
SS8H11b
Analyze the role Georgia and prominent Georgians
played in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and
1970s; include such events as the founding of the Student
Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Sibley
Commission, admission of Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne
Hunter to the University of Georgia, Albany Movement,
March on Washington, Civil Rights Act, the election of
Maynard Jackson as mayor of Atlanta,
and the role of Lester Maddox.
Concepts:
Conflict and Change
Individuals and Groups
Rule of Law
SS8H11c
Discuss the impact of
Andrew Young
on Georgia.
Concept:
Individuals and Groups
MAYNARD JACKSON
• First African-American mayor of Atlanta in 1974
• Expanded Hartsfield Airport, now called Hartsfield-Jackson
• Helped bring the 1996 Olympics to Atlanta
LESTER MADDOX
• Segregationist - Became Governor of Georgia in 1967
• Became more compassionate by appointing more blacks
to positions in government than any other governor before
him and integrated the Georgia State Patrol.
ANDREW
YOUNG
•
Leader in Civil Rights movement with Martin Luther King
• 1st black person elected to US House of Representatives from
Georgia since Reconstruction
• UN Ambassador and mayor of Atlanta who also helped bring the
Olympics to Atlanta
MAYNARD JACKSON
LESTER MADDOX
ANDREW YOUNG