Jimmy CarterDemocrat

1977-1981born:

Oct 1, 1924and still kickin!!!

Vp:Walter Mondale

From:Georgia

I. Political Background

a. 1963-1967: Georgia state senatorb. 1971-1975: Georgia

governorc. 1977-1981: Thirty-ninth

U.S. president d. 1980: Lost presidential election to Ronald Reagan

Election of 1976a. [D] Jimmy Carter/Walter Mondale b. [R] Gerald R. Ford/Robert Dole c. Very close election

1. Popular Vote: 40,977,147 to 39,422,671

2. Electoral Vote: 297 to 240d. Jimmy Carter's success in the election

of 1976 resulted in large part because he seemed to possess honesty, piety, and a D.C. outsider's skepticism of the federal government

Blue=Carter Green=Ford

Panama Canal

1. Pushed for ratification of a treaty that wouldreturn control of the Panama Canal to the Panamanian gov’ton Dec 31, 1999. (so… we gave it back under Bill Clinton…) (Unpopular - had just one vote more than the

required # for the 2/3rds majority!)

Creation of Dept. of Energya. created as a result of the severe

energy crisis of the 1970sb. Carter called for conservation of

fuel and use of alternative energy sources

c. Coal miner’s strike and the nuclear power plant accident at Three-Mile Island near Harrisburg, PA dealt blows to his energy policies

Accident at Three-Mile Island

a. March 28, 1979: a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania experienced a severe

core meltdown in one of the plant’s reactors

b. Despite the scare that radioactivity would spread and damage people nearby, no one received a

harmful amount.

c. This accident led the U.S. to reform our nuclear power industry to

improve safety!

Camp David Accords 1. Carter invited Egyptian president

Anwar el-Sadat and Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin to the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, to discuss peace between the two nations

2. Meeting lasted over 13 days during September, 1978 – was successful!

3. Drafted and signed on March 26, 1979

4. Other Arab nations rejected the Camp David Accords

Iranian Hostage Crisis

1. Islamic Revolution in Iran occurred on November 4, 1979

2. America supported shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was

forced to leave Iran3. Shah was very ill with cancer and was admitted to an American hospital

4. Iranians believed that his presence in the U.S. would provide a base for the Shah to reclaim his throne

5. Ayatollah Khomeini, a radical Islamic leader and one

of the Shah’s most vocal opponents, became Iran’s leader and proclaimed Iran an Islamic Republic

Iran Hostage Crisis

Nov 4, 1979:

American

embassy in

Tehran, Iran

was attacked and

the American

Staff was taken hostage

7. Diplomatic efforts failed, and Carter froze all Iranian financial assets in the U.S.

8. Failed military attempt to rescue the hostages – almost half of the helicopters developed mechanical problems; another crashed (8 U.S. Soldiers died during Operation Eagle Claw, April 1980)

9. HUGE embarrassment to the Carter Administration and the U.S.

Downed American helicopter during Operation Eagle ClawOperation Eagle Claw – on a mission to rescue the hostages

10. Carter eventually secured the release of the hostages

11. 52 men were held hostage for 444 days – release time was scheduled for January 20, 1980, when Ronald Reagan became the next president

China1.Carter Administration formally recognized the People’s Republic as the sole government of China – led to the establishment of normal relations with Communist China.

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

a. Civil war in Afghanistan secular, communist gov’t vs. Muslims who wanted a more traditional gov’t that followed the religion

b. Invasion of Soviets: Dec, 1979; began

a 9-year conflict claimed they were not invading the country but were supporting a legitimate government against terrorists. C. The US thought the Muslims were a better choice than communism…

Boycott Olympics Carter withdrew American participationin the summer Olympicsheld in Moscow as a result of the invasion

[60+ nations boycotted in total]

(USSR retaliated by boycotting the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics…)

a. Co-founders of Apple Inc. on April 1, 1976

b. Greatly increased the popularity of personal computers in the 1970s- making a HUGE impact on the business and communication

world

a. Apple II was 1st successful sale; eclipsed by Mac

Steven Jobs/Stephen Wozniak

SALT II (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty)

1. Carter attempted to negotiate a SALT II treaty with the Soviets,

but some members of Congress felt it threatened American defense

2. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, all talk of ratifying the treaty was pushed

aside

V. Random Information about Life After Presidency

a. Founded the Carter Center in Atlanta in 1982 that promotes human rights, democracy, improved public health and advances in agriculture

b. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his efforts in seeking peaceful solutions and promoting social justice

c. Will forever be known as the “Peanut Farmer” president from Georgia due to his peanut agricultural background before becoming involved in politics

d. Economic Troubles

1. Inflation and high unemployment were still problems

2. High interest rates and a poor home-mortgage market discouraged economic expansion