What was jimmy carter known for

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Overview Jimmy Carter's one-term presidency is remembered for the events that overwhelmed it—inflation, energy crisis, war in Afghanistan, and hostages in Iran. Birth Date October 1, Marriage Eleanor Rosalynn Smith b. August 18, , July 7, With his reflective, introverted personality and small stature Carter stood only five feet, nine inches tall , he did not fit in well among his fellow midshipmen. Nevertheless, Carter continued to excel at academics, graduating in the top ten percent of his class in While on leave in the summers, Carter had reconnected with a girl named Rosalynn Smith whom he had known since childhood.

They married in June The Navy assigned Carter to work on submarines, and in the early years of their marriage, the Carters — like many a military family — moved frequently. The brilliant and notoriously demanding admiral made a profound impression on Carter. The Carters later had a daughter, Amy, born in In July , Carter's father passed away from pancreatic cancer and in the aftermath of his death, the farm and family business fell into disarray.

Although Rosalynn initially objected, Carter moved his family back to rural Georgia so he could care for his mother and take over the family's affairs. In Georgia, Carter resuscitated the family farm and became active in community politics, winning a seat on the Sumter County Board of Education in and eventually becoming its chairman. The s were a period of great change in the American South.

In the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, the United States Supreme Court unanimously ordered the desegregation of public schools, and in the aftermath of that decision, civil rights protestors vociferously demanded an end to all forms of racial discrimination. However, politics in the rural South still largely reflected the reactionary racial outlook of the "Old South.

It was not until the Supreme Court ruling in Baker v. Carr, which required that voting districts be redrawn in a way that stopped privileging rural white voters, that Carter saw an opportunity for a "new Southerner," such as he considered himself, to win political office.

Although the initial vote showed that Moore had won the election, it was blatantly obvious that his victory was the result of widespread fraud.

In one precinct, ballots were cast even though only were issued. Carter appealed the outcome and a Georgia judge discarded the fraudulent votes and declared Carter the winner. As a two-term state senator, Carter earned a reputation as a tough and independent politician, curbing wasteful spending and steadfastly supporting civil rights. In , after briefly considering a run for the United States House of Representatives, Carter instead decided to run for governor.

However, in the midst of a white backlash to the Civil Rights Movement, Carter's liberal campaign failed to gain momentum in the Democratic primaries, and he finished a distant third place.

The eventual winner was Lester Maddox, an ardent segregationist who had infamously barricaded the doors of his restaurant and brandished an axe to ward off Black customers. Governors were limited to one term under Georgia law, though, so Carter almost immediately began positioning himself for the gubernatorial election. This time around, Carter ran a campaign specifically targeted at the white rural voters who had rejected him as too liberal in Carter publicly opposed busing as a method of integrating public schools, limited public appearances with Black leaders and actively courted the endorsements of several noted segregationists, including Governor Maddox.

He so completely reversed his staunch commitment to civil rights that the liberal Atlanta Constitution Journal called him an "ignorant, racist, backward, ultra-conservative, red-necked South Georgia peanut farmer. Once he was elected governor, Carter largely returned to the progressive values he had promoted earlier in his career.

He publicly called for an end to segregation, increased the number of Black officials in state government by 25 percent and promoted education and prison reform. Carter's signature accomplishment as governor was slashing and streamlining the enormous state bureaucracy into a lean and efficient machine. Naval Academy at Annapolis, graduating in In , he was preparing to serve as an engineering officer on the submarine Seawolf when his father died.

Active in community affairs and a deacon at the Plains Baptist Church, Carter launched his political career with a seat on his local board of education. In , he won election to the Georgia State Senate as a Democrat. He was reelected in The loss sent Carter into a period of depression, which he overcame by finding renewed faith as a born-again Christian.

He ran again for the governorship in and won. A year later, Carter was featured on the cover of Time magazine as one of a new breed of young political leaders in the South, known for their moderate racial views and progressive economic and social policies. Carter announced his candidacy for president in , just before his gubernatorial term was up. For the next two years, he traveled around the country making speeches and meeting as many people as possible.

At a time when Americans were disillusioned with the executive branch of government in the wake of the Watergate scandal , Carter managed to build a constituency by marketing himself as an outsider to Washington politics.

Mondale of Minnesota as his running mate. In the general election, Carter faced Republican incumbent Gerald R. As president, Carter sought to portray himself as a man of the people, dressing informally and adopting a folksy speaking style. He introduced a number of ambitious programs for social and economic reform, and included a relatively large number of women and minorities in his cabinet. This difficult relationship with Congress meant that Carter was unable to convert his plans into legislation, despite his initial popularity.

Plays softball and billiards, bowls, fishes, hunts especially wild turkey, quail, and dove. Rode a motorcycle before entering politics. To keep in shape, rides a bicycle, jogs, and plays tennis. Dances with Rosalynn. Collects bottles and arrowheads. Reads 3 to 4 books a week, and has taken a speed-reading course. Has paddled canoes, kayaks, and rafts many times on Georgia rivers. Panned for gold successfully in North Georgia.

Sometimes watches television for recreation. Has taken a memory retention course. Favorite spectator sport is baseball. Food and Meals Breakfast: Usually orange juice, coffee, fruit, and cereal. Sometimes pancakes. Lunch: A sandwich, cup of soup, and small salad.