GDA - Development in Georgia (Lesson)
Development in Georgia
Introduction
Henry Grady’s dream from the late 1800s came true in the post-war years. People began to leave rural areas for urban and suburban areas around the state of Georgia. The growth of businesses and industries accounted for this shift in population. Much of this growth surrounded the city of Atlanta. General Motors built a manufacturing plant in Doraville and Ford constructed a facility in Hapeville, both relatively close to Atlanta. The area became home to 800 new industries and 1,200 regional offices for a variety of companies. Older cities such Macon and Savannah also grew during the late 1940s and 1950s, but they could not compare to the population explosion seen in Atlanta. The city of Atlanta only grew by 10%, but the suburbs marked the greatest growth for the region. In the 1940s, College Park grew by 77%, Marietta grew by 139%, and Forest Park grew by 360%! Atlanta was now the transportation hub of the Southeast with favorable weather year-round. In addition, the workers in Georgia were not unionized and could be paid lower wages. This coincided with the state's low taxes which meant higher profits for businesses. This combination set Atlanta on the path to be the city it is today.
Atlanta
In 1940, 65% of Georgians lived in rural communities; by 1976, 60% of Georgians lived in or near cities. This change was due to the extensive transportation system developed by creating Atlanta as the transportation hub of the Southeast. In 1952, Atlanta tripled its size from 37 to 128 square miles, increasing the population by 100,000. New factories such as Ford Motors, General Motors, and Lockheed brought more work and people to the Atlanta region. The work of Atlanta’s Progressive Mayors allowed the city to grow into the international transportation hub that it is today.
William B. Hartsfield
William B. Hartsfield served as mayor of Atlanta for longer than any other mayor in the city’s history; six terms 1937-1961. During his tenure, Atlanta’s population multiplied from 100,000 to 1 million. Mayor Hartsfield was a progressive mayor in regards to the racial laws. He developed a coalition of white businessmen and key African American leaders who worked to deal with racial issues and integration in peaceful ways. He promoted the idea of Atlanta as the “City Too Busy To Hate”. He saw the potential for Atlanta to develop as an aviation hub and played a major role in transforming an old speedway into Candler Field, the city’s first airport. Eventually the airport grew to be the busiest in the country and made Atlanta a major hub for US and international travel. In 1961, Mayor Hartsfield decided not run for office again and in 1971, he passed away. The Atlanta Airport was renamed in his honor.
Ivan Allen, Jr.
Ivan Allen, Jr. succeeded William Hartsfield as Atlanta’s major in 1961. On Allen’s first day in office, he ordered city offices to desegregate and removed the “colored” and “white” signs from city hall. He oversaw the large financial projects of the development of the Memorial Arts Cultural Center and the Civic Center. Allen also brought in three of Atlanta’s professional sports franchises; Braves Baseball, Falcons Football, and Hawks Basketball. Allen had great visions for the city and one of his plans was making Atlanta the South’s center for professional sports. He worked to build the Atlanta Stadium for the Braves and convinced the team to move from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Atlanta Falcons played in the Fulton County Stadium as well, until the Georgia Dome completed construction in the 1990s. The publicity generated by professional sports contributed greatly to Atlanta’s growth and made it a southern sports capital and attracted individuals to the city for major events.
Entrepreneuers of Georgia
Georgia's economy has continued to grown since 1970. Although agriculture still makes up over ten percent of the state's income, every year, other industries have become major parts of Georgia's economy as well.
| Company | Description |
|---|---|
| Coca-Cola | The Coca-Cola Company makes many beverages, but best known for its namesake. Coke is one of the most familiar products in the world. |
| Delta Airlines | One of the largest airlines in the country. Started in the 1920s by Collett E. Woolman. Passenger and mail service were started in the 1930s. |
| Georgia-Pacific | This Atlanta based company is one of the world's top producers of tissue, pulp, packaging and building goods. The company was started by Owen R. Cheatham as a small lumberyard, in 1927. In 1947, the company bought a lumber mill on the Pacific coast. |
| The Home Depot | The world's largest chain of home improvement stores. Stated in 1978 by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, this store allowed consumers to buy all supplies needed for a project, under one roof, rather than visit many stores. It was the first of its kind in the nation. |
| Chick Fil-A | Founded by S. Truett Cathy, and grew out of the original restaurant Dwarf Grill. Cathy's innovative way of preparing chicken to be served as a sandwich, has made Chick-Fil-A a prosperous restaurant chain in 38 states, taking in over 1.7 billion in profits. |
| AFLAC | Founded by three brothers, John, Paul and Bill Amos in Columbus, Georgia. AFLAC pioneered cancer insurance in 1958 and today is the national leader in supplemental health insurance and also sells policies in Japan. The company features on of the most popular corporate mascots in all of advertising: the AFLAC duck. |
| CNN/TBS | Ted Turner bought Atlanta station WJRJ and renamed it WRCG. Once of the features of Turner's broadcasting services was sports. Bothe the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks were broadcast over WTCG. In 1976, Turner linked his television station's signal to a satellite and broadcast programs to cable operators throughout the nation. The 'superstation' was born. In 1980, Turner founded CNN, the first 24-hour news channel. In 1995 CNN merged with Time-Warner. |
Review
Review what you've learned by completing the activity below.
Atlanta has grown to be an international city. With the help of the airport and interstates, Atlanta has grown with its commercial development. The city attracts businesses due to its large infrastructure and ability to allow easy shipping and access. The businesses invested into the community to develop an area where their employees would enjoy living. The progressive governors focused on improving the transportation and entertainment opportunities of the state. These legacies remain visible today with the expansion of the airport and sport programs.
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