Our Vanishing Farms

Standard SS8H10 The student will evaluate key post-World War II developments of Georgia from 1945 to Element a. Analyze the impact of the transformation of agriculture on Georgia’s growth.

Essential Questions How was agriculture transformed in Georgia following WWII and how did this impact the state as a whole?

Today’s Key Terms G.I. Bill middle class Suburbs Synthetic fibers Pine forests Aviation

Today’s Agenda Open: ~ Introductory Reading Work ~ New Georgia Encyclopedia Session: Article Read-Aloud ~ Interactive PowerPoint Close: ~ Short answer response questions

Introductory Reading After World War II ended Georgia experienced a huge population and industrialization boom. Georgia transformed from a rural to an urban state as the changes in farm technology ended the need for a large agricultural work force. Many World War II veterans came home, went to college with the help of the G.I. Bill, and began moving to suburban neighborhoods. During this time period, Atlanta became a large enough city to field three major league sports teams.

Introductory Reading By studying this standard students should be able to analyze the impact that the transformation of agriculture had on Georgia’s growth, explain how the growth of Atlanta contributed to the growth of Georgia, and describe the efforts of three men who are given credit for helping Georgia develop from a poor agricultural based state to one that is economically diverse.

Georgia’s Agricultural Transformation New Georgia Encyclopedia Article usiness-economy/agriculture-georgia- overview

Changes on the Farm  After World War II, a transformation occurred in Georgia agriculture  Tenant farmers no longer needed (1. New Deal programs paid farmers not to grow cotton 2. new machines called tractors being used)  Agriculture became concentrated on fewer, larger farms. In 1945, Georgia had about 226,000 farms averaging 105 acres in size. In 1969, the state had fewer farms (67,000), but they were bigger in size

Changes on the Farm

 Thousands of displaced farm workers headed for cities looking for jobs  Georgia’s cities grew due to this new manpower and increase of industry in the state  Interestingly, many of the new manufacturing jobs involved processing and packaging agricultural products

Changes on the Farm  Number of farms in post-war era was declining  Small farms that remained, consolidated to become bigger farms  Less people were needed on the farm due to tractors and mechanical harvesters  More people began working in emerging industries and manufacturing of the cities  Large cities became crowded  Suburbs became the new home of the middle class  This increased the need for automobiles to get back and forth from work (in the city) to home (in the suburb)  G.I. Bill: Allowed returning soldiers to go to college and provided low interest loans for cars and homes

Middle Class Suburbs and Work Home Work

What are some changes automobiles made in how and where Georgians lived after WWII?  Owning a car is possible for many  Drive-in restaurants  Drive-in movies  Drive-in banking  More paved roads means more people move to suburbs  Growth of suburbs – especially Atlanta

What affect did new agricultural technology have on Georgia farmers?  Seed technology, fertilizer, pesticides, crop rotation, erosion control = land more productive, farmers more efficient, crop yields increase  Tractors, harvesters, other motorized equipment meant a single farmer could work more land which reduced need for farmers  Farmers produce more than they could sell = drop in farm prices  Government pays farmers not to plant to get reduce surplus and increase prices

What were some of the crops Georgia farmers switched to after the war? Why?  Peanuts  Soybeans  Tobacco  Corn  Wheat  Pine trees  Poultry and livestock also becomes important  Increased use of synthetic fibers decreased the demand for cotton

What conditions made Georgia attractive to new businesses and industry?  Atlanta developing as a transportation hub for Southeast Georgia  Mild winters  Air conditioning  Cheap labor  Low state and local taxes

Pine Forests  Pine was always an abundant natural resource for the state of Georgia  Georgia farmers began to grow pine for timber used to make paper and lumber to build new houses  Georgia’s forestry industry supplied nearly a fourth of the nation’s building supplies in the 1950s and 1960s

Synthetic Fibers  Polyester and rayon were man-made fabrics that were used during the war  New synthetic fiber decreased need for cotton because they became used for clothing and carpet making  Dalton, Georgia became known as the carpet capital of the world. With the need for cotton declining farmers began to look for new crops like rye and peanuts

Aviation  Growth of airline industry created even more expansion in industry and manufacturing because companies could transport goods quickly and efficiently  Aviation created jobs for former farmers  By the close of the 1950s Lockheed was state’s largest employer  Atlanta became transportation hub of the South

Short Response Questions Answer each question thoroughly Turn in to the shelf when finished ***Make sure that your name is on your paper*** Shake, Rattle, & Roll Joe Turner (1954) Hound Dog Elvis Presley (1956) Sh-boom The Crew Cuts (1954)