THE NEW SOUTH SS8H7: The student will evaluate key political, social, and economic changes that occurred in Georgia between 1877 and 1918.

Bourbon Triumvirate Leaders of the Democratic Party in Georgia from 1872-1890 They were white supremacists (believed that whites were superior to other races and should control everything) John B. Gordon (became governor of GA) Alfred E. Colquitt (became governor of GA) Joseph E. Brown (became governor of GA) Goals: Make Georgia self-sufficient Bring more industry into Georgia Get farmers to diversify their crops

Henry Grady Editor of the Atlanta Constitution Realized Georgia needed more industry Tried to convince northern businessmen to bring their businesses to Georgia Became one of the planners of Atlanta’s 1881 International Cotton Exposition

Hard Life of Georgia Farmers Most farmers were unable to own land and had to work for land owners. Sharecroppers – land owner provided a home and tools. The sharecropper did not pay rent but paid the land owner part of the crop. Tenant Farmer – rented a house from the land owner and provided their own tools. Kept their crop to sell.

Tom Watson Georgia farmers feared the Democratic Party led by the Bourbons would ignore their needs and focus on industry. Tom Watson did not agree that Georgia needed to become more industrial. He focused on helping the farmers. One way Watson helped farmers was by starting Rural Free Delivery (RFD) so that mail would be delivered to the farms.

Tom Watson and the Populist Party Tom Watson joined the Populist Party also called the People’s Party. They were for equality and called for all farmers, black and white, to unite. Watson ran for U.S. Congress as a Populist. The Democrats said that voting for Watson would split the white vote and allow blacks back into office. Watson lost the election to the Democrats.

Single Party Politics The Democratic party almost automatically won elections in Georgia because most Georgians were Democrats and the Republicans seldom nominated a candidate.

Segregation Laws were passed with the purpose of keeping the races apart in public places. These laws were called Jim Crow Laws. Passed in 1877. The first Jim Crow Law required railroads to provide separate cars for blacks and whites. Theaters, restaurants, elevators, waiting rooms, park benches, and more were segregated.

Plessy v Ferguson The Supreme Court case of Plessy v Ferguson (1896) ruled that segregation was legal as long as both races had equal access to facilities. This was called the separate but equal doctrine. The separate part was enforced, but equal was not.

The Progressive Movement A group of Democrats called the Progressives came into power in Georgia in 1906. They were focused on White Supremacy Reform in Education Reform in moral issues such as alcohol Working Conditions Women’s Rights

Disfranchisement Disfranchisement, also called disenfranchisement, was ways that white supremacists attempted to keep blacks from voting. They established poll taxes which was a tax a person was required to pay in order to vote. They established white primaries stating that only white Democrats could vote in primaries. They established literacy tests stating that a person had to be able to read to vote.

Exemptions to Voting Laws These voting laws affected whites as well as blacks since many of both races were poor and illiterate. Ways that whites got around the laws: A community leader could say they had good character A person owning 40 acres could vote If they had a relative who fought for the Confederacy (grandfather clause)

1906 Atlanta Riot One of the worst race riots in our nation’s history Riot lasted two days Martial law was declared (military forces take control to maintain order) 18 African Americans and 3 whites killed; hundreds injured Causes of riot (unsure): Tom Watson spreading racial fears Hoke Smith (running for Governor) using racial fears to gain votes Atlanta newspapers printing stories about African American violence against whites September 22nd, newspaper article (false report) about black assaults

Progressive Era Reforms Child Labor Children worked long hard hours in mills and mines Conditions were dangerous After 1906 no child under 12 could work in a factory unless their family was needy. In 1916 a law was passed in Georgia requiring children to attend school although some parents disagreed.

Women’s Suffrage (right to vote) Rebecca Latimer Felton led the women’s suffrage cause in Georgia. She was a writer for Atlanta Journal. In 1920 the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave women the right to vote. Felton was the 1st woman to serve as a US Senator

Prison Reform Conditions in Georgia prisons were terrible. The convict lease system – prisoners could be “leased” to work outside the system and were starved and abused. Progressive reforms made positive changes: Ended convict lease system Separated men and women in prisons Created separate jails for juveniles

Social Reform Prohibition Due to the rise of alcoholism, many groups attempted to ban the use and sale of alcohol in the United States. Prohibition – In 1917, the U.S. Supreme Court passed the 18th Amendment forbidding the manufacturing and sale of alcohol. In 1907, the Atlanta Race Riot led to prohibition in Georgia.

Bringing Industry to Georgia The main industry in Georgia was textile manufacturing because Georgia produced so much cotton. Many of the mills were built along the Fall Line for the use of water power The International Cotton Exposition (1881) in Atlanta was held to show manufacturers why they should invest in Georgia.

Reasons Northern Companies Came to Georgia Low taxes Cheap Labor Mild Climate Mills were close to the cotton fields so transportation costs were low.

Georgia Businesses Atlanta was the center of Georgia businesses. Alonzo Herndon was a former slave who started the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, which was worth over $1 million in 1927. Coca-Cola (1886) is the most famous product ever produced in Georgia.

African American Leaders during the New South era Booker T. Washington founded Tuskegee Institute which was a center of education for African Americans. The Atlanta Compromise – In a speech at the Cotton Exposition, called on African-Americans to learn a skill and become self-sufficient. He said that after this, the full rights of citizenship would come to them.

African American Leaders during the New South era Dr. John Hope – president of Morehouse College & Atlanta University (historically black colleges & universities) Disagreed with Washington that African-Americans should become self-sufficient to earn their way. W.E.B. DuBois – started the NAACP (National Association for Advancement of Colored People) Also disagreed with Washington that African- Americans should become educated and earn their place in society.

Racial Violence Violence between whites and African-Americans increased and many African-Americans left Georgia. Between 1916 & 1917, over 50,000 left in an event called the Great Migration. In 1913, Leo Frank, a Jewish man from New York was found guilty of the murder of 13 year old Mary Phagan (his employee at a pencil factory) even though there was little evidence against him. He was lynched and hanged near Marietta.