Essential Question What were the important events of the Carter presidency?

Jimmy Carter

Grew up in Plains, GA Studied nuclear physics in the Navy – trained to command nuclear subs Upon his father’s death, he resigned from the Navy and returned to Plains to run the family peanut business

Jimmy Carter Served two terms in the Georgia Senate 1970 – elected as governor of GA Ran as a Washington outsider for president

1976 Election Republican - Gerald Ford/Robert Dole Democrat – Jimmy Carter/Walter Mondale Victory for Carter

1976 Election

1970s Economy Downturn in the U.S. economy Dependent on imported oil from OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)

Yom Kippur War Egypt and Syria invaded Israel Israel won after receiving supplies from an emergency American airlift Arab countries resented US actions

Arab Oil Embargo Long lines at US pumps Oil became a political weapon Prices per barrel of oil rose dramatically

U.S. Response National speed limit of 55 mph Fuel efficient cars (many foreign made) Economic inflation

Nuclear Energy Controversy over building nuclear reactors to generate power Environmentalists cautioned against nuclear meltdowns

Three Mile Island March 1979 Near meltdown before plant closed Win for the environmentalists

Carter’s Challenges Turmoil in the Middle East raised gas prices Inflation rate of 11 percent

Carter’s Challenges Favored human rights and peacemaking in foreign affairs

Camp David Accords 1978 Israel’s Menachem Begin met with Egypt’s Anwar Sadat at Camp David Signed a peace accord

USSR 1979 – Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan Carter placed an embargo on wheat shipments to the USSR Boycott of the Summer Olympics (1984) in Moscow

Iran 1979 – Shah of Iran forced into exile as an ally of the U.S. Ayatollah Khomeini came to power U.S. admitted the Shah into the country for cancer treatments

Iran In response, Iranian students seized the U.S. embassy in Teheran 66 Americans became hostages U.S. refused to return the Shah to Iran for trial

Iranian Hostage Crisis Hostages remained for fourteen months April 1980 rescue effort failed After the Shah’s death, Iranians agreed to release the hostages – on the day Carter left office

Election of 1980 Republican – Ronald Reagan Democrat – Jimmy Carter Reagan victory