Georgia*s New Deal Governors

Georgia’s New Deal Governors 1.

Richard Russell Jr.   

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GA’s youngest Governor- elected in 1931 Combined 102 state offices into 17 agencies Created the Board of Regents of the University System of GA Eased some of the problems of the Depression Elected to U.S. Senate in 1932 and served for 38 years!

Georgia’s New Deal Governors 2.     

Eugene Talmadge Elected GA’s Governor in 1933 Compared himself with Tom Watson Conservative white supremacist Opposed many of the New Deal programs Ordered the highway commissioner to cut spending or resign. When the commissioner refused, Talmadge declared Martial Law and called in the National Guard to remove the commissioner.

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1934 – Textile Strike Talmadge again declared martial law and used the national guard to arrest strikers

Georgia’s New Deal Governors 3. Ellis Arnall  Defeated Talmadge and became governor in 1943  Removed the prison system from governor control: established Board of Corrections  Abolished the Poll Tax  Developed a new state constitution that was adopted in 1945  Led Georgia to become the first state in the nation to give 18 year olds the right to vote. 

Old enough to fight, old enough to vote!