Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was born in the southeastern state of Georgia in 1924. He received his education at the United States Naval Academy, the institution that trains the commissioned officers of the United States Navy. Prior to his father’s death in 1953, Carter served in the United States Navy. When Carter’s father passed away, he realized his family needed his help maintaining the family farm, so he returned home to pursue a career in farming.
Carter became a wealthy farmer fairly quickly due to his success in the peanut market. Even though peanuts can be found in a wide variety of American cuisines, two of the most common uses for them are peanut butter and oil. “Peanut butter and jelly” sandwiches are a classic childhood snack. Sandwiches like these are a staple in the diet of many young people. Carter’s business was common among farmers in Georgia and the rest of the south.
Although Carter’s primary occupation was farming, he quickly found time to serve on the boards of numerous community groups. Carter served on the boards of various educational institutions, public libraries, and government agencies. After becoming more involved in politics, Carter first served as a state senator in Georgia beginning in 1961, and later as the state’s chief executive as Governor Jimmy Carter.
Midway through the ’70s, Jimmy Carter decided to make a bid for the presidency. It suggests he’s making a run for the president. His lack of national recognition meant he had to put in extra effort, which he did. In the end, he was chosen as the “nominee” of the Democratic Party, the candidate who would be placed on the ballot for president. Electronic voting has replaced paper voting, however paper ballots are still used occasionally. No matter; Carter was the Democratic nominee and he prevailed, becoming president in 1976 after defeating Ford. This was a critical vote because it was held so soon after Richard Nixon stepped down.
When Carter became president, the United States and the world were both facing severe challenges. In the economy, hints of stagflation were appearing. The term “stagflation” comes from a combination of the two terms “stagnate” and “inflation,” and it describes a situation in which the economy is not growing and prices are rising. People were understandably frustrated by this, and President Carter did not do a great job of leading the country out of stagflation. While we may hold him somewhat responsible, we cannot place all the blame on him; stagflation had already set in when he took office.
When compared to domestic issues, Carter’s foreign policy and international difficulties were much greater. To wit: the Iranian hostage crisis, which occurred during Carter’s presidency. There was a massive hostage taking in 1979 at the American Embassy in Tehran. A possible motivation is a desire to see prisoners freed, either by the opposing government or by the government itself.
There were 52 American hostages during the Iranian hostage crisis. Over the course of 444 days, they were held captive for well over a year. After Carter’s term ended and Reagan took office in January 1981, they were finally able to go home to the United States. However, Carter’s administration was seen as incompetent by many due of its inability to rescue the hostages within that year.
There were, however, some diplomatic triumphs for the Carter administration. The success story includes the Camp David Accords. Egypt and Israel’s leaders signed the Camp David Accords after negotiating for over two weeks in Maryland at a place named Camp David. The president enjoys spending time there, as it serves as a sort of large park where he can unwind. But they met in Camp David and reached this understanding there. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Camp David Accords played a significant role in bringing peace to the Middle East.
Additionally, Carter established several new federal agencies during his presidency. He set up both the Energy and Education departments. The old umbrella organization for education was known as “Health, Education, and Welfare” (HEW). At that point, the Department of Education was split off from the Department of Health and Human Services. For his part, Carter was a major player in ratifying the treaties that established the Panama Canal. These were the terms of the agreement between the United States and Panama that gave Panama sovereignty of the Panama Canal again. The United States’ decision to skip the 1980 Summer Olympics was also made during the Carter Administration’s watch. Because of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, they boycotted the games, or chose not to take part in them. The Carter Administration was largely responsible for the United States’ decision to skip the 1980 Summer Olympics.
Carter’s presidency was marked by both triumphs and setbacks, most notably in the areas of the economy and the Iranian hostage crisis. In 1980, he made another run for the presidency but was soundly defeated by Ronald Reagan, who went on to win that year’s election with an overwhelming majority.
Carter was not well-liked by the American people. When he departed office, just 34% of the population had a favorable opinion of his performance. Many people had doubts about his competence, particularly in the areas of economics and international relations. When he left government, he was still held in high regard. Leaving office was more popular with the public than his time as president. As far as history goes, it’s probably too soon to say if Carter was a good or horrible president. The consensus, though, is that he was not the worst president by any stretch of the imagination, just not very good, either.
Carter was quite engaged even after he left the presidency. In 1982, he established a human rights organization in Georgia called The Carter Center. Together, he and his wife were heavily involved in Habitat for Humanity. For the benefit of the underprivileged, Carter founded and was actively involved in a group that facilitated the construction of affordable housing.
Additionally, Carter maintained his role as a diplomat. Among the many countries where he has engaged in diplomacy are North Korea, Israel, Syria, Egypt, and Tunisia.
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Carter in 2002. He joins Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Barack Obama as the only U.S. presidents to win the award. He is the only one of the four to receive it after leaving the presidency.
Carter has reached the age of 98. He’s still publishing books and giving talks. In particular, his views on the Middle East continue to make him a divisive figure. To be sure, he is still very much in the game, and he will be recognized not only for the tremendous job he did during his presidency, but also for the terrible failure of his administration.