President Jimmy Carter

1977-1981

The 1976 Election

Background● 39th President

● 52 years old

● Democrat

● From Georgia

● Family had visible part in Presidency

○ Wife, Rosalynn

○ 4 children

● Secret Service codename was “Deacon” (Deeply religious)

● Graduate from US Naval Academy

○ Served in Nuclear Submarine program

● Made human rights the center of his foreign policy

Human Rights Initiatives● Held allies and adversaries accountable for human rights failures

● Came from UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

● Suspend military and economic aid

○ A way to protest human rights violations

○ Iran was exempt

● Undercuts American allies by criticizing their human rights’ shortcomings

Foreign Affairs● Panama Canal

● Camp David Accords

● Soviet Union

○ Afghanistan invasion

○ 1980 Olympics

● China and Taiwan

● Iran

○ Hostage Crisis

Panama Canal● US and Panama negotiates future status of Panamanian zone-1964

● Torrijos-Carter Treaties

○ Delegation did not include senators

○ End to US occupation of the zone

○ Panamanian operation of the canal by 1999

○ Ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1978

○ Conservatives opposed the treaty

■ Wanted to be able to defend the canal

■ Attacked Carter for being “weak”

● Believed that he gave away the canal

○ Initially denied by Panamanian government

■ Panama reluctantly agreed

● 75% of American public opposed to treaty

Recognition of Communist China● December 15, 1978 China and US establish official diplomatic relations

● Reduces tensions in East Asia

○ Chinese Communists interested in economic growth over military conflicts

○ Beneficial trade relations established between US and China

■ Consumer goods from China and lumber and food from the US

● Severed diplomatic ties with non-communist Taiwan, or the Republic of China

○ Revokes the 1955 Mutual Defense Treaty with Republic of China―January 1, 1980

○ Establishes the Taiwan Relations Act

■ Allows for an American Institute in Taiwan―the old American Embassy

● Retired foreign service officers staffed it

■ Allows for Taiwan institute in Washington D.C.―staffed with retired foreign officers

○ US continues to supply arms to Taiwan―for defense from the mainland (China)

Camp David Accords● Greatest foreign policy success of Carter’s presidency

● Israel’s Prime Minister―Menachem Begin

● Egypt’s President―Anwar Sadat

● Carter negotiated the terms of peace between the two leaders

○ Israel withdraws from Sinai Peninsula

■ US gives funds to rebuild Israeli military bases in Negev Desert

○ US has monitoring posts so that neither side attacks

○ Recognition of the other country and sign a peace treaty

○ Israel will negotiate with Palestinians for peace

● Initialed―September 17, 1978

● Signed in Washington―March 26, 1979

Invasion of Afghanistan● Soviet Union invades Afghanistan in 1979

● Threatened world peace, balance and world oil supplies

● Carter made speech on Afghanistan:

○ Said that US would cut all business with the Soviet Union

○ Deferred ratification of the SALT II treaty

○ Restricted trade with Soviet Union

○ Halted exports in 3 important areas

○ Halted exportation of technological and strategic items to Soviet Union

○ Said to provide assistance- food, military, etc- to countries in danger of Soviets

1980 Summer Olympics● Held in Moscow

● Boycotted by the US and other democratic nations

○ Congress voted almost unanimously in decision

○ Due to recent invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union

■ Thousands of lives lost

● Villages deliberately wiped out

○ Reinforced the public’s view of a weak President

■ Punished American athletes

■ Did not punish Soviet leaders

■ Understands how hard it is to sacrifice dreams for the good of the country

1980 Winter Olympics● Height of Cold War tensions

● Held in Lake Placid, New York

○ “Miracle on Ice”

■ The United States beat the Soviet Union in the semifinals 4-3

● United States consisted of mostly collegiate student athletes

■ One of the greatest upsets of all time

● Soviet team believed to be the greatest hockey team of all time

Iranian Hostage Crises● United States trades oil and relies on oil supply from Iran

● “Shah” essentially put into place by the United States

○ Radical islamics are highly against outside influence

● “Khomeini”- radical islam group for young men - begin revolution, storm US embassy

○ 60 American people are taken hostage

○ Carter has no plans to free hostages

● 1980, Desert One:

○ Carters risky plan to rescue hostages

○ Huge failure, collision with the helicopters

● This event directly contributes to Carter’s loss of presidency

○ Americans viewed Carter as weak and under qualified

○ Reagan wins election by a landslide shortly after the crisis

○ Hostages released minutes after Reagan came into office

Timeline of Events

Elected as the 39th President

1976

Negotiates the Camp David accords

Lost re-election to Ronald Reagan

1980

Country-wide boycott of the Summer Olympics

1979

Granted Panama control over the canal

1978

Recognizes communist China over Taiwan

Legacy of President Carter● Walked into presidency with many challenges

● His spreading of human rights throughout the World

● His boycott of the 1980 summer olympics

● Established the Department of Energy

● Established the Department of Education

● Overall seen as unsuccessful

Works CitedJimmy Carter Picture: http://www.blueridgemuse.com/node/30285

https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/jimmycarter

1976 Election Map: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1976

Human Rights: http://quotesgram.com/jimmy-carter-human-rights-quotes/

Foreign Affairs: http://fxgallery.com/president-carter-foreign-policy.html

Panama Canal: http://millercenter.org/president/gallery-image/panama-canal-treaty

Recognition of China: http://apjjf.org/2013/11/24/Dong-Wang/3958/article.html

Camp David Accords: https://www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov/documents/campdavid25/campdavid25_photos.phtml

Summer Olympics: http://www.nola.com/olympics/index.ssf/2010/07/its_a_30-year_anniversary_of_a.html

Winter Olympics: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/339107046914563479/

Desert One Pictures: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:C-130-64-0564-dragon2-dsrt1-1980.jpg

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/27/a-husband-s-death-and-hostages-freedom-from-iran.html