Using this passage: In 1946, Georgia faced an embarrassing and controversial governor's race. This event is referred to as the Three Governors Controversy and was widely covered in newspapers. Georgia was portrayed poorly in the newspapers. Three men would claim the position of governor.

Question

Eugene Talmadge had been a governor on and off in Georgia. Some people liked him while others did not. He was thought to be unprogressive towards civil rights. When he was elected for his fourth nonconsecutive term, he died before the term started. Many people were shocked that he was elected due to his poor health. At this time, Ellis Arnall became the governor. Other politicians would investigate how they should handle it and who would take office. They believed that the General Assembly would have the right to pick out of other candidates that had run against him under Georgia law. Many people quietly and secretly voted for Herman Talmadge, his son.
In disagreement, the Georgia Constitution outlined that the Lieutenant Governor would take his place. Melvin Thompson was elected and claimed the spot in 1946. Thompson and Eugene Talmadge had opposite political views on segregation and civil rights. Then in 1947, the General Assembly picked Herman Talmadge as the governor. This would result in physical altercations as well as a great dispute. Arnall did not want to leave until the issue was resolved. Talmadge had the police escort him out of the building and changed the locks. Then Arnall refused to give up the State Governor's Seal and created a second governor's office. A special election in 1948 between Thompson and Talmadge officially ended with Herman Talmadge as the governor.
The white primary was a tactic for stopping African Americans from voting in the Democratic Party. At this point, Georgia was a one-party state. This attempt to prevent African Americans from voting would end up in the King vs. Chapman court case. When Dr. Thomas Brewer and Primus King attempted to vote, they were denied and forcefully removed. The Court stated the white primary was not legal or constitutional, which ended

the white primary in Georgia.

In a paragraph, discuss the three governor’s controversy. (write like an 8th grader, simply)

Answer 1

The Three Governors Controversy in Georgia happened in 1946 and was a big mess that involved three men claiming to be governor. Eugene Talmadge had just been elected for another term but sadly died before he could start. Since he wasn't able to serve, there was confusion about who should take over. According to the Georgia Constitution, the Lieutenant Governor, Melvin Thompson, was supposed to take his place. Some people secretly supported Talmadge's son, Herman Talmadge, who wanted to be governor too. This led to a lot of fighting and disagreements among the politicians, with Ellis Arnall, the former governor, refusing to leave office until things were settled. In the end, the General Assembly picked Herman Talmadge as governor in 1947, but not without a lot of chaos. This controversy showed how divided Georgia was about issues like civil rights and segregation. It wasn’t finally resolved until a special election in 1948 officially named Herman Talmadge as governor.