The Declining Acceptance of Paternalism during the 19th Century: Numan V. Bartley’s The Creation of Modern Georgia

The word calls to mind the image of a father who makes decisions for his children rather than letting them make their own decisions, on the grounds that father knows best. The principle of paternalism underlies a wide range of laws and practices” (Andre).

One particular state that utilized this governing plan was the state of Georgia during the early nineteenth century. Author Numan V. Bartley explores the use of paternalism in Georgia and its overall declining acceptance by various influential leaders during that time. In the text Bartley explains the diminishing interest of paternalism throughout the state as well as the imperative plan that replaced it, which ultimately provided many of Georgia’s citizens with a sense of civil liberties and privileges.

Throughout much of Georgia’s early beginnings the paternalistic way of life was widely accepted by citizens and most importantly the leaders of that time. However, this dominant policy began to show a major decline during the early 1950’s. According to Bartley, “The rapidly declining number of tenants and agricultural laborers and the spread of mechanized, capitalist, farming had undermined the commitment to a paternalistic ideology” (212).

The previous quotation shows how Georgia’s paternalistic society began to fall and also shows the reason for its disapproval from many of the rulers including many well known civil rights advocates and business leaders such as Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. Ultimately, the fall of paternalism began with the leaders strong want for freedom for the individuals within the state.

Ruling elites such as the New Deal liberals discussed money wages and jobs for white and black citizens, and even some of these pioneers pushed for basic rights and privileges for black southerners. Also, according to Bartley, desegregation was another factor controlled under Georgia’s paternal policy that many of the great leaders intended to change overall.

Ultimately, many abolishment of paternalism came at the hand of several prominent leaders during the 1950’s. While the leaders of Georgia’s paternalistic way of living promoted white supremacy, elite rulers such as Mayor Allen encouraged capitalism and economic and social expansion.

According to Bartley one of the major points to Allen’s beliefs was to keep Atlanta’s public schools open which pushed for desegregation.

Another elite ruler during this time was Mayor Millard Beckum who also went against the paternalistic strategy used throughout Georgia.

In the text Bartley says, “The election of Millard Beckum as mayor in 1957 and the formation of the Committee of 100 an organization of community leaders to promote industrial development, consolidated city political leadership behind a program of “energetic boosterism” (214). In relation to this quote many of the leaders including Allen and Beckum sought after economic success in order to help reconstruct the grounds of Georgia. Furthermore, the primary need for a more industrialized state was another leading reason for the declining approval of paternalism.

After its elimination from use in Georgia, paternalism became nearly a foreign policy upon the rise of capitalism which took its place in the late 19th century.  During this period the city strongly supported the capitalistic standard of living. Another influential leader who encouraged the start of capitalism in the state was Mayor William B. Hartsfield.

According to Bartley, “Hartsfield vigorously promoted economic expansion and soon relegated white supremacy to a secondary position” (214). Furthermore, Hartsfield felt that Georgia’s white supremacist society was no longer significant for its future success. Under Georgia’s new capitalist plan blacks received more voting rights and overall privileges. Also, education became an imperative factor during the state’s push for a more industrialized community.

From the promotion to keep public schools open to the rise of the state’s HOPE scholarship, PTA’s, and other organizations Georgia’s new policy was a key to the state’s overall development.

Additionally, another prominent leader that Bartley acknowledges throughout his text is the legendary Martin Luther King Jr. who also pushed for changes in Georgia including civil rights of minorities. King’s push for equality amongst all races helped the state’s new capitalist strategy as well as its overall social and industrial development.

As stated earlier writer Claire Andre exclaims “Paternalism can be defined as interfering with a person’s freedom for his or her own good”. Throughout many decades of Georgia’s early beginnings many individual’s personal freedoms were interfered under the state’s paternalistic policy.

However, was it truly for the sake of the people or for the sake of the white supremacist leaders in charge? Ultimately, Georgia’s use of paternalism was a form of slavery upon each citizen within the state regardless of one’s individual race, gender, or ethnicity.

The paternalistic lifestyle denied people of their true freedoms not only as citizens of Georgia, but as citizens of the nation. The rise of great and influential leaders paved the way for a change providing the state with a more privileged and developed society.

Ultimately, this legendary change has established economic and social growth, industrial improvement, and launched the beginnings to what we now know as modern Georgia.

Works Cited

Bartley’s V. Numan. The Creation of Modern Georgia. Georgia: University of Georgia Press,

1983. 212-214.

Andre, Claire. For Your Own Good. Ethics, Vol. 98 (April 1988), pp. 550-565.