Question

Why was anti-Semitism a growing problem in Georgia during the early 1900s?

Answer 1

For almost 150 years, Atlanta has symbolized a “New South,” where commerce, industry, and economic progress overshadowed the poverty and agricultural economy of much of the rest of the region. As merchants and businessmen with little interest or experience with farming, Jews have always been a good fit in Atlanta. Jews played an important role in Atlanta’s rise and development, helping to build the city and gaining remarkable acceptance. Despite this, Atlanta has also witnessed two of the most infamous incidents of anti-Semitism in American Jewish history, as Jews were targeted by forces who opposed the economic and social changes which Jews had come to symbolize. In recent decades, Atlanta has become a national center of American Jewish life as Jews have flocked to the city from smaller cities across the South and larger cities in the North.

The railroad gave birth to the city of Atlanta, and even named it. Originally founded as Marthasville in 1843, the name was too long to fit on a train ticket, which was essential as the new settlement was established as a terminus of the Georgia Railroad. Renamed Atlanta in 1845, the small town quickly became a railroad center for the southeast, growing from 500 people in 1847 to 9,500 on the eve of the Civil War. With such incredible growth, there were tremendous economic opportunities for enterprising Jewish immigrants.