The American presidents series

A biography of the twenty-ninth president of the United States, with information about his childhood, family, political career, presidency, and legacy.

How does a peanut farmer become Governor of Georgia and President of the United States? Only in America could such a story be true. Not satisfied with the climate of injustice he witnessed in his daily life, Carter sought a political career and was elected state senator in 1962 and again in 1964. He successfully won the 1970 campaign for Governor of Georgia. In 1975, Carter announced he would run for President. An army of loyal supporters, friends, neighbors, and elected officials, known as the Peanut Brigade, joined the campaign. They traveled across the country, joining Jimmy and Rosalynn, knocking on doors, standing at factory gates, walking streets, asking voters to vote for Jimmy Carter for President. While the basics of his story are well known, they have never been told from the perspective of a "soldier" in the Peanut Brigade. Dorothy Padgett, with an earthy, honest, and Southern voice, tells the story as if new to all of us. Humor and insight abound in this direct telling of how a peanut farmer from Georgia became President and leader of the United States. The secret is in his character, his morality, and in his being truly human.