From Camp David Accord to Olympics boycott: 5 moments that shaped Carter's presidency

On Thursday, the United States’ longest-living President Jimmy Carter passed away on Sunday at age 100. Carter served as the 39th US President and was known for brokering peace deals in the Middle East and promoting human rights across the world. “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” said Chip Carter, announcing his father’s demise.

“My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of how he brought people together, and we thank you for honouring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs," he added.

While Carter only served one term in the White House before being replaced by charismatic former President Ronald Reagan, he was known for ushering in monumental decisions during his four-year tenure. However, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 due to the contributions he made once he was out of office.

Here’s a look at the defining moments in Carter’s four-year term as the US President.

5 moments that shaped Carter’s brief presidency

1. Camp David Accord

One of Carter’s biggest policy achievements during his only term in office was the peace treaty, he facilitated between Israel and Egypt in 1978. The former president invited the then-Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to Camp David in Maryland to negotiate the peace agreement.

The three leaders agreed to sign the deal after two weeks of intense negotiations which failed multiple times. The agreement mentioned that the Palestinians will be self-governing the West Bank and Gaza along with the framework of ensuring peace among Israel and its other neighbouring nations.

In accordance with the treaty the, Sinai Peninsula was demilitarized, and Israeli ships won free passage through the Suez Canal. Both Sadat and Begin were eventually awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1981. However, Sadat was assassinated two years later. The treaty also emerged as a precedent to the 2000 effort by former President Clinton.

2. Carter’s ‘crisis of confidence speech’

It is pertinent to note that when Carter assumed the Oval Office the United States was witnessing a major economic crisis, with high inflation, rising interest rates along with an unemployment and energy crisis. As a result of this, in 1979, his approval rating dropped to 29 per cent.

Amid the chaos, the former president decided to address the American public. In a nationally televised speech from Camp David, he laid out energy proposals such as increased domestic production, restricting foreign imports and taxing energy profits to fund research for new energy technologies.

However, the highlight of the speech was not Carter’s proposal. His speech instead was known as his “malaise” or “crisis of confidence” speech. In his address, Carter said that the US was facing a “fundamental threat to American democracy” — what he called a “crisis of confidence.” He argued Americans had lost faith in the ability to govern themselves and the future of the nation.

While it was a decent assessment from Carter, it did not sit well with the general public, with many claiming that the former president was playing a blame game.

3. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Olympic boycott

During the Carter years, the United States was left shell-shocked after the USSR commenced its invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Against this backdrop, Carter ordered the American athletes to boycott the Summer Olympics of the 1980s which was being organised in Russia.

Not only this, the erstwhile POTUS also convinced other countries, including Canada, West Germany and Japan, to boycott the event. Ultimately, 66 countries in total boycotted the games in an effort to isolate Moscow. This led to USSR boycotting the 1984 SummerOlympics which was hosted by the United States in the city of Los Angeles.

However, Carter’s order for a boycott angered several athletes. When the idea was floated for athletes from boycotting nations to compete in the Games under a neutral banner, Carter threatened to revoke the passports of U.S. athletes. The United States has not launched a similar boycott since then.

4. Establishment of The Department of Education

It was under the Carter regime that the Department of Education was created. The move angered several Republicans at that time. Even to this day, several GOP candidates are pushing for the Department to shut down.

The Department was an offshoot of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. It was created, in part, to meet Carter’s commitment to make the federal government more efficient.

5. The Iran hostage crisis

Many believed that Carter’s hopes for a second term in office were shattered by the Iranian hostage crisis, in which 52 Americans were held hostage at the US Embassy in Tehran for 444 days. This was the major backdrop of the 1980 US Presidential elections.

Tehran at that time was upset that the US admitted the Iranian shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, into the country to receive medical treatment following the Islamic Revolution that toppled him. At one time, Carter tried to deploy a rescue mission in the country, which ultimately failed.

People were more angry after 8 US service members died in a helicopter crash. Carter worked tirelessly to secure the release of the hostages, but they were not freed until minutes after former President Reagan was sworn in on Jan. 20, 1981. Many Republicans still think that it was Regan who freed the hostages ignoring Carter’s efforts.

While Carter’s time in the office remains turbulent, the former President made significant contributions in his post-presidential career.

With input from agencies.