Jimmy Carter National Historic Site Jimmy Carter National Historic Site The Jimmy Carter National Historic Site, located in Plains, Georgia, preserves sites associated with James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. (1924–present), 39th President of the United States. These include his residence, boyhood farm, school, and the town railroad depot, which served as his campaign headquarters during the 1976 election. The building which used to be Plains High School (opened in 1921 and closed in 1979) serves as the park's museum and visitor center. As President Carter lives in Plains, the area surrounding the residence is under the protection of the United States Secret Service and is
Presidency of Jimmy Carter Democrats, who had been skeptical of Carter. The Republicans experienced a contested convention that ultimately nominated incumbent President Gerald Ford, who had succeeded to the presidency in 1974 after the resignation of Richard Nixon due to the latter's involvement in the Watergate scandal. With the Republicans badly divided, and with Ford facing questions over his competence as president, polls taken in August 1976 showed Carter with a 15-point lead. In the general election campaign, Carter continued to promote a centrist agenda, seeking to define new Democratic positions in the aftermath of the tumultuous 1960s. Above all, Carter attacked the political