Clinton Massachusetts Welcomes Jimmy

Black and white photograph of jimmy carter inside an oval with a green band around it on a white background with an outer gold edge with green and black text.

During Jimmy Carter's run for President, he promised on the campaign trail to be more in touch with ordinary people than previous presidents and candidates have been. In order to achieve this goal, he decided to throw a series of town hall meetings, which kicked off in Clinton, MA.

Carter, a former senator and governor, won the election and became the 39th President of the United States in 1976. He ran against Republican Gerald Ford. Before the election, President Carter was relatively unknown outside of Georgia. He ran as the underdog and Washington outsider who would be a good change for America. 

Overall, Carter's presidency was marked by inflation, recession, and an energy crisis. However, he did fulfill some campaign promises, particularly that of pardoning Vietnam War draft evaders. One of the most notable events of his presidency was the Iran hostage crisis in 1979, during which 52 Americans (both citizens and diplomats) were held hostage for over a year.