Jimmy Carter’s idealism and humility left a lasting imprint on American life

US President Jimmy Carter waving from Air Force One in 1977. National Archives and Records Administration by Jared Mondschein, University of Sydney Former US president Jimmy Carter, a man defined by his humility and idealism, has died at 100. Many US presidents come from modest upbringings. Born in Plains, Georgia, Jimmy Carter’s Depression-era childhood was no exception. His home lacked running water and electricity, while his rural high school lacked a 12th grade. What made Carter exceptional was the degree to which these humble beginnings would influence his life, most notably his time as America’s 39th president from 1977-1981. How a peanut farmer became president A farmer, nuclear submarine officer, state governor and proud Christian, Carter assumed office during a tumultuous time in American history. Three crises in particular are not only widely credited with helping elect the former peanut farmer into the Oval Office, but also still influence how Americans think about American power and politicians half a century later. The first crisis occurred in March 1973, when newscasts on living room TVs across the country displayed what appeared to be the previously undefined limits of American power: the chaotic – and some would say humiliating – US withdrawal...