Harry Truman

Harry Truman
Name	Harry S. Truman
Caption	Harry S. Truman, 1945
Birth date	May 8, 1884
Birth place	Lamar, Missouri, United States
Death date	December 26, 1972
Death place	Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Party	Democratic Party
Spouse	Bess Wallace Truman
Children	Mary Margaret Truman
Alma mater	Manual Training High School (Kansas City)
Religion	Baptist

Harry Truman was the 33rd President of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953, who assumed office after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt and led the nation through the end of World War II, the early Cold War, and the Korean War. He is noted for decisive executive actions including authorization of the atomic bombings, the initiation of the Marshall Plan, the recognition of Israel, and the establishment of the Truman Doctrine and NATO. Truman’s plainspoken persona, roots in Missouri politics, and controversial decisions produced shifting historical assessments that moved from contemporary criticism to later acclaim among historians.

Early life and family

Born in Lamar, Missouri, Truman was the son of John Anderson Truman and Martha Ellen Young Truman and raised on a family farm near Independence, Missouri. He attended Spencerian Business College and graduated from Manual Training High School (Kansas City), later working at the Kansas City Star and managing the family farm. In 1919 he married Bess Wallace, daughter of David Wallace and Madge Wallace of Grandview, Missouri, and they had one daughter, Mary Margaret Truman, who became an author and radio and television personality. Truman served in the United States Army during World War I with the Missouri National Guard and commanded an artillery battery in France under commanders associated with the American Expeditionary Forces.

Political career in Missouri and U.S. Senate

Truman’s elected career began in Jackson County, Missouri, where he was a judge of the Jackson County Court and allied with the political machine run by Tom Pendergast. He built a reputation as a fiscal reformer and chaired the Jackson County Democratic Committee, later winning election as a United States Senator from Missouri in 1934. In the Senate, Truman chaired the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program (the Truman Committee), which investigated wartime contracting and became noted for exposing profiteering and influencing wartime appropriations overseen by committees within the United States Congress and debated by figures like Sam Rayburn and Harrison Graham. His Senate tenure involved interactions with New Deal-era legislation and relationships with leaders from the Democratic Party and critics such as Robert A. Taft.

Vice presidency and 1948 presidential campaign

In 1944 Truman was selected as the vice-presidential running mate for President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the Democratic ticket, replacing other contenders after discussions among party bosses including James Farley and delegates at the Democratic National Convention (1944). He was sworn in as Vice President and served briefly before Roosevelt’s death in April 1945 elevated him to the presidency. In 1948 Truman secured the Democratic nomination at the 1948 Democratic National Convention and launched a vigorous campaign against Republican nominee Thomas E. Dewey, Progressive candidate Henry A. Wallace, and Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond of the States' Rights Democratic Party (Dixiecrats). Truman’s whistle-stop tour and appeals to working-class voters, labor leaders associated with the AFL–CIO, and New Deal coalition constituents culminated in a surprise victory over Dewey in the 1948 United States presidential election.

Presidency (1945–1953)

Upon assuming office after Roosevelt’s death, Truman oversaw the final months of World War II and made the decision to employ atomic weapons against Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, interacting with military leaders such as Dwight D. Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur. Truman presided over postwar demobilization, the transition from the United Nations founding conference to early Cold War alignments, and postwar reconstruction policy debates involving figures like George C. Marshall and Dean Acheson. His administration confronted labor unrest involving unions such as the United Mine Workers of America and navigated domestic politics against congressional leaders including Joseph W. Martin Jr. and Harley M. Kilgore.

Domestic policy and civil rights

Truman advocated for a domestic agenda he called the Fair Deal, proposing national health insurance, federal aid to education, civil rights legislation, and housing programs debated in the United States Congress. He issued Executive Orders 9980 and 9981 to desegregate the United States civil service and the United States Armed Forces, respectively, acting against opposition from segregationist politicians like Senator Theodore G. Bilbo and regional blocs represented by Strom Thurmond. Truman’s 1948 civil rights message precipitated the walkout that formed the Dixiecrat ticket and influenced later civil rights developments pursued by leaders such as Thurgood Marshall and organizations like the NAACP.

Foreign policy and Cold War initiatives

Truman articulated the Truman Doctrine in 1947, pledging support to countries resisting communist movements and engaging with leaders including Harry Hopkins and policymakers in the State Department to contain Soviet influence. He backed the Marshall Plan for European recovery, coordinated by George C. Marshall, and supported the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949 to counter the Soviet Union. His administration recognized the state of Israel in 1948 and managed crises such as the Berlin Blockade and airlift administered by US Air Force units. During the Korean War (1950–1953), Truman committed United Nations forces under Douglas MacArthur and later dismissed MacArthur amid disputes over conduct and strategy, interacting with United Nations officials, military commanders, and Congress.

Later life, legacy, and historical assessment

After leaving the presidency in 1953, Truman returned to Independence, Missouri, wrote memoirs published with assistance from editors and publishers, and participated in public affairs including engagements with presidents such as John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. His legacy has been reassessed by historians who compare his choices to those of leaders like Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower, examining his impact on Cold War policy, civil rights advances, and executive authority. Monuments and sites such as the Harry S. Truman National Historic Site and the presidential library in Independence, Missouri commemorate his life, while scholarly debates about decisions like the atomic bombings and Korean War strategy continue among historians, political scientists, and veterans’ groups.

Category:Presidents of the United States Category:1884 births Category:1972 deaths