Harry S. Truman Essay Example for Free

Harry S. Truman Essay Harry Truman was born in Lamar, Missouri, on May 8, 1884. He was the eldest of three children born to John Anderson Truman, a farmer, and livestock dealer, and Martha Young Truman. To avoid disagreement as to whether the boy’s middle name should b Shippe (for his maternal grandfather), his parents gave him only the initial â€Å"S. † Truman graduated from high school in Independence, Missouri, in 1901 and worked at various clerical jobs in Kansas City until he was 22. For the next 11 years, he operated the family’s 600-acre (240-hectare) farm at Grandview, Missouri. The purpose of this study is to describe the background, personality, character, and integrity of Harry S Truman and know some of the crucial decisions that Truman was forced to make during his seven and three-quarter years as president (Ryan, 1999). II. Background A. World War I and After When the United States entered World War I, Truman’s National Guard regiment was ordered into active service. He was sent to France in 1918, becoming captain of an artillery battery. He commanded the battery through the heavy fighting of the Vosges Mountains, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne offensives. When discharged in May, 1919, Truman was made a major in the service. Eight weeks later, Truman married Elizabeth Wallace, of Independence. He had known â€Å"Bess† Wallace since childhood. Meanwhile, in partnership with an army friend, Truman invested his savings in a Kansas City men’s apparel store. The business failed in 1922, a casualty of the postwar depression. Truman refused to declare bankruptcy, however, and spent more than a decade repaying all his debts (Gardner, 2002). B. Truman Enters Politics His business gone, Truman turned to politics, being helped by his friendship with the brother of Kansa City political boss Tom Pendergast. In 1922, he was elected one of the three judges of the Jackson County Court. This position was an administrative rather than a judicial one, with duties corresponding to those of a country commissioner or supervisor in other states. While in this post, Truman also studied law at night at Kansas City Law School. In 1924, Truman was defeated in his bid for reelection, but in 1926 he was elected presiding judge. He conducted his office with such honesty that his integrity could not be questioned. In 1934, Truman was elected to the U. S. Senate. Generally, he supported Roosevelt’s New Deal programs. World War II began during his second term, and Truman became a national figure as chairman of the Special Senate Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program, 1941-44. He estimated that 15 billion dollars was saved through the committee’s recommendations. II. Discussion Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States. After only 82 days as Vice President, he succeeded to the Presidency on the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945. Despite having had little preparation for the office, Truman proved to be a strong and forceful President. He led the country to victory in the Final phases of World War II and through the critical postwar reconstruction period, and he set the course for United States policy in the cold war. During his presidency made a number of crucial decisions that were both controversial and historically significant. In seeking to shorten World War II, he authorized the use of atomic bombs against Japan. After the war his administration created the Marshall Plan in a successful effort to prevent the economic collapse of Europe; his administration also was responsible for the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Levantrosser, 2003). When North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950, Truman sent United States troops to halt the aggression. His efforts to gain congressional approval for his domestic legislative program (the Fair Deal), however, were generally not successful. Truman was a skilled and fiercely partisan politician who had worked himself up through the ranks of Democratic politics in Missouri. He was a controversial figure throughout his public career. During his years in the White House, Truman was called impulsive, obstinate, and tactless by his critics; courageous, self-confident, and forthright by his admirers (Levantrosser, 2003). IV. Conclusion In conclusion, as president of the United States, I will give him a rate of 8 out of 10. Though President Harry S. Truman had weaknesses as other presidents also have, yet he showed his sincerity as a public figure by serving the people wholeheartedly. Though there ware many criticisms against him yet it did not stop him to stand and do what was right for the welfare of the many. 1. Gardner, Michael R. (2002). Harry Truman and Civil Rights: Moral Courage and Political Risks. Southern Illinois University Press. Carbondale, IL. 2. Levantrosser, William F. (2003). Harry S. Truman: The Man from Independence. Greenwood Press. New York. 3. Ryan, Halford R. (1999). Harry S. Truman: Presidential Rhetoric. Greenwood Press. Westport, CT.