Harry Truman was born in Lamar, Missouri to a farmer. He went to school in Independence, Missouri and finished his high-school in 1901. He couldn’t afford to go to college and couldn’t go into West Point because of eye problems. Instead he moved to Kansas City, Missouri to become a banker.
In 1906, Truman became a farmer on his grandmothers farm in Grandview, Missouri and take over as the local postmaster and several other duties there. In 1915 and 1916, Truman attempted to start a business in mining, one with lead mining, the second was oil prospecting. Unfortunately, both of these businesses failed.
During World War I, Captain Harry Truman displayed excellent leadership abilities and courage. Upon his return to the United States, Truman met Elizabeth Virginia Wallace. Harry Truman and Elizabeth Wallace were married on June 28, 1919.
His wife gave birth to Margaret Truman in 1922. Harry Truman was given the position of a county judge in Jackson County by the support of World War I veterans and the Pentergast political machine that year as well. Two years later, in 1924, Truman lost the position. He decided to try more businesses then, and finally succeeded by organizing the Community Savings and Loans Association in Independence, Missouri.
In 1926, Truman again became the judge of a county court. In 1934, Truman was elected as the Missouri senator and entered office the next year. Truman designed the Civil Aeronautics Act, followed by the Transportation Act in 1940. After the breakup of the Pentergast Machine in 1940, which diminished Harry Truman’s chances of re-election that year. Truman attempted to run for another term in the Senate, although he was considered out of the race by the newspapers. He managed to pull off a narrow victory, and entered the senate until 1944, when Truman was selected as the vice-president to Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
After being in the vice-presidential office for just over two months, Franklin Delano Roosevelt died, leaving Harry Truman as the new president. After entering office, Truman was informed about the Manhattan Project, and had to make the decision to drop the Atomic Bomb. On September 2, 1945, Japan officially surrendered after Truman gave permission to drop the two bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
In September 1945, Truman passed a bill known as the Economic Bill of Rights. He also presented the Fair Employment Practices Act and several smaller reforms which became known as the Fair Deal. Two years later, in 1947, Harry Truman passed the Truman Doctrine, which would aid Greece and Turkey, reducing Communist influence on the warring nations.
In 1948, Harry Truman airlifted supplies to West Berlin, which was blockaded by the Communists at the time. The next year, Truman managed to form a military alliance which became the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
In June of 1950, Truman initiated a limited war in Korea, but didn’t initiate an all out war which could bring in China and Russia in on the North Korean side.
On December 26, 1972 Harry Truman died in Kansas City, Missouri, at the age of 88. He was buried at the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, Missouri.
Truman managed to shape foreign policy in the United States, but is most known for his decision to drop the atomic bomb. Harry Truman is also known for overcoming all odds, as he repeatedly demonstrated throughout his political career.
See a list of sources used in the making of this report
Return to the Total Warfare Main Page
Return to the Total Warfare Personalities Page
