Harry Truman: A Biography of an American President

By Joseph Greene

HARRY TRUMAN

Like all Presidents of the United States, Harry Truman made both good and bad decisions. Both of these types of choices had lasting effects on our country and its foreign relations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rivercat Books LLC
• Release date: Jan 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9781959018650

Book preview

Introduction

Harry Truman had an interesting political history. Not only was he President of the United States during World War II, but he was also forced into the role. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the US, died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage on April 12, 1945. And that meant that Harry Truman, acting vice president at the time, was required to take over the presidency. In fact, he was sworn in as president on the same day as FDR’s death.

It was a crazy time, and Harry S. Truman stepped up to the plate in more ways than one. He had a lot of difficult decisions to make during a time of tumult, especially when the war was nearing its end. FDR was a beloved president, and it was likely that Truman entered into his new role with a little trepidation.

However, we do know that he was also excited. He is quoted to have said that,

when he was given the new role, and he asked for prayer. He spoke the words well. To be given such an important role in a country is to be given the moon, the stars, and the planets.

The president holds a lot of power in his hands, and as WWII was nearing its end, Truman had a country to heal, to make happy, and to prepare for a better future. Truman was well-known for a few things, and even today, some were difficult, scarring, and controversial. He chose to drop the nuclear bombs in Japan. But he was also the one who helped to foster the growth and creation of the United Nations.

Like all presidents of the United States, he made good and bad decisions. Both of these types of choices had lasting effects on our country and its foreign relations. This biography of our 33rd president is not to whitewash everything and cover it over. It’s to portray the facts, showcase what Harry S. Truman had to deal with in the Oval Office, as well as outline the steps in his early life that took him to the presidency.

It will also cover the life after the presidency and how he moved from making decisions that affected a whole nation to back to being a regular Joe. It may also reveal a few little-known and interesting facts about our president, only adding to his intrigue and resume.

Harry Truman had a tough job to do, but he was up to the task, and he was eager to do it. He had a nation surrounding him as he took on the role, and he even gained a second term as President of the United States. Harry Truman was only one of eight vice presidents who became president due to the death of the sitting president. However, he stood strong and made a name for himself in the history books.

While so many others who were given the same opportunities blew away like dust as time passed, Truman’s name resounds in our mind as one of the strongest presidents of the nation, especially during an uncertain time. He helped to lead us to the end of one of the greatest conflicts in history. This is an impressive legacy and one for which he should be remembered.

Harry Truman described the position as president in the perfect words when he said,

Chapter One: Harry Truman’s Childhood & Early Years

Like many other American presidents, Harry S. Truman came from humble beginnings. He was born on May 8, 1884, in Lamar, Missouri, to John Anderson Truman and Martha Ellen Truman. They moved around a lot around Missouri after Harry was born, ending up in Kansas City in 1902.

He was the oldest of three children, and his father was a mule trader as well as a farmer. His parents had moved to Independence, Missouri, in 1890. It was here Truman attended school, eventually graduating high school in 1901. His family then moved to Kansas City.

Uniquely for a United States president, he didn’t attend college. He took up a job in Kansas City and became a bank teller, working as a clerk in two banks in the city. He also worked for a small amount of time as a timekeeper for a railroad construction contractor. However, despite his time in the business world, he moved on to work on the land just as his father had done. In 1906, he moved to Grandview and joined his father’s farm. He worked as a farmer