America in the Forties

Truman

114 Truman The Embattled President H A R R Y TRUM A N rose from a working-class background to become president during one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. He was a much embattled president, facing strong opposition from labor, civil rights groups, Republicans, the American public, and even fellow Democrats. Lacking a college education and moving from one low-level job to another, he entered politics rather late in life. With little to help him politically, Truman joined an infamous political machine in Kansas City and gradually advanced himself, ultimately reaching the presidency. Seemingly possessing few of the personal qualities that had made his predecessor such an effective president, he, too, became a strong leader during a difficult time. Truman’s main achievements as president were often of a more subtle nature rather than a long list of legislative programs. He faced enormous challenges upon assuming the presidency, especially in managing a complex reconversion to a peacetime economy. Truman faced: the possible return of the Depression, the threat of inflation, critical labor disputes, and consumer shortages. He successfully oversaw a very difficult transition of the economy following the war, establishing a firm prosperity while maintaining the principal accomplishments of the New Deal. The situation confronting Truman in 1945 was vastly different from that of 1933, when the Roosevelt presidency began. The New Deal developed in response to depression, with the very survival of capitalism at stake. Truman’s Fair Deal occurred during prosperity, the main problem to be faced being inflation. By the end of his presidency, Truman had avoided an T R U M A N 115 economic collapse, presiding instead over an expanding economy. He generally followed the guidelines established by President Roosevelt, and, with the notable exception of civil rights, Truman’s policies never moved significantly beyond the New Deal. His domestic achievements were largely an extension of the earlier Democratic programs of the 1930s. Truman was born into a family of southern Democrats whose ancestors had fought for the Confederacy. Originally from Kentucky, where they had been slave owners, the family later relocated to Missouri. Truman was one of three children of a father who never succeeded in a variety of jobs. John Truman was a combative, uneducated farmer, a livestock and mule trader, and an unlucky grain speculator. Truman’s mother was well educated for her day, having graduated from college. From his family, he learned a strong sense of right and wrong that would later help shape his political career. Truman also grew up in a home with music and books, manifested later in his interest in the piano and reading American history. He experienced a happy boyhood in Independence, Missouri, where his family had settled in 1890. He has been described as “uncomplicated, at peace with himself, proud of his origins, and secure in the affections of his family.”1 Truman’s formal education ended with only a high school diploma, making him the last American president who never attended college. He had hoped to attend West Point but failed the physical exam due to poor eyesight, and, with his family pressed for money, he gave up on the idea of going to college. Lacking a college degree, Truman was later described by one scholar as “a self-educated, uneducated man.”2 Partly because his defective eyes kept him from sports, he became an insatiable reader, with interests ranging from Plutarch and the Bible to military lore and American history. He claimed to have read every book in the local library by the age of thirteen. When he was a young man, his limited educational background restricted his early career options. After high school, his first jobs included a number of low-level positions in a bank, a newspaper, and a railroad, and he eventually wound up managing the family farm for several years. At the age of thirty-three, he enlisted to serve in World War I, becoming a captain and commanding one of the most unruly units in the army. He proved to be an effective commander, winning the respect and loyalty of his men. His World War I service was also a period of personal growth, being the first time the future politician saw himself as a leader of men. He developed a great admiration for military men, leading him as president to 116 A M E R I C A I N T...