harry s. truman the life of an american president (1884-1972)
TRANSCRIPT
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Harry S.
TrumanThe Life of an
American President
(1884-1972)
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Baby Harry• Harry S. Truman was
born in Lamar, Missouri, May 8, 1884 to John and Martha Truman.
• Harry’s father was a farmer, and his mother was a homemaker.
• To honor both his grandfathers, Shippe and Solomon, Harry’s parents gave him the middle initial “S” instead of a middle name.
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A Small Town Boy• Harry grew up on his
family’s farm in Grandview, Missouri.
• When Harry was six years old, the Truman family moved to Independence, Missouri, so that the children could attend better schools.
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• As a boy, Harry loved such pastimes as reading, riding his Shetland pony, and chasing frogs around his farm.
• Unfortunately, Harry’s eyesight was poor, so his parents made him wear thick, wire-rimmed glasses.
• Harry was an excellent student, graduating from Independence High School in 1901.
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Elizabeth “Bess” Virginia• Bess Wallace graduated
in 1901 from Independence High in the same class as her future husband, Harry Truman.
• Years later, when Harry’s aunt sent him to return a cake plate to the Wallace’s house, Harry renewed his friendship with Bess.
• After courting her eight years, Harry married Bess in June of 1919.
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Military Years• Harry joined the
Missouri National Guard in 1905.
• Despite his poor eyesight, Harry was a captain in the army during World War I. In order to serve his country, he memorized the eye chart.
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Mary Margaret Truman
• Mary Margaret was born to Harry and Bess Truman on February 17, 1924.
• The infant spent her first night in a dresser drawer before Harry braved a snow storm to go buy a crib.
• As an only child, “Margie” was adored by her whole family.
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Early Political Career
• After serving many years as a judge for his county, Harry was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1934. He won reelection in 1940.
• As a senator, Harry gained a strong reputation as a politician.
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The Vice Presidency
• In 1944, Franklin D. Roosevelt ran successfully for a fourth term in office with Harry as his running mate.
• After serving only 82 days as Vice President, Harry Truman became the 33rd President of the United States due to Roosevelt’s unexpected death.
Left: Harry Truman is sworninto office as America’s VicePresident.
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1945: A “Year of Decisions”• Harry described his
first year in the White House as a “year of decisions.”
• As President, he was responsible for trying to resolve the aftermath of World War II in Eastern Europe and Japan.
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Whistle Stop Campaign
• When Harry ran for presidential reelection in 1948, he defeated opponent Thomas Dewey in what has been called the “upset of the century.”
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Presidential Highlights
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The Truman Legacy: 1945-1953Listed here are a few of the accomplishments
President Truman made during his time in office:• The creation of the United Nations, a global
peacekeeping organization• The formulation of the Truman Doctrine, a
cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy which pledges America’s aid to nations struggling to remain free from Communist aggression.
• The execution of the Marshall Plan, an initiative that provided billions of dollars to help rebuild the economies of European countries devastated by WWII.
• The signing of Executive Order #9981, an order that ended discrimination in U.S. armed forces.
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The Return to Independence
• Harry decided not to run for reelection in 1953.
• After Dwight D. Eisenhower was inaugurated as America’s next President, Harry and Bess boarded the train home to Independence.
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Retirement
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Life after the White House
• As a private citizen able to enjoy retirement, Harry would work on planning his Presidential library to be built in Independence, Missouri.
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Truman Presidential Museum & Library
• The Truman Library was completed in 1957. It houses over 16 million papers and 35,000 artifacts that document the personal and public life of Harry Truman.
• President Truman had an office at the Library that he used almost daily for nine years. Above: Harry and Eleanor
Roosevelt tour the Library.
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Then…
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Now
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Follow-up Questions• What do you think is Harry Truman’s
most lasting contribution as an American President?
• What is the most interesting fact that you’ve learned about Harry Truman?
• What more would you like to know about Truman as a man or a President?
• What do you believe are good qualities for a leader to possess? Do you think that Harry exhibited good leadership and character as our President?