Harry Truman, born on May 8th, 1884, was the 33rd President of the US (Miller Center, 2012). According to the National Park Services (2012), he took over the presidency at a time when America was going through a tough time. However, he moved the country from the traditional isolationism to the involvement in international affairs. Also, having come from a humble background as a son of a farmer, he never forgot his roots and always sought to make life better for the poor. Some of his successes are as explained in the paragraphs below.
First of all, it has to be noted that he came into office in the Middle of the WWII, back on April 12, 1945. This was the time during which the US was preparing the atomic bomb, and he was not informed about it. Later, he requested Japan to surrender from the war, a plea that fell on deaf ears. He consequently ordered the use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which quickly saw Japan surrender and the war to the end of the war started (Whitehouse.gov, 2012). He was also involved in the making of other crucial decisions. For instance, in June 1945, he was a witness to the signing of the UN charter, which was a move aimed at restoring peace to the world. As such, it can be said that he was a crucial figure not only in the history of the US, but also in the entire world.
Economically, he equally did quite a lot. Higgs (2012) posits that during his reign, he attempted to take over the steel industry. On this point, it has to be noted that during the World War I, the government nationalized some of the infrastructures such as railroads, telegraph lines, coal mines and other companies. During the Korean War, the government had the control of the raw materials and production services in the country, including the wages. However, there was a problem when Truman ordered the secretary, on April 8, 1052, to seize and operate the steel mills in the country (Truman Library, 2012). this was faced by much opposition, but it was an attempt to try and ensure that the economy of the country was not compromised (Higgs, 2012).
Perhaps the greatest achievement in relation to the economic sense was the Fair Deal (America’s Story, 2012). Truman presented the 21 item deal to the Congress on January 5, 1949. There were 21 recommendations on the deal on how to improve the economy and the lives of the people. The plan had some recommendations such as the minimum age to be increased, ensure that all Americans were granted equal rights by the law, and have a health insurance pan for all the Americans. From this perspective, it was clear that he had a plan on how to improve the lives of the people, which would count towards the betterment of the living standards, and eventually lead to the economic development. Other successes that can be noted include the creation of a permanent Fair Employment Practices Act, the expansion of social security, as well as the public housing and slum clearance 9Whitehouse.gov, 2012). These were incorporated in the fair deal, and are counted as some of the greatest achievements of Truman.
In conclusion, this essay has looked at Harry S. Truman and his conquests as the33rd American president. It has emerged that though he took up office at a time when the country was in a crisis, he made various bold decisions which changed the history of America and that of the world.
References
America’s Library.org. (2012). Truman Announces Fair Deal, Jan. 5, 1949. Retrieved on 25th Nov. 2012 from
Higgs, Robert. (2012). Truman’s Attempt to Seize the Steel Industry. Retrieved on 25th Nov. 2012 from
Miller Center. (2012). American President: Harry S. Truman (1884-1972). Retrieved on 25th Nov. 2012 from
National Park Service. (2012). Home to a People’s President. Retrieved on 25th Nov. 2012 from
Truman Library.org. (2012). Harry S. Truman. Retrieved on 25th Nov. 2012 from
White House.gov. (2012). Harry S. Truman. (1945-1953). Retrieved on 25th Nov. 2012 from
