Summary

In the spring of 1841, Solomon Young and his wife, Harriet Louisa, embarked on a journey from Kentucky to the western frontier of Missouri. They settled in Jackson County, a region known as the Blue River country, and established a farm. Solomon, a skilled farmer and stockman, eventually prospered through freighting and land acquisition. Their granddaughter, Martha Ellen Young, known as Mattie, married John Truman in 1881, and they settled in Lamar, Missouri. After several moves and business ventures, the Truman family returned to the Young farm. Mattie and John's son, Harry S. Truman, was born in 1884 and spent his early childhood on the farm, surrounded by a large extended family. Harry's childhood was filled with adventures exploring the farm, learning about animals, and developing a close relationship with his grandfather. His mother taught him to read, instilling a love for books and learning. After moving to Independence, Missouri, Harry attended school and excelled academically, while also developing a passion for music, particularly piano playing. His double-strength eyeglasses transformed his world, opening up new possibilities. He graduated high school in 1901 with dreams of attending West Point, but his eyesight prevented him from pursuing a military career.

Following his father's financial ruin, Harry worked various jobs, including a timekeeper for the Santa Fe Railroad, before landing a position at the National Bank of Commerce in Kansas City. However, his banking career was short-lived when family obligations called him back to the farm. For ten years, Harry worked alongside his father, learning the intricacies of farming and developing a deep appreciation for the land. During this time, he reconnected with his childhood sweetheart, Bess Wallace, and began a dedicated courtship through hundreds of letters. He proposed in 1911, but Bess initially rejected him. Undeterred, Harry persisted, and with his mother's support, he bought a Stafford automobile, which became a symbol of his pursuit of Bess. They eventually became engaged. In 1914, Harry's father died, leaving him with the responsibility of running the farm. He ventured into zinc mining and oil leasing, experiencing both setbacks and successes. Eventually, after years of persistent courtship, he won Bess Wallace's hand in marriage.

The Great War interrupted Harry's life on the farm. Despite being over the age limit for the draft and having poor eyesight, he joined the Missouri National Guard and was eventually sent to France as an artillery captain. He commanded Battery D, transforming a group of unruly soldiers into a respected unit. During the war, Harry demonstrated his leadership skills and courage under fire, earning the respect of his men. After the war, Harry married Bess and tried his hand at running a men's clothing store with his army friend Eddie Jacobson, but the business failed during the postwar depression. Seeking a new path, Harry entered politics with the help of the Pendergast political machine in Kansas City. He was elected a Jackson County judge in 1922, demonstrating his administrative abilities and commitment to public service. Re-elected in 1930, he oversaw the construction of a comprehensive road system in the county and gained recognition for his efficient management of county affairs. Despite facing challenges and setbacks, including a failed bid for governor, Harry's political career was gaining momentum.

In 1934, Harry Truman was elected to the United States Senate, where he initially faced skepticism due to his association with the Pendergast machine. However, he quickly earned the respect of his colleagues with his hard work, diligence, and focus on committee work, particularly his investigation of railroad finances. He became a staunch supporter of President Roosevelt's New Deal programs. His focus on waste and mismanagement in defense contracts led to the creation of the Truman Committee, which investigated war production and saved the government billions of dollars. His committee work elevated his national profile and solidified his reputation as a man of integrity and principle. During his time in the Senate, Harry also found himself increasingly involved in national politics, and with the support of the Pendergast machine, he successfully ran for re-election in 1940, overcoming a challenging campaign. However, with the Pendergast machine's downfall and facing growing opposition from within his own party, his political future remained uncertain.

In 1944, Truman unexpectedly received the Democratic nomination for Vice President. After Franklin Roosevelt's death in April 1945, he became President at a time of great global uncertainty, facing the end of World War II, the rising tensions with the Soviet Union, and the dawn of the nuclear age. He oversaw the final stages of the war, including the decision to use the atomic bombs on Japan, and worked to establish a lasting peace through the United Nations. As President, Truman faced numerous challenges, including labor unrest, economic difficulties, and growing anti-communist sentiment. He implemented his Fair Deal domestic program, which focused on social and economic reforms, and took a firm stance against Soviet expansionism, shaping American foreign policy for decades to come through the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan. Despite low approval ratings and challenges from within his own party, Truman won re-election in 1948 in a stunning upset. During his second term, he continued to address the Cold War, the Korean War, and domestic issues, making decisions that defined his presidency.

After leaving office in 1953, Truman returned to Independence, Missouri, and embraced his role as a private citizen. He devoted himself to writing his memoirs, establishing his presidential library, and traveling the world with his wife, Bess. Despite financial challenges and facing criticism for his decisions as President, Truman maintained his characteristic optimism, sense of humor, and deep love for his family. He remained actively involved in politics, endorsing candidates and speaking out on issues he believed in. Through his writings, speeches, and interactions with people from all walks of life, Truman's legacy as a man of integrity, courage, and unwavering faith in democracy continued to inspire and resonate for generations to come. Though born in a small town in the nineteenth century and raised on a farm, he met the demands of his time and high office as few American presidents ever had, or ever could have. With his ability to "take it", to keep his sense of humor and his nerve, his faith in the democratic process and his trust in the American people, and with his belief that history was the final, all-important judge of performance, he stood out, truly, as one of the great Americans. It was character, just character. As for the lessons of his life, from World War I in far-off France to World War II to the Korean War to the Cold War, from the small town to the farm to financial failure to the world of big-city machine politics to the White House itself, it was a lesson about our country and our own selves: an object lesson in the vitality of popular government; an example of the ability of this society to yield up, from the most unremarkable origins, the most remarkable men.