The Truman Times

Who is Truman?
Harru S. Truman a senator from Missouri, who was well known for being honorable and confident. As the 33rd president of the United States, he maintained the presidency from 1945-1953 as a democrat. His presidency came as a sudden shock when in 1945, current president Franklin D Roosevelt died of a stroke. As FDR's vice president, Truman took the reigns of presidency and inherited the duties and problems of World War II.

What Did He Do?
By the time of Truman's ascension, Germany and Italy had already surrendered to the Allies, leaving Japan the only enemies to the U.S. in the war. The Japenese had been removed from all the pacific islands, and it seemed the only way to end the war was to invade Japan itself. However, this was a strategdy Truman did not want to follow. He instead decided to use the revently developed atomic bombs to attack the major Japenese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This decision lead the Empeoror of Japan to surrender and ultimately end the World War.

Besides ending the greatest war since the first World War, Truman faced the task of revitilizing the post war economy. Due to high prices and low wages (because the lack of war demand) over 4 million workers went on strike. Truman threatened to draft the workers and sieze control of all of the opposing industries, which lead the unions to bitterly give in. At the time, this angered many citizens, causing them to lose trust in Truman and eventually sway to voters to elect republican senators in 1946.

Risking an even lower drop in popularity, Truman selflessly supported the Civil Rights Movement in 1946. He openly expressed his support by addressing equality for all human beings in many of his speeches and creating a President's Commision on Civil Rights. Through the commision, Truman began asking Congress to create a federal antilynching law, ban on poll taxes, and a permanent civil rights commision. The now Republican heavy Congress did not share his ideals and refused to pass many of the bills. As a result, he began executive orders in 1948, to begin integration as protected by armed forces

By the time of 1948 election, the rising inflation and Truman's focus on civil rights lead the a group of right wing Southern "Dixiecrats" to form the States' Rights Democratic Party and nominate candidate. At the same time, a more liberal Democrat group, the Progressive Party, also rose and was headed by former VP Henry A. Wallace. This division gave the Republican candidate, New York Governor Dewey a big lead. However, Truman was prepared. He challenged the Republican dominated congress to pass a record number of reform bills (from federal education aid to extended Social security), which, as he expected , failed to pass. Then, he was able to campaign under the denouncement of a "do-nothing" congress. This tricky move not only gave Truman an extremely close win but returned Congress to the democrats. However, it permanently turned many Southern states, traditionally Democrat, into republican strongholds.

During his second term, Truman proposed a series of economic programs called the Fair Deal, a reference to FDR's own New Deal. It included plans for health insurance and crop subsidies, but nearly everyone in congress rejected the measures. However, he did manage to have the minimum wage practically doubled-- 40 cents to 75. He extended Social Security to millions more and began many flood and irrigation projects.

Truman sets the Stage

Perhaps the most important parts of Truman's presidency were the decisions he made toward the Cold War; his choices shaped US actions for decades to come.

At the Potsdam conference in July 1945, Truman met with Clement Attlee, Britain's prime minister, and the Soviet dictator, Joseph Stalin. There, he learned both of Stalin's refusal to keep free elections in post-war, Soviet occupied regions, as well as the plan to take massive reparations from its sections of Germany. When Truman attempted to push to renewal of trade to Eastern Europe, the USSR increased its barriers against the west, setting up a series of easily dominated satellite nations.

In response, Truman and the American diplomat to Moscow, George Kennan, began a policy of containment, the policy of preventing extension of communist rule. This was later exemplified in the Truman Doctrine, in which America provided economic and military aid to support free peoples resisted outside pressures. Specifically, the aid to Western Europe was called the Marshall plan; through $13 billion in aid, Western Europe was easily brought over to the side of America and Britain.

Further conflicts during the early cold war were handled by Truman. He helped oversee the Berlin Airlift, the flight of supplies to a USSR-blockaded Berlin, which boosted the American reputation. NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) created a set of allies in Western Europe against the USSR (which formed its own alliance, the Warsaw pact, with its satellites).

One of the last (and most flawed) actions of the Truman presidency was the Korean War. Following the fall of the corrupt but US supported China to communist leader Mao Zedong (during which fight Truman refused military aid), America become committed to keeping communism out of South Korea. North Korea, as influenced by its northern neighbor, was communist, and its leaders wanted to unite the two nations under communism. The US, originally more removed from the region in post-World war times, petitioned to the UN security council, and troops were sent from the UN to bolster the Souther Korean fight. Despite the work of General MacArthur, the famous Pacific War general, the later entrance of the Chinese to the war lead to an eventual stalemate across the original boundary, the 38th parallel. When MacArthur recommend attacking China with nuclear weapons, Truman fired the hero, causing another plummet in his popularity. 54,000 American casualties and $67 billion later, Korea was still two nations.

After Truman

In 1952, the next election year, America chose the first republican president in 20 years, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Leaving the Presidency, Truman may have had abysmal approval ratings, but today, we can see that he was on of the most influential Presidents in our history.

Who Shot JKF?

Who is JFK?
JFK is John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States. Originally a senator from Massachusetts, Kennedy who provided a more youthful and charismatic view of the Federal Government. As he was the second youngest and the first Roman Catholic president, many doubted his abilities. But JFK was able to trumph these doubts with his charming and convincing appearances during the televised debates in the election of 1960, where he outshone competitor Richard Nixon. In addition, his support for the Civil Rights Movement captured the attention- and votes- of many in the African-American community.

Tensions Arise
Despite his well-accepted popularity in the United States, there were still those, particularily in the South, who aggresively opposed his stance on Civil Rights. The passionate opposition radically increased after JFK had his Attorney General, Robert (Bobby) Kennedy and the justice department investigate lynchings there. He also prestented Congress with a major Civil Rights Bill, instigating further opposition to his policies.

Kennedy had (albeit more reluctantly than Republican Eisenhower) also adopted the same anti-communist stance that the US government was expected to keep in the Cold War against the USSR. He approved the Bay of Pigs attack by Cuban counter-revolutionaries and CIA operatives. Later, he took the blame for its failure and negotiated with Fidel Castro for the release of the captured agents. He stood firm during the Soviet missile crisis, forcing Soviet ships providing nuclear weapons to Cuba, and denied Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev from blockading West Berlin during the building of the Berlin wall. Although this culled some favor among Americans, it clearly angered one man...

The Assassination
In response to the downward trend of popularity among Southern voters, the first family visited Dallas, Texas on November, 22nd, 1963. As JFK, his wife, Jacqueline and Governor,John Connally, traveled through the streets of Dallas, they recieved a surprisingly warm welcome from the citizens. Near the Texas School Book Depository, Nelly, the governor's wife said to JFK, "Dallas [is] friendly to you today."
At that moment, a rifle was fired, and a bullet penatrated the back of President Kennedy's skull. Despite an efficent rush to the hospital and frantic attempts by doctors, John F. Kennedy was dead.

The Assassin
Soon Americans crowded around their TV sets; everyone had the same question-- who dun it?

mericans watched Dallas police charge Lee Harvey Oswald- whose fingerprints were found on the rifle used in the assassination- with the murder. Oswald, who had deserted the Marines after a dishonorable discharge, had lived in the USSR and had been a supporter of Fidel Castro. There was even some evidence that his family had been white supremacists. Unfortunately for investigators, two days after the assassination, Oswald himself was killed by nightclub owner Jack Ruby while he was being transfered between jails.

The Aftermath
Many different government organizations and individuals have held multiple theories about the murder. The original 1963 Warren Commission stated that these were the actions of a single madman, but a1979 re-investigation hinted at conspiracy and discovered that Oswald was not the only shooter that day. Other explanations have included Cuban counter-revolutionaries, USSR connections, and a CIA cover-up.

While we did lose a great leader, the US showed its resilience in the smooth transition to the Johnson Presidency. The night Kennedy was killed, Vice President Lyndon Johnson took the oath of office aboard Air Force One, and with his own style of leadership, continued the same reforms begun by JFK, which would be seen in the late 60s.

-Gayan and Cat

Rise and Fall of Joseph McCarthy

Ever heard the word "McCarthyism"? McCarthysim is the accusation of others without evidence. It came from a time when a desperate man went on an anti-communist "witch hunt." Let's take a look at what happened.

Who?
Senator Joseph McCarthy was a republican senator from Wisconsin. The Senator was long known for being inefficient and thus needed a strong point behind his name for reelection in 1952.

When?
The McCarthy situation happened in the early 1950's, following WWII. At the time, fear of communism and the USSR spread like wild fire. America and USSR had begun their own attempts as superpowers to influence the nations of the world into following their respective strategies, democracy and socialistic communism. The U.S. was fighting the Korean war, and the ultimate conflict of the 20th century was looming: the Cold War.

What?
McCarthy was aware of the spreading fear and took advantage of this opportunity to support his own needs. He attempted to start an uproar against "potential communists" in the U.S. government. He then began to accuse senators and other various government officials of being communist or disloyal. Not only did he claim knowledge of communists in the government, but he went as far to blame the infiltration of communists on the democratic party itself.
The evidence against McCarthy was high. He claimed the number of communists in the government were, 57, 81 and 205, at different times! But which one was it?! Not only was he inconsistent with numbers, but he also could never provide a name. He never made his accusations outside the Senate, where he had legal immunity from slander. Ultimately, in 1954, he began accusing the military of communism.
Few republicans choose to speak out against McCarthy, for they believed that with his calumny and lies, he could help them win the next presidential election.

Aftermath
In 1954, the Senate began to investigate McCarthy's lies. As the investigation went on, and the truth became more clear, the media began revealed his boorishness by televising the investigation, and in doing so, alienated his public support. The Senate censured him on account of dishonesty and disreputation. Stripped of his position, he turned to alchohalism and died of the drug three years later. But even with McCarthy silenced, the fear of communisism lingered on.

Gayan and Cat