Harry S. Truman: Challenges and Achievements

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Harry S. Truman's life, as well as his history as a politician. The paper provides a background to his life, but focuses on his achievements as President of the United States. It also discusses Truman's first notable act as President, which was also his most notorious - the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945. In addition, the paper describes Truman's other achievements and focuses on the challenges that he had to overcome as president.

From the Paper:

"Arthur Schlesinger Sr., the Harvard historian, was noted for (among other accomplishments) his polling of other historians and scholars in order to arrive at a list of "rankings" or ratings of the greatest Presidents in United States history; he conducted such polls in 1948 and again in 1962. His son, Arthur Schlesinger Jr., has followed in the footsteps of his father by conducting an updated poll in 1996. While some critics have noted that the great variance in presidential ranking polls may suggest that they are more subjective than objective (cf. Dean), Schlesinger's placement of Truman at number seven on his list of greatest Presidents may well be a testimony to the difficulties that Truman had to overcome during his two terms in office, and his strong personal intention to do what was necessary to get the country back on a peacetime footing in the face of a brewing Cold War (Schlesinger 179.) Given the subjective nature of such polls, there is no guarantee that Truman will remain in this position in future polls, as history has a way of being reinterpreted and placed into new contexts as new information comes to the surface with the passing of years; as a result, new and fuller perspectives may be expected to arise."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Dean, John. "Ranking Presidents: Utter Nonsense or Useful Analysis?" FindLaw Legal News and Commentary. http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20010511.html.
• Giangreco, D.M. and Robert E. Griffin. "Airbridge to Berlin." Quoted in The Truman Presidential Museum and Library. http://www.trumanlibrary.org.
• Gilwee, William J. "Captain Harry Truman: Artilleryman and Future President." Doughboy Center: the Story of the American Expeditionary Forces. http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/truman.htm.
• "Harry S Truman." The White House: Presidential Biographies. http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/ht33.html.
• Oshinsky, David M. "Harry S Truman." The American Presidency: The Authoritative Reference. Ed. Alan Brinkley and Davis Dyer. New York: Houghton Mifflin 2004.

More papers on Harry S. Truman: Challenges and Achievements:

• Term Paper # 133172 : "Harry S. Truman"
• Term Paper # 108086 : "Harry S. Truman"
• Essay # 2666 : "Harry S. Truman"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: