Harry S. Truman's Vice-President

Harry S. Truman became the 33rd President of the United State on April 12, 1945. Truman had only been vice-president for 12 weeks when President Franklin D. Roosevelt [FDR] died suddenly and catapulted Truman into the presidency. Truman had not been aware of the nature of Roosevelt’s long illness and knew little about crucial issues relating to the development of the atomic bomb, the increasing conflict with the Soviet Union and other wartime problems. Truman told the media, “I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me” (Freidel). Truman had been the compromise vice-presidential candidate chosen by the Democratic Party as Roosevelt’s running mate in 1944. Substantial controversy existed over FDR’s previous vice-president, the ultra-liberal, Henry Wallace. Like many other vice-presidents, Truman was not directly involved in the important decision making processes of the administration. Clearly when he assumed the role of president, he had to depend on the expertise of his capable advisors. He allowed them to develop the policy while he retained the final …show more content…
Its provisions would cause more strikes, not fewer” (Truman 6/20/1947). Despite Truman’s veto, Congress passed the Taft-Hartley Act. Even though the Democrats lost control of Congress, Truman worked to continue the goals of FDR’s New Deal. He proposed legislation to expand Social Security and raise the minimum wage. He also pushed for public housing, a national health insurance program and environmental planning laws. Further, he asked Congress for a civil rights bill to abolish poll taxes and to make lynching a federal crime. Republicans in Congress, along with the southern Democrats, defeated most of Truman’s proposals (Appleby