Harry S. Truman Civil Rights Plank

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military to accept his executive order. Also, there were very few African Americans who became officers in the armed forces, however the number of front line men who were African American increased (Democratic Party Platform). While in the civil service, the Federal Employment Board was made to give minorities equal treatment in federal occupation. The Federal Employment Board was short of money; nevertheless, the Executive Order had set an example concerning the expectation to have equality.

In the election year of 1948, Truman continued to push for civil rights, partly because he felt that it was the right thing to do, and partly because he knew that he had to win the black vote in order to be elected, but mostly because he knew that discrimination, violence, and race prejudgment in America had to stop. Although most political experts predicted a Republican sweep by Governor Thomas E. Dewey, Truman felt that the election would depend on a handful of cities in the North where the balance of power would be held by black votes. After Truman was elected President, people were in greater disbelief, because they could never understand how he ever made it into the White House.

Truman’s legacy has become clearer and more impressive in the years since he left office. People admit that Truman faced massive challenges nationally, internationally, and politically. However, addressing some of those challenges Truman still made outstanding achievements. Domestically, he took important first steps in the Civil Rights movement. Truman was the first president since Lincoln to address the Civil Rights issue. Segregation continued even to the end of Truman’s presidency. Laws had been passed to end segregation, but there was no desire to apply them in the states they targeted (mostly the southern states). The laws remained a fact on a piece paper until they would be implemented. He might not have gotten the support he wanted at the time, but as time went on, people became more accepting towards Civil Rights.

Bibliography

Axelrod, Alan. When the Buck Stops with You: Harry S. Truman on Leadership. New York: Portfolio, 2004. Print.

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Library and Museum. "Harry S. Truman and Civil Rights." Harry S. Truman and Civil Rights. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2016. https://trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/trumancivilrights/index.php

McCullough, David G. Truman. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992. Print.

The American Presidency Project. "Democratic Party Platforms: 1948 Democratic Party Platform." Democratic Party Platforms: 1948 Democratic Party Platform. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2016. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=29599

The White House. "Harry S. Truman." The White House. The White House, 2014. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/harrystruman

"Truman Defeats Dewey." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/truman-defeats-dewey

"United States Presidential Election of 1948." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.

https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1948/images-videos