Harry Truman's Death

In 1945 America mourned the death of President Franklin Roosevelt. The man who became the 33rd president, Harry Truman, was a compromise between the conservative and liberal wings of the Democratic Party. He had replaced the incumbent Vice-President because Roosevelt’s health had deteriorated rapidly during 1944. People felt Truman would make a better president should Roosevelt die in office. Roosevelt rarely contacted Truman. Truman’s time in office significantly altered American Foreign policy. Truman grew up on a farm in Missouri. He served in France during the First World War. He served in local posts and became a Senator in 1934. During WWII Truman first gained a national reputation by heading the “Truman Committee” which exposed waste,