Harry S. Truman

Birth-Death: (1884 - 1972 ) Term: (1945-1953 )

Harry Truman introduced the Fair Deal. His domestic policies called for the development of laws and government services beneficial for the workforce of America. It was his goal to improve the living standard and work standards of the nation.

Domestic Events of Harry Truman

    After World War I demonstrated the power and destructive force of nuclear weapons, law-makers became concerned about presidential succession. What if both the President and the Vice President were killed at the same time? The Presidential Succession Act provided that if neither the President nor the Vice-President were alive or could manage the presidential post, the next person for the job would be the Speaker of the House, then President pro-tempore of the Senate, then the Secretary of State and then other members of the cabinet.

    The Wagner-Connery Act passed under Roosevelt had scared some employers about the power of labor. In 1947, the nation took a radical swing in opposite direction. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 was passed over Truman's veto to restore the balance of power. Some of its provisions stated that unions, as well as employers, were subject to being sued for breach of contract; unions must submit financial report to public authority; and union officers had to take an oath that they were not members of the communist party.

    After the U.S.S.R. bluntly took over Eastern Europe, the United States was worried about the expansion of Communism. A general panic swept the country in the 1950s. The Second Red Scare, as it was called, was initialized and led by Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy did not have any proof of what he was saying, yet he played on peoplešs fear and emotions to make a reputation for himself. He was eventually censored by his colleagues.