My Science School

Before beginning his political career, Harry S. Truman served in the army. His career in politics began as a county court judge. He then became a senator and later went on to become the vice president during Roosevelt’s fourth term.

During his early days as vice president, he did not have any idea about the development of the atom bomb and the problems it was going to create. He also did not know about the unfolding difficulties with Soviet Russia. All of these later fell on his shoulder to deal with.

“I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me.” This was Truman’s response upon becoming the 33rd president of America. Things were not peaceful when Truman took office. The Second World War was not yet over; Germany was defeated but Japan was still fighting on. Perhaps, Truman made one of the toughest of America’s decisions; to use the atom bomb. The U.S bombed two Japanese cities, killing or wounding thousands of people and leaving its impact forever.

In 1947, when the Soviet Union threatened Turkey and Greece, Truman asked Congress to aid the two countries. This came to be known as the Truman Doctrine. He later came up with the Marshall Plan, a strategy for economic recovery in war-torn Western Europe. The plan was named after his Secretary of State, George Marshall. Truman’s international fame does not end here.

When the Russians blockaded the western sectors of Berlin in 1948, Truman created a massive airlift to reach supplies to Berliners until the Russians backed down. Matters on the home front too, got his attention. He continued with Roosevelt’s policies to ensure job security. He passed laws to end unfair treatment for African Americans at work and in the military. His administration successfully guided the U.S. economy through the post-war economic challenges.

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When Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn in as president, the country was in the depth of the Great Depression. But Roosevelt was a natural leader. He successfully regained the trust of the masses and helped them believe in themselves.

For a people that had fallen into the misery of an economic crisis, having faith in themselves was crucial and Roosevelt managed to do this. No wonder, he is the only president who served more than two terms, though in 1951 the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution set a limit of two terms to presidents.

Roosevelt set up government agencies that created jobs for the unemployed. He made sure that there were legal provisions that ensured that people got fair pay.

He set up ‘Social Security’, a reform policy that imposed heavier taxes on the wealthy. It also called for new controls over banks and public utilities, and an enormous work relief program for the unemployed. The tax raised from the wealthy was used to pay for these programmes. Roosevelt called this the New Deal, a way to help Americans work their way out of the Depression.

Though he had supporters, Roosevelt had detractors as well. Many were of the opinion that the government should not interfere in business practices. But the number of people who loved his policies surpassed his critics; Roosevelt was elected three more times, in 1936, 1940 and 1944 respectively.

Roosevelt felt the U.S. should go to the aid of the British during the Second World War. Contrary to Roosevelt’s idea, most people were of the opinion that the U.S. should stay out of the war. However, when the German U-boats attacked American ships and Japan attacked Pearl Harbour in1941, the U.S. was forced to enter the war. Roosevelt thus became a wartime president.

Roosevelt devoted much thought to the planning of a United Nations. He believed that it was necessary to settle international conflicts peacefully. As the war drew to a close, Roosevelt’s health deteriorated. He died on April 12, 1945, of a cerebral haemorrhage.

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Herbert Hoover was already a celebrated international figure when he became the 31st President of America. He is remembered as a great humanitarian.

Hoover was in London when Germany declared war on France. The American Consul General asked his help to bring the stranded tourists back home. The committee under his leadership helped 1,20,000 Americans return to the U.S. in a span of six weeks. His efficiency in managing the difficult situations during the war made him popular. And when it came to the presidential elections, victory was not hard to achieve. But things were not so good when he took charge as president.

In his first year as president, the U.S. economy failed; businesses closed as a result of which, millions of people lost their jobs. It was called the Great Depression and it was the worst economic crisis the country had ever seen. Though the failure of the economy was not his fault, people blamed Hoover’s leadership. Though he contested for the next election he failed miserably.

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Calvin Coolidge was the 30th president. In 1923 President Harding died while on a trip to Alaska. Harding’s administration had been full of corruption and scandal. Fortunately, Coolidge had not been a part of the corruption and immediately cleaned house. He fired corrupt and inept officials and hired new reliable staffers.

His first message to Congress in December 1923 called for isolation in foreign policy, tax cuts, economy, and limited aid to farmers. Coolidge soon became popular due to his policies. In 1924, the voters chose him for another four years.

Calvin Coolidge’s quiet, but honest personality seemed to be just what the country needed at the time. By cleaning up the scandals and showing support for businesses, the economy thrived. This period of prosperity became known as the “Roaring Twenties”. In his second term, he ran under the slogan “Keep Cool with Coolidge”.

As president, Coolidge was for small government. He also wanted to keep the country somewhat isolated and did not want to join the League of Nations that was formed after World War I. He was for tax cuts, lower government spending, and less aid to struggling farmers.

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It is interesting how Harding came to power. As senator, he was a responsible man and hardly had any enemies. This was because he never voiced his opinions regarding any issue. In 1920, when the Republican Party could not decide on the candidate for president, Senator Harding was selected as a surprising compromise. He won the elections as well. However, Warren G. Harding’s tenure did not end with a clean chit.

Harding’s cabinet hosted an array of outstanding leaders and tough politicians. He was a poor judge of character; to his disappointment, his officers did not repay him with integrity as he expected. What he got in return was scandal after scandal. A lot of his officers were involved in taking bribes. Matters came to a head when the Teapot Dome Scandal broke.

One of Harding’s advisors took a bribe in return for allowing an oil company to drill on in Teapot Dome, Wyoming. This land had been set aside for the U.S. Navy. This event became known as the Teapot Dome Scandal. The scam almost ended his political career.

He was advised to stay away from Washington for a while. While returning, he suffered a severe abdominal pain and died soon either of a heart attack or a stroke. His wife Flossie destroyed many of Harding’s personal papers and his letters after his death, hoping to avoid even more gossip and scandal.

Though there were many scandals during his tenure, Harding embraced technology and was sensitive to the plights of minorities and women. He also hosted the Washington Naval Disarmament Conference in 1921. This conference succeeded in getting the world’s major powers to agree to stop the race in production of large naval vessels.

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