Truman Summary
David McCullough

Everything you need to understand or teach Truman by David McCullough.

Truman Summary & Study Guide
1 Biography
6 Student Essay
1 Encyclopedia Article
1 Encyclopedia Article
...and more

30 Truman Lessons
20 Activities
180 Multiple Choice Questions
60 Short Essay Questions
20 Essay Questions
Pre-Made Tests and Quizzes
...and more

Truman Summary

Harry S Truman was born May 8, 1884, in Jackson County, Missouri. Both sets of his grandparents were Scotch/Irish pioneers who went west in search of fertile farmland. He grew up in a Tom Sawyer world where his small town neighbors of Independence, Missouri, knew and helped each other.

After his high school graduation in 1902, Harry could not afford to attend college because his father had gambled away all the family's holdings. Harry, his father, and his brother all took salaried jobs in Kansas City. In 1905 the family went back into farming and Harry worked at it for ten years. In 1918 he enlisted in the Army and served as a battery captain in France during World War I, where he showed courage in battle.

After the war, he returned to Independence and married his childhood sweetheart, Bess Wallace. He and a war buddy opened a haberdashery that... View more of the Truman Summary

Study Pack

The Truman Study Pack contains about 142 pages of study material in 10 products, including:

Truman Study Guide

Plot Summary

Chapter Summaries

FREE Quiz

Characters

Objects/Places

Themes

Style

Quotes

Topics for Discussion

Encyclopedia Articles (2)

Truman, Harry S.

985 words, approx. 4 pages

Truman, Harry S. (b. May 8, 1884; d. December 26, 1972) Thirty-third president of the United States (1945–1953). Harry Truman served as president of the United States from April 12, 1945, to ... Read more

President Harry S. Truman

11,108 words, approx. 38 pages

Decisive, blunt, fair-minded, and well-informed, Harry S. Truman was the "common man" president. He had worked as a farmer, a clerk, and a salesman, among other jobs; he served his country during Worl... Read more

David McCullough Biography (1)

Harry S. Truman

1,853 words, approx. 7 pages

Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), thirty-third president of the United States, led America's transition from wartime to peacetime economy, forged the Truman doctrine, and made the decision to defend South ... Read more

Essays & Analysis (6)

Harry S. Truman - Not One of America's Greatest

636 words, approx. 3 pages

When Harry S. Truman entered the Presidency in 1945, he had the large shoes of Franklin D. Roosevelt to fill. At the time, many viewed both Truman's foreign as well as domestic policies to be inferio... Read more

Truman's Decisive Decision

717 words, approx. 3 pages

Technology grows as time proceeds. Many people are set for more digital photography, high quality music, and high-speed internet. While technology has its affects on social and personal lives, it also... Read more

Truman Report Card

569 words, approx. 2 pages

Area being graded on: Grade Given: Effort Conduct Leadership B+ 1 1 Domestic Policy B 2 2 Decision Making B- 1 1 Foreign Policy C+ 2 1 Reflection: President Truman has been graded in each a... Read more

The Legacy of Harry S. Truman

1,817 words, approx. 7 pages

For many people, Harry S. Truman is considered one of the worst presidents in American history because he made the decision to drop the atomic bomb and killed five-hundred thousand innocent civilians... Read more

Truman's Great Decision Regarding the Atomic Bomb

469 words, approx. 2 pages

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman was faced with the decision of whether to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki or to use the U.S. military to invade Japan in order to make them surrender. In... Read more

Harry Truman's Presidency

3,058 words, approx. 11 pages

At the beginning of Harry Truman's presidency, he was faced with a decision that turned out to be the most controversial during his time in office. Truman was the 33rd president of the United States.... Read more

Truman Summary
David McCullough

Truman Summary