The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World

Harry Truman was born into a world utterly unlike the one he would inhabit as president 61 years later. In 1884, most Americans lived in rural areas like Lamar, Missouri. They traveled mainly by horseback, and much of life was determined by the rhythm of the seasons. Truman’s affiliation with the Democratic Party was a result of the Civil War—Missouri was a divided state, and Truman’s ancestors sided against Abraham Lincoln and the Republicans. When Truman was six, the family moved to Independence, Missouri, which was practically a metropolis compared to the family farm. Shortly thereafter, he met a girl at church named Bess Wallace, the daughter of a highly respected local figure. He was instantly smitten with her, but it took him years before he summoned the courage to say hello to her.

Once, when he was stricken with fever, his mother packed him in snow, and as a result, he could barely move for an entire year. He spent the year reading, especially stories of great figures throughout history. Through their example, he learned that “the first victory they won was over themselves…Self-discipline with all of them came first” (44). As a teenager, Truman took up the piano, as thick glasses prevented him from playing sports and other more social activities.