Truman

The name of Chapter 3 refers to the Middle Border—an area from Ohio to Kansas comprising much farmland. Before the Civil War, the Middle Border served as an imaginary demarcation between freedom and slavery. Truman came from this area with a mixed political heritage populated by hardworking people living off the land. The biographer details Truman’s return to farm life as not being of his own volition: his father’s poor financial choices caused the family to lose the urban lifestyle they were used to and rely on hard, physical work as their sole source of income. McCullough uses these biographic details as part of the theme of The Rise of an Underdog. Truman displayed resilience with his growing farm responsibilities—especially after his father’s passing. He had to learn how to operate machinery and put his ambitions on hold. The author stresses that no one in the family complained. In his view, these life experiences shaped Truman’s character and allowed him to pursue a political career against great odds.

Truman’s resilience is also evident in his courting of Bess. She rejected his initial marriage proposal but he continued to write her. Marriage and Political Power remains a consistent theme in this section. Their correspondence reveals a vulnerable side of Truman who shared his fears and insecurities. His fear of failure—inspired by his father’s and his own financial losses—makes his lifelong perseverance all the more notable. Their correspondence continues to serve as a major information source. Additional records in this section comprise Truman’s farming records. His World War I journal is succinct and, at the same time, very informative: the notes’ brevity lets the reader know how involved Truman was at the front.

McCullough also relies on social history by demonstrating the horrors of war, for instance, the use of chemical weapons, by using the experience of Truman’s unit. The author’s social history typically takes on the form of vignettes—describing individual incidents to highlight wider social trends. For example, the suicide of Bess’s father was not only a personal tragedy for her family but a source of tremendous negative social pressure. Indeed, some historians speculated that it was this period that made Bess secretive about her private life especially when she became First Lady. McCullough also provides examples of the social mores of the time, including the socially acceptable usage of racial slurs and the prejudicial treatment of people of African and Asian descent. Truman was not immune to such language and attitudes, as his letters to Bess indicate. They provide a view of an early 20th-century American society that featured both a racial and a class hierarchy.

Truman’s volunteer experience with the American Expeditionary forces in Europe in 1917-1918 is further evidence of the theme of War and Character. McCullough shows how Truman overcame his shortcomings like his poor eyesight and dislike of weapons and successfully trained and led men in war. Inspired by Wilson’s speeches, he considered it his duty. Bess, in turn, considered Truman’s volunteer experience very masculine and wanted to get married at once. Her changed perception of Truman was indicative of the respect that others gained for him as a result of his military service. Both Truman and McCullough describe World War I as a major turning point in the future president’s life.