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By 1948, much of America's post-World War II elation was beginning to subside. President Truman was a relatively successful and effective president, but he had the misfortune of succeeding Franklin Roosevelt, one of America's most popular presidents. Truman made several bold decisions that pleased many Americans but also created powerful enemies. The use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was initially very popular with Americans because it ended the war in Japan, but many people began to fear the dangers posed by atomic weapons. Truman also created discord by raising taxes to pay for several expensive postwar programs.
In 1946, Truman established a Committee on Civil Rights to study race relations and make recommendations on how to increase rights for minority groups. In late 1947, the committee issued its Report on Civil Rights, recommending that the Justice Department play a larger role in protecting the civil rights of all Americans by ending Jim Crow segregation laws and eliminating discrimination. Truman backed this recommendation, and his support created a firestorm in Congress and throughout the Democratic Party. This legislation was never enacted, although the Justice Department did increase its presence in civil rights issues.
The consensus among politicians and the media was that Truman would not be re-elected in 1948. Public opinion had turned against the president who had an approval rating of only 36 percent, and there was also open dissension within the Democratic Party. Leading Democrats began actively courting General Dwight Eisenhower, a hugely popular war hero who likely could have beaten Truman, but he was unwilling to run. Essentially, Truman became the default candidate, and he won the Democratic nomination over the vociferous objections of southern Democrats who disliked his civil rights proposals.
Southern Democrats were so angered by Truman's nomination that they formed the Southern States' Rights Party. Reminiscent of the years leading up to the Civil War, 13 southern states met in Birmingham, Alabama and held their own convention, where they nominated Strom Thurmond, the Governor of South Carolina. These so-called "Dixiecrats" ran on a platform that opposed civil rights legislation and strongly supported increased rights for southern states.
Adding to Truman's difficulties was Henry Wallace's announcement that he, too, was running for president. Wallace was a former Vice President under Franklin Roosevelt who split from the Democratic Party over its dealings with Russia. Wallace felt that the U.S. should cooperate with Russia and was bitterly opposed to "dollar diplomacy" and Truman's "Cold War" policies. Wallace was nominated by the newfound Progressive Party, which was made up of several groups unified in their opposition to Truman.
The Republican Party nominated New York Governor Thomas Dewey for president and Earl Warren, the Governor of California and future Supreme Court Chief Justice, for vice president. The Republicans had won control of Congress in 1946 and were now very confident of winning the presidency. The Republicans essentially ran on an anti-Truman/anti-FDR platform. Their primary concerns were lowering taxes, battling "big labor," and reducing Roosevelt's New Deal policies.
Truman campaigned aggressively in what became known as "the whistle-stop" campaign and impressed voters with his direct manner of speaking and his "man of the people" attitude. He campaigned for increased housing for the poor and veterans. He also called for civil rights legislation and an increase in employment, Social Security, and the minimum wage. Additionally, Truman supported increasing Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) projects and helping farmers while branding the Republican-controlled Congress as "do-nothing."
Truman won the election by a narrow but comfortable margin. He collected two million popular votes more than Dewey and received 303 electoral votes to Dewey's 189. Truman's victory was shocking and is considered the greatest upset in the history of American Presidential elections. In a now famous headline, the Chicago Tribune, confident of Republican victory, declared "Dewey Defeats Truman." Truman's late surge was partly due to extensive support by African Americans and farmers, two voter segments that were often overlooked. In another victory for Truman, the Democrats easily regained control of the Senate and the House of Representatives, opening the door for his proposed expansion of the New Deal, which became known as the "Fair Deal."
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