President Truman`s Train Stop
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
President Truman was well known for his train journeys across the United States. Some attribute his success in winning the presidency in 1949 to the hundreds of speeches given across the USA via railroad. In 1950, the President made an unexpected stop in Janesville on his commute from Chicago to Madison. The Chicago & Northwestern train station was reportedly flooded with 5,000 individuals hoping to see President Truman, his wife, and daughter. The Janesville Gazette reported that Truman was very gracious and said "Thank you very much, thank you very much. I didn't expect this, You are very generous."
Images
Janesvile Gazette May 15th 1950
https://www.biography.com/people/harry-s-truman-9511121
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
During his second term as President, Truman faced struggles in the aftermath of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War. His attempts for social policy reform were largely blocked by Republicans in Congress and his administration often questioned those who supported McCarthyism in the 1940s. In 1952, Truman announced he would not be running for another term as President and retired to his home in Missouri.