Truman's First Lady: Bess

Season 24

The spotlight did not appeal to first lady Bess Truman.

The spotlight did not appeal to Bess Truman. "She would return home to Independence as often as possible, leaving the President feeling very alone, often desolate," says historian David McCullough. "It's hard for some people to understand what she was like, and why the President was so devoted to her."

AIR DATE 10/31/11

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About Truman: American Experience

Of all the men who had held the office, he was the least prepared. As president, Harry Truman was responsible for dropping the atomic bomb on Japan, ending World War II and finding America’s place in the international order at the start of the Cold War.

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