The History of How We Got Here: Truman's Integration of the US Armed Forces

"The History of How We Got Here" series is a collection of one-time classes focused on less "popular" events in history that have had far more of an impact on our current lives than history textbooks or conventional wisdom might suggest. 

When President Harry Truman signed Executive Orders 9980 and 9981 on July 26th, 1948, he overcame both political and personal pressures in the contexts of civil rights and race relations in the United States. As the grandson of slaveowners, Truman arrived late in life to the idea of civil rights for all. When he did, however, he signed two of the most important orders in American history and paved the way for the nascent Civil Rights Movement which would come to dominate national discourse to this day. 

During this one-time class, we will discuss the history and context of Truman's decision to end segregation in the US military and federal government, why it happened, how it affected the United States at the time, and the impact it had on the Civil Rights Movement and race relations in the United States through to the present day.

This course format is discussion-based with content delivered via lecture, short video clips, and other related media such as maps and still images. 

Please feel free to contact me with any questions!