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His first idea was to open a men's furnishing shop. With his partner Eddie Jacobson, a very sympathetic, intelligent, Jewish merchant he opened "Truman & Jacobson" in Kansas City. They invested more than 35,000$ - Harry had to sell the farm at Grandview and borrow a lot of money - and in the beginning it seemed to pay off. The store had a lot of customers and many "Battery D boys" came to see their "Captain Harry". But in 1921 the nation-wide Depression also reached Kansas City and people had no more money for luxuries as they were offered in "Truman & Jacobson". In 1922 they went bankrupt, with nothing left than debts and unpaid bills. Harry remembered Jim Pendergast, a friend from the army, whose father Tom J. Pendergast was an influent man in Kansas City and also had his connections inside the Democratic Party. He offered Harry Truman to help him running for Judge of Jackson County, and he accepted. So Truman went on his first campaign. His first speeches were reported as brief and very poor, since Harry had been never good in expressing himself. He greatly admired people who could talked to masses (F. D. Roosevelt), but he himself had no talent in making a show of himself. (This would change in his campaign 1948).
Nevertheless he had the Pendergast "machine" behind him and so he won the primaries, which where the important elections, since the whole State of Missouri was democratic, and so, the Democrats' candidate always had been winning.
Harry Truman became judge in 1924 and the same year his daughter Margaret was born. For the next to years he did an excellent job, was known for always be prepared and well informed about the matters he had to treat. He had a very good memory and paid high attention on details, which made him often more prepared than the Presiding Judge. In 1926 he lost the job again, and after some months working for the Kansas City Automobile Club, he decided to run for Presiding Judge himself. Again he was backed up by Tom J. Pendergast, who had become his mentor and boss, and again he could win.
For 8 years, 1926 - 1933, he served as Presiding Judge of Jackson County, and his performance was again astonishing. He built new roads, new railways, a new Town Hall and also other improvements such as a orphan home for black children. Even during the time of the Great Depression in 1929 Kansas City and Jackson County prospered. Privately Truman was calm, reasonable and always in a good mood. It's reported that during his whole marriage, he never had a serious quarrel with Bess, and he liked to call her the "boss". Although he often got headaches because of political problems, he never lost his unshakeable optimism and faith in the lord and in himself. He simply loved being a politician, liked to be among people and feel honoured by being able to serve the country. In 1933, Truman became director of the federal reemployment service in Missouri, which prepared him for the next big step: candidature for the U.S. Senator of Missouri. Although he was inexperienced, he still had Pendergast behind him, whose influence had become enormous. He managed to make the newcomer Truman win the elections, with almost dubious methods. Truman was often influenced by Pendergast, and he never made a secret of it. He consult his mentor, whenever he had big questions, and in his office he always had portrait of him. Therefore Truman was often called "Senator from Pendergast" and in his first months he had to face a lot of criticism. Even in his times as President he was often reminded by the Republicans of the "Pendergast period".
Nevertheless he was in Washington and he could prove, what he was worth to the country.
He made a lot of Committee-work, hardly ever made speeches but always was a careful listener. He kept out of debates, kept polite and friendly, and just did his job.
The only time he raised attention was when he took part in an investigation committee against corruption, but he hardly ever opposed the President.
In 1940 he succeeded another time to become Senator, but this time without the Pendergast help, because he had been sentenced to imprisonment for tax evasion. After a very though campaign he won by a margin of only 8,000 votes against Governor Lloyd C. Clark
In his second term in the Senate he showed much more courage and elan than in the first. He introduced an investigation about corruption in the organisation of the U.S.Army, which was one of the most successful investigations ever made by the Senate. The "Truman committee" as it was called in the press, discovered numerous alarming nuisances in the production of war material. His name was associated with success, and once it was said, that with his investigation he had saved the state a 15$ billions and thousands of lives. He was praised high and in 1943 he was even on the cover of the Time magazine. In his 2nd term he also became more active in political topics, he blamed the isolationists for WW2 and insisted on U.S. interventions. In 1943 he made speaking tours through the country to convince the people of the necessity of American intervention against Hitler and his allies.
In 1944 Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States became more and more ill. This was only know to insiders, who predicted that he would die within a year. Nevertheless, when in 1944 the Presidential primary election came closer, he decided to have another run for the presidency. So the Democrats had to make a crucial decision: who should become Vice President? Whereas usually the Vice President had a quiet annoying job without many responsibilities (the vice President was mainly a public-relations-man for the President), this time the Vice President was expected to take over Roosevelt's business soon.
The top favourite for the job was Governor Jimmy Byrnes, who's only problem was, that he was known as being a racist. Since Roosevelt wasn't sure if he could win without the black Americans vote, he needed someone, who was popular and didn't disturbed anyone. So he was the first who came up with the name Truman, although Roosevelt didn't know him personally. But the question was still not decided, since most Democrats had other candidates in mind such as Henry Wallace, the former Vice President, or Jimmy Byrnes. The democratic convent turned out to be a struggle between Truman and Wallace supporters, with the Wallace supporters in the majority. But the Truman supporters managed to make the ballot, when most delegations which would have voted for Wallace where outside the hall.
So Truman was nominated for Vice President, to the great surprise to the media. Most Americans couldn't imagine him as Vice President or even as the President. An irony is, that Truman hadn't wanted to become Vice President himself. He liked the job as senator and he had to be convinced by his supporters to accept the nomination.
Truman and Roosevelt went on a campaign, and since Roosevelt was in a good condition they won without any problems. In January 1945 Truman became the Vice President, and he made the best of it. He spent most of the time at parties or abroad, and Roosevelt never really cared about him. They only met twice and Truman was hardly ever informed about what was going on in the White House.
But then, suddenly the fear of most Americans became reality: on the 12th of April 1945, Franklin D. Roosevelt died.
Harry S. Truman was the new President of the United States.
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