This Lincoln Memorial address killed Truman’s Southern support. He gave it anyway.

Truman’s Groundbreaking 1947 NAACP Speech at Lincoln Memorial

In 1947, Harry Truman did what no president had done before.

He stood at the Lincoln Memorial and spoke to the NAACP as violence against Black veterans grew worse. Brutal attacks had shaken him – a blinded Army sergeant in South Carolina, two couples killed by a Georgia mob.

So Truman took action. He formed a civil rights committee, then told 10,000 people at the memorial that “When I say all Americans I mean all Americans. ” His words soon led to real change.

The next year, he ended segregation in federal jobs and the military. Today, you can stand on those same Lincoln Memorial steps where history turned a corner.

Black Veterans Faced Brutal Violence After Serving Their Country

In 1946, attacks on Black veterans shocked America. Army Sergeant Isaac Woodard got off a bus in South Carolina while still in uniform.

The local police chief beat him until he went blind.

Months later, a white mob in Georgia killed four Black sharecroppers, including WWII veteran George Dorsey and his wife. The victims couldn’t defend themselves.

Black veterans across the South faced similar treatment after fighting overseas. Newspapers and radio told these stories to stunned Americans.

Walter White’s Meeting Changed Truman’s Mind About Civil Rights

NAACP leader Walter White went to the White House in September 1946 with other civil rights leaders. Truman wasn’t very interested at first.

He planned to listen politely and move on. But when White told him about Isaac Woodard being blinded while in uniform, Truman got mad.

“My God! I had no idea it was as terrible as that!” he said. The story hit home for Truman, who served in World War I and came from Missouri.

The Justice Department Stepped In Where Local Police Wouldn’t

Five days after meeting Walter White, Truman told his Attorney General to go after Woodard’s attacker. Federal lawyers charged Batesburg police chief Lynwood Shull with breaking Woodard’s civil rights.

This was the first time the federal government took a local police officer to court over civil rights. Before this, Washington usually stayed out of what they called “local matters” when it came to racial violence.

Southern Justice Failed Even In Federal Court

Police Chief Lynwood Shull’s trial started and ended on November 5, 1946. Judge J. Waties Waring ran the court in Charleston, South Carolina.

Even though Shull admitted to beating Woodard, the all-white jury took just 30 minutes to find him not guilty. People in the courtroom clapped at the verdict.

Judge Waring and his wife were shocked by what they saw.

Truman Set Up A Team To Fix America’s Civil Rights Problems

A month after the Shull verdict, Truman signed an order on December 5, 1946. This created the President’s Committee on Civil Rights with 15 members from different backgrounds.

Charles Wilson, the head of General Electric, led the group that included Eleanor Roosevelt and other business, religious, and labor leaders.

Truman told them clearly: “I want our Bill of Rights put into action. We’ve been trying to do this for 150 years.”

The NAACP Invitation Got An Unexpected Quick “Yes”

In spring 1947, Walter White sent Truman a letter. He asked the president to speak at their yearly meeting at the Lincoln Memorial.

White said a presidential speech would show the world America was serious about civil rights. To his surprise, Truman agreed right away.

No sitting president had ever spoken to the NAACP before. The speech was set as the main event for the last day of the meeting.

The Lincoln Memorial Speech Got The Biggest Audience Possible

Staff members Robert Carr and Milton Stewart wrote most of Truman’s speech for June 29, 1947. They picked the Lincoln Memorial steps for its strong message about freedom.

Eleanor Roosevelt, Supreme Court judges, and senators joined Truman on stage. Radio stations broadcast the speech live across America.

The Secret Service made special security plans since no president had ever shown up at a major civil rights event before.

Truman Told 10,000 People That All Americans Means ALL Americans

Between 10,000 and 15,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial that Sunday afternoon. Truman spoke clearly: “When I say all Americans I mean all Americans.”

He said the federal government must “take the lead in guaranteeing the civil rights of all Americans. ” This was new thinking.

Before, the government mostly tried to stop itself from hurting citizens. Now, Truman said the government needed to actively protect people.

The Committee’s Report Laid Out A Blueprint For Equality

The President’s Committee gave Truman their report called “To Secure These Rights” on October 29, 1947.

The 178-page document showed how unfair treatment hurt Black Americans in jobs, schools, voting, military service, and daily life.

They suggested creating a permanent Civil Rights Commission, a special Congressional Committee, and a Civil Rights Division in the Justice Department.

They also called for laws against lynching, fair hiring, and ending poll taxes.

Democrats Split Over The New Civil Rights Push

The Democratic Party met in Philadelphia in July 1948 and added strong civil rights language to their platform. Southern Democrats got so mad they walked out of the convention.

Strom Thurmond, the governor of South Carolina, started his own “States’ Rights Democratic Party” to run against Truman. Political experts warned Truman he might lose the election if he kept pushing for civil rights.

Truman refused to back down, saying these rights mattered more than votes.

Two Executive Orders Changed America Forever

Truman signed Executive Orders 9980 and 9981 on July 26, 1948. The first one ended segregation in federal jobs and created a board to make sure hiring was fair.

The second order told the military to integrate “as rapidly as possible.”

Army leaders fought against it, but during the Korean War, Black and white soldiers finally served in the same units. These orders made real the promises Truman gave in his Lincoln Memorial speech.

Visiting Lincoln Memorial, Washington

The Lincoln Memorial at 2 Lincoln Memorial Circle NW is where President Truman gave his groundbreaking 1947 NAACP speech, making civil rights a federal priority.

You can visit anytime since it’s open 24 hours and completely free. Rangers give talks every hour from 10am to 11pm.

Inside, you’ll see Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address carved into the walls. Take Metro to Foggy Bottom or Smithsonian stations, then walk 15-20 minutes.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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