Did President Truman desegregate the military? What was Executive Order 9981?
President Truman’s actions helped put an end to segregation in the military but did not serve immediately to desegregate the armed forces. In the presidential campaign of 1948, Truman’s Republican opponent, Thomas A. Dewey, included desegregation of the military in his platform. Democrats were divided on the issue. On July 26, 1948, Truman issued Executive Order 9981 calling for the equal treatment and opportunity for all within the armed services without regard to race. Truman’s ultimate intent was desegregation, but it was not ordered.
