Celebrate The History Of Key West, Florida And The Legacy Of Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman was one of the first presidents to establish a separate "White House" for working vacations. This May, Key West, Florida hosts their annual symposium on his legacy and impact on American politics.

When most people think about Key West, Florida their first thoughts are about the legendary night life, the fantastic Key West restaurants, some of the best fishing in the world and luxurious island vacations. What many of them don't know is that Key West has had a long history connected with the Presidency, thanks to the presence of the United States Navy and President Harry S. Truman. Although Presidents both before and after him have visited the island, it was he who spent 175 days here over the span of six years and created the "Little White House" located at the Navy base, an area now known as Truman Annex.

"During the extensive time he spent here during his presidency, President Truman grappled with some of the most important issues of our times," said Samuel Walker, program chair, when announcing the topic of this year's symposium for people to plan their island vacations around. "Europe needed to be rebuilt after the war, the Palestine question, the beginning of the civil rights movement; these were the questions he faced down here. Keeping that in mind, we decided this year's symposium would focus on arguably the biggest issue of his presidency and one of the first major decisions he had to make, the use of nuclear weapons."

One of the added benefits of having the annual symposium in Key West Florida was that it helps to give people the chance to see that there is much more than just the bars and the fishing. Key West restaurants, like the Roof Top Cafй among others, are some of the most famous and highly regarded in the world. Many world class artists choose to make Key West their home with numerous galleries featuring their work, and some of the best entertainers in their respected fields can be found performing every night of the week. With the symposiums attracting scholars and other people from all around the world, all of this adds up to show that Key West is more than just a place to think about as a destination for island weddings.

"We actually get many people stopping by the Little White House while down here for a wedding who had no idea about the historical connection," Mr. Walker said. "It is those little things that separate Key West Florida from all other island vacations."

for more information on the Truman "Little White House" Symposium, visit: www.trumanlittlewhitehouse.com and to learn more about the Roof Top Cafe, visit: www.rooftopcafekeywest.com


Jack Terry is a writer and blogger who lived in Key West Florida for nine years.