Final answer:
President Harry S. Truman targeted African Americans and Hispanic Americans for their votes in the 1948 election by implementing civil rights policies and recognizing their significant societal challenges.
Step-by-step explanation:
The two ethnic groups singled out by President Harry S. Truman during the 1948 election in an effort to gain their vote were African Americans and Hispanic Americans. Truman recognized African Americans as a significant voting bloc and took steps to recommend civil rights policies. He established an advisory commission in 1946, which led to executive orders that desegregated the armed forces and created review boards to monitor discrimination. These efforts were partly in pursuit of the crucial support of Northern black votes. Hispanic Americans also faced discrimination, including being deprived of their voting rights and being forced into segregated schools. The civil rights achievements at the time were intended to benefit them as well.