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| Franklin D. Roosevelt |
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Born on January 30th, 1882,
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the
32nd President of the United States
as a member of the Democratic
Party. FDR, as he is often referred
to by, served from March 4th, 1933
to April 12th, 1945 and is the only
President to serve more than two
terms.
Assuming the Presidency at the
depth of the Great Depression,
Franklin D. Roosevelt helped the
American people regain faith in
themselves. He brought hope as he
promised prompt, vigorous action,
and asserted in his Inaugural
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the
32nd President of the United States
as a member of the Democratic
Party. FDR, as he is often referred
to by, served from March 4th, 1933
to April 12th, 1945 and is the only
President to serve more than two
terms.
Assuming the Presidency at the
depth of the Great Depression,
Franklin D. Roosevelt helped the
American people regain faith in
themselves. He brought hope as he
promised prompt, vigorous action,
and asserted in his Inaugural
Address, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
Born in 1882 at Hyde Park, New York--now a national historic site--he attended Harvard
University and Columbia Law School. On St. Patrick's Day, 1905, he married Eleanor Roosevelt.
Following the example of his fifth cousin, President Theodore Roosevelt, whom he greatly
admired, Franklin D. Roosevelt entered public service through politics, but as a Democrat. He
won election to the New York Senate in 1910. President Wilson appointed him Assistant
Secretary of the Navy, and he was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 1920.
In the summer of 1921, when he was 39, disaster hit-he was stricken with poliomyelitis.
Demonstrating indomitable courage, he fought to regain the use of his legs, particularly
through swimming. At the 1924 Democratic Convention he dramatically appeared on crutches
to nominate Alfred E. Smith as "the Happy Warrior." In 1928 Roosevelt became Governor of
New York.
He was elected President in November 1932, to the first of four terms. By March there were
13,000,000 unemployed, and almost every bank was closed. In his first "hundred days," he
proposed, and Congress enacted, a sweeping program to bring recovery to business and
agriculture, relief to the unemployed and to those in danger of losing farms and homes, and
reform, especially through the establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
By 1935 the Nation had achieved some measure of recovery, but businessmen and bankers
were turning more and more against Roosevelt's New Deal program. They feared his
experiments, were appalled because he had taken the Nation off the gold standard and
allowed deficits in the budget, and disliked the concessions to labor. Roosevelt responded
with a new program of reform: Social Security, heavier taxes on the wealthy, new controls
over banks and public utilities, and an enormous work relief program for the unemployed.
In 1936 he was re-elected by a top-heavy margin. Feeling he was armed with a popular
mandate, he sought legislation to enlarge the Supreme Court, which had been invalidating
key New Deal measures. Roosevelt lost the Supreme Court battle, but a revolution in
constitutional law took place. Thereafter the Government could legally regulate the economy.
Roosevelt had pledged the United States to the "good neighbor" policy, transforming the
Monroe Doctrine from a unilateral American manifesto into arrangements for mutual action
against aggressors. He also sought through neutrality legislation to keep the United States
out of the war in Europe, yet at the same time to strengthen nations threatened or attacked.
When France fell and England came under siege in 1940, he began to send Great Britain all
possible aid short of actual military involvement.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, Roosevelt directed
organization of the Nation's manpower and resources for global war.
Feeling that the future peace of the world would depend upon relations between the United
States and Russia, he devoted much thought to the planning of a United Nations, in which,
he hoped, international difficulties could be settled.
As the war drew to a close, Roosevelt's health deteriorated, and on April 12th, 1945, while at
Warm Springs, Georgia, he died of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Born in 1882 at Hyde Park, New York--now a national historic site--he attended Harvard
University and Columbia Law School. On St. Patrick's Day, 1905, he married Eleanor Roosevelt.
Following the example of his fifth cousin, President Theodore Roosevelt, whom he greatly
admired, Franklin D. Roosevelt entered public service through politics, but as a Democrat. He
won election to the New York Senate in 1910. President Wilson appointed him Assistant
Secretary of the Navy, and he was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 1920.
In the summer of 1921, when he was 39, disaster hit-he was stricken with poliomyelitis.
Demonstrating indomitable courage, he fought to regain the use of his legs, particularly
through swimming. At the 1924 Democratic Convention he dramatically appeared on crutches
to nominate Alfred E. Smith as "the Happy Warrior." In 1928 Roosevelt became Governor of
New York.
He was elected President in November 1932, to the first of four terms. By March there were
13,000,000 unemployed, and almost every bank was closed. In his first "hundred days," he
proposed, and Congress enacted, a sweeping program to bring recovery to business and
agriculture, relief to the unemployed and to those in danger of losing farms and homes, and
reform, especially through the establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
By 1935 the Nation had achieved some measure of recovery, but businessmen and bankers
were turning more and more against Roosevelt's New Deal program. They feared his
experiments, were appalled because he had taken the Nation off the gold standard and
allowed deficits in the budget, and disliked the concessions to labor. Roosevelt responded
with a new program of reform: Social Security, heavier taxes on the wealthy, new controls
over banks and public utilities, and an enormous work relief program for the unemployed.
In 1936 he was re-elected by a top-heavy margin. Feeling he was armed with a popular
mandate, he sought legislation to enlarge the Supreme Court, which had been invalidating
key New Deal measures. Roosevelt lost the Supreme Court battle, but a revolution in
constitutional law took place. Thereafter the Government could legally regulate the economy.
Roosevelt had pledged the United States to the "good neighbor" policy, transforming the
Monroe Doctrine from a unilateral American manifesto into arrangements for mutual action
against aggressors. He also sought through neutrality legislation to keep the United States
out of the war in Europe, yet at the same time to strengthen nations threatened or attacked.
When France fell and England came under siege in 1940, he began to send Great Britain all
possible aid short of actual military involvement.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, Roosevelt directed
organization of the Nation's manpower and resources for global war.
Feeling that the future peace of the world would depend upon relations between the United
States and Russia, he devoted much thought to the planning of a United Nations, in which,
he hoped, international difficulties could be settled.
As the war drew to a close, Roosevelt's health deteriorated, and on April 12th, 1945, while at
Warm Springs, Georgia, he died of a cerebral hemorrhage.