Gabriella Mudd

Mr. Widenhofer
AP US History
30 May 2018
Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, America’s thirty-second president, was a man of great

intelligence, charisma, and determination. He assumed presidency during the Great Depression,

one of the most troubling times in American history and endured many other hardships while in

office such as World War II. He turned the nation around and made what could have been the

start of a longterm economic drought and distrust of the government into a prosperous time.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a great president, perhaps the greatest man to ever take office,

because of his admirable character, ability to pass legislation, and circumstances that allowed

him to shine.

Roosevelt’s exclusive upbringing destined him for greatness. He was born into a rather

affluent family and was raised on a large estate in Hyde Park just outside of New York City.

When he was fourteen he was sent to Groton School in the city, which was his first official

schooling aside from private tutors. He continued on to attend Harvard University in Boston for

his undergraduate degree where he became involved with various groups and activities. It was

during this time where he began his relationship with Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, whom would

later become his wife and First Lady. After graduating from Harvard, he began attending

Colombia University’s law school in 1905. Roosevelt did not show much interest in law and he

did not graduate, however he did pass the bar exam, allowing him to practice in the state of New

York. When he was asked to relocate upstate to run for political office, he welcomed the
transition to politics. Roosevelt always had an interest in politics because of his fifth cousin,

Theodore Roosevelt, whom he often credits as one of his most influential mentors.1

Roosevelt began his lifelong career in politics in the New York Senate. He served in New

York’s Senate for quite some time and became involved with many different mediums within

politics, serving as the vice secretary for the Navy, writing a novel, and re-entering law. During

this time Roosevelt contracted polio, which added to his courageous character and philanthropic

interests. He struggled with being elected into the US Senate throughout his career and never

served as a senator, however he was eventually elected as the governor of New York.This is

what ultimately catapulted him into the national spotlight for politics and what caused many to

start considering him as a presidential candidate. While serving as governor, Roosevelt passed

plenty of legislation concerning prison administration, aid to farmers, and worker relief

programs. He preempted his popular New Deal and fireside chats with various speeches and

ideas he first implemented on a smaller level as governor. On November 8, 1932 Roosevelt

defeated Herbert Hoover and won the presidential election for the Democratic party with plenty

of endorsement from politicians, journalists, and professors alike.2

In early March of 1933, Roosevelt was officially inaugurated into office, giving his first

speech to the American people. He offered up one quote in particular that really sums up his

presidency in terms of his relationship with the people being, “the only thing we have to fear it

fear itself.”3 This, among other unifying and powerful phrases allowed Roosevelt to connect with

the American people in a very unprecedented manner, especially during a time of such distrust of

the government. Additionally, in his first inaugural address he adopted the Good Neighbor

1
Leuchtenburg, William E., “Life Before the Presidency,” Miller Center
2
“FDR Timeline,” Marist
3
Roosevelt, Franklin D., “First Inaugural Adress.”
Policy, which began under Wilson, and established his foreign policy motives. Though FDR

believed that the US should hold a prominent position in global affairs, the first six years of his

presidency was consumed by the American economy, which misleads many into believing that

he was an isolationist.4

Roosevelt inherited perhaps the largest economic crisis in American history; the Great

Depression. While many would have shied away from this daunting task, Roosevelt quickly laid

out the New Deal, a plan that included relief, reform, and recovery. The New Deal was

comprised of various means aimed to pull America out of debt and create more jobs. For relief,

Roosevelt implemented the Bank Holiday, in which all banks were closed in efforts to stop the

panic, and the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Civil Works Administration, which both

created temporary jobs. Once the terror of the Depression began to wear off, Roosevelt moved

on to reform. Some of these methods of reform included the Agricultural Adjustment Act, which

helped funnel money directly to farmers, and the Workers Progress Administration, which

provided more long term jobs such as building projects. Lastly, he implemented the recovery

aspect of the New Deal, which aimed to prevent any further economic disasters. Most of the

programs Roosevelt created during this time are still being used today such as the Securities and

Exchange Commission which monitored the stock market, the Federal Deposit Insurance

Corporation which insured those putting money in banks they would at least receive $5,000 in

times of crisis, and Social Security which gives money to the elderly.5 To familiarize the

American people with the various programs he planned on implementing, Roosevelt began

giving “fireside chats” which were radio talks in which he dialogued with the nation and put his

4
Leuchtenburg, William E., “Foreign Affairs,” Miller Center
5
Jackson, Bill, “The Three R’s”
elaborate New Deal into terms the common man would understand. His radio podcasts proved to

be incredibly effective as the people developed a deep sense of trust and security about

Roosevelt and were also strategic as they hid the fact he was in a wheelchair. Overall,

Roosevelt’s New Deal would have meant nothing had he not been able to get his various pieces

of legislation passed, especially in such a timely manner. The way in which he was able to

control the passing of different acts really gave way for his economic success.

However, as Roosevelt soothed one conflict, World War II continued to loom over

America. He repeatedly hinted to his favoring of the British, however he was bound by

Neutrality Acts to stay out of the war until provoked. Roosevelt held off war for quite some time,

settling for simply supporting the Allied powers through psychological means as well as

supplying weapons. In fact, Roosevelt redefined some of the terms of neutrality so that the US

would be able to offer more support to Britain and the Soviets.6 However, on December 7, 1941

Japan attacked American naval forces at the Pearl Harbor base in Hawaii, changing the course of

the war for good.7 While this not only officially launched the United States into war against the

Axis powers, it also allowed Roosevelt to deliver the Infamy Speech8, another unifying,

encouraging edict that reenforced the American identity. World War II revealed some of his

flaws such as how he refused asylum to Jewish refugees and the Executive Order 9066, which

supported Japanese internment,9 however it is clear that Roosevelt was only acting out of fear

and had the best interests of the American people in mind. Throughout the war, he acted as a

great negotiator and ally to the Soviet Union and Britain, as the Big Three met on various

6
Roosevelt, Franklin D., “Lend-Lease Act.”
7
Friedel, Frank and Hugh Sidey, “The Presidents of the United States of America.”
8
Roosevelt, Franklin D., “Infamy Speech.”
9
Roosevelt, Franklin D., “Executive Order 9066.”
occasions to discuss the course of the war. He spearheaded this alliance which is often credited

with victory over Germany and continued to lay the groundwork for the United Nations and

other plans for post-war peace. Additionally, the means in which Roosevelt brought America out

of its isolationism reintroduced the nation as a world hegemon.

World War II also helped to bring economic prosperity to the American economy and

helped further unify the nation. The war encouraged a revamp in industrialization as well as

ushered women and minorities into the workforce, ultimately pulling the US above water.

Additionally, the war spurred an intense sense of patriotism and pride in those fighting, which

helped Roosevelt unify his people. Ultimately, Roosevelt himself lead America in the right

direction with his exceptional ideas and communication style, however the conflicts mentioned

gave him an opportunity to do so.

Roosevelt displayed tremendous character throughout his presidency. He never faltered

in being strong, charismatic, and brave in front of the American people, despite his long battle

with polio and criticisms placed upon him. He earned the trust and approval of the American

people, leading them through two catastrophic events. The fact that Roosevelt remains the only

president to be elected for four terms goes to show how admired he was by the American people

and his unique ability to consistently rise above. Perhaps his biggest accomplishment, pulling

America out of recession through the New Deal, could not have happened without his

effectiveness and zefficiency in passing legislation. Lastly, the tough circumstances Roosevelt

was thrown into allowed him to step up and become a great president. The Great Depression

allowed Roosevelt to implement various ideas and form a strong bond with the American people,

while World War II contributed to the economic boom. It is for these reasons and many more

that I rate Franklin Delano Roosevelt as a great president.