Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt
Leon Perskie · CC BY 2.0 · source
Name	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Order	32nd
Vicepresident	John Nance Garner, Henry A. Wallace, Harry S. Truman
Term start	March 4, 1933
Term end	April 12, 1945
Predecessor	Herbert Hoover
Successor	Harry S. Truman
Birth date	January 30, 1882
Birth place	Hyde Park, New York
Death date	April 12, 1945
Death place	Warm Springs, Georgia
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Eleanor Roosevelt

Contents

Franklin D. Roosevelt was the 32nd President of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945, and is widely regarded as one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century, alongside Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong. He implemented a series of reforms known as the New Deal, which aimed to alleviate the suffering of those affected by the Great Depression, with programs such as the Works Progress Administration, Civilian Conservation Corps, and National Recovery Administration. Roosevelt's leadership during World War II played a crucial role in shaping the post-war world order, with key events including the Atlantic Charter, Lend-Lease Act, and Yalta Conference. He worked closely with other world leaders, including Chiang Kai-shek, Charles de Gaulle, and Benito Mussolini, to achieve Allied victory.

Early Life and Education

Roosevelt was born in Hyde Park, New York, to James Roosevelt I and Sara Ann Delano, and was a distant cousin of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. He attended Groton School and later studied at Harvard University, where he was influenced by Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom policies, and developed an interest in Progressivism. Roosevelt then attended Columbia Law School, but dropped out to pursue a career in politics, inspired by the examples of Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Pierce, and Grover Cleveland. He married Eleanor Roosevelt in 1905, and the couple had six children, including Anna Roosevelt Halsted, Elliott Roosevelt, and James Roosevelt II.

Roosevelt's entry into politics was facilitated by his cousin, Theodore Roosevelt, who encouraged him to run for the New York State Senate in 1910, where he served alongside Robert F. Wagner and Al Smith. He later served as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy under Josephus Daniels during World War I, and was a strong supporter of the United States Navy and the League of Nations. In 1920, Roosevelt was nominated for Vice President of the United States by the Democratic National Convention, but lost the election to Calvin Coolidge and Charles G. Dawes. He then contracted poliomyelitis in 1921, which left him paralyzed from the waist down, and was treated at the Warm Springs Foundation in Georgia. During his recovery, Roosevelt developed a close relationship with Louis Howe, who would later become his key advisor.

Roosevelt was elected as the Governor of New York in 1928, and implemented a series of reforms, including the establishment of the New York State Power Authority and the New York State Department of Social Welfare. He was then elected as the President of the United States in 1932, defeating Herbert Hoover and Norman Thomas, and went on to implement a series of reforms known as the New Deal, which included the creation of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, Civilian Conservation Corps, and National Recovery Administration. Roosevelt's leadership during the Great Depression helped to alleviate the suffering of millions of Americans, with programs such as the Works Progress Administration and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. He also established the Securities and Exchange Commission to regulate the stock market and prevent future crashes like the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

Roosevelt's foreign policy was shaped by his commitment to isolationism and non-interventionism, but he eventually recognized the need for American involvement in international affairs, particularly in the face of Nazi Germany's aggressive expansion under Adolf Hitler. He implemented the Lend-Lease Act in 1941, which provided economic and military aid to countries fighting against the Axis powers, including the United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and China. Roosevelt played a key role in shaping the post-war world order, with key events including the Atlantic Charter, Casablanca Conference, and Yalta Conference. He worked closely with other world leaders, including Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, and Chiang Kai-shek, to achieve Allied victory, and was a strong supporter of the United Nations and the Bretton Woods system.

Roosevelt's domestic policy was focused on alleviating the suffering of those affected by the Great Depression, with programs such as the Works Progress Administration, Civilian Conservation Corps, and National Recovery Administration. He also implemented a series of reforms, including the establishment of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Securities and Exchange Commission, and National Labor Relations Act. Roosevelt's leadership helped to establish the United States as a major world power, and his commitment to social welfare and economic justice helped to shape the country's social and economic landscape, with key influences from John Maynard Keynes and the New Deal Coalition. He also supported the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Rural Electrification Administration to promote economic development in rural areas.

Roosevelt's personal life was marked by his marriage to Eleanor Roosevelt and his close relationships with Louis Howe and Harry Hopkins. He was a strong supporter of the arts and culture, and was a patron of the Federal Theatre Project and the Federal Music Project. Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, in Warm Springs, Georgia, after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage, and was succeeded by Harry S. Truman. His legacy continues to shape American politics and society, with his commitment to social welfare and economic justice remaining a key part of the Democratic Party's platform, and his influence can be seen in the work of Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy, and Barack Obama. Roosevelt's presidency is remembered as one of the most significant in American history, with key events including the Great Depression, World War II, and the establishment of the United Nations. Category:Presidents of the United States