Franklin D. Roosevelt

• 1. Hyde Park And The Delano Legacy

  ›

  Franklin Delano Roosevelt entered the world on the 30th of January 1882, inside Springwood, a sprawling estate located south of Hyde Park in New York. His father James Roosevelt I was a prominent Bourbon Democrat who once took his young son to meet President Grover Cleveland. During that meeting, the older president made a strange wish for the boy: he hoped Franklin might never become President of the United States. His mother Sara Ann Delano held a dominant influence over his early years and declared her son was a Delano first and a Roosevelt second. He grew up riding horses, shooting guns, sailing boats, playing polo, tennis, and golf with ease. Frequent trips to Europe began when he was two years old and continued from age seven until fifteen. These journeys helped him learn German and French fluently. Aside from a brief stint at public school in Germany at age nine, he received private tutoring until age fourteen. He then attended Groton School, an Episcopal boarding school in Groton, Massachusetts. Headmaster Endicott Peabody preached the duty of Christians to help the less fortunate and urged students toward public service. Peabody remained a strong influence throughout Roosevelt's life, officiating at his wedding and visiting him as president.

  123

• 2. The Polio Diagnosis And Public Silence

  ›

  Roosevelt sought to build support for a political comeback in the 1922 elections but his career derailed by illness. It began while the Roosevelts were vacationing at Campobello Island in August 1921. He was diagnosed with polio which left him permanently paralyzed from the waist down. A 2003 study strongly favored a diagnosis of Guillain, Barré syndrome, but historians have continued to describe his paralysis according to the initial diagnosis. Though his mother favored his retirement from public life, Roosevelt, his wife Eleanor, and close friend Louis Howe determined he continue his political career. He laboriously taught himself to walk short distances while wearing iron braces on his hips and legs. He swiveled his torso while supporting himself with a cane. He was careful never to be seen using his wheelchair in public. Great care was taken to prevent any portrayal in the press that would highlight his disability. He usually appeared in public standing upright, supported on one side by an aide or one of his sons. Beginning in 1925, Roosevelt spent most of his time in the Southern United States, first on his houseboat named Larooco. Intrigued by hydrotherapy benefits, he established a rehabilitation center at Warm Springs, Georgia, in 1926.

  186171

• 3. The Governor And The Brain Trust

  ›

  Smith asked Roosevelt to run for governor of New York in the 1928 state election after losing the presidency in a landslide. Roosevelt initially resisted as he feared leaving Warm Springs and facing a Republican landslide. Party leaders convinced him only he could defeat the Republican gubernatorial nominee Albert Ottinger. He won the party's nomination by acclamation and turned to Howe to lead his campaign. He joined the campaign trail with associates Samuel Rosenman, Frances Perkins, and James Farley. While Smith lost the presidency, Roosevelt was elected governor by a one-percent margin. He proposed construction of hydroelectric power plants and addressed the ongoing farm crisis of the 1920s. In October 1929, the Wall Street Crash occurred and the Great Depression began. Roosevelt saw the seriousness of the situation and established a state employment commission. He became the first governor to publicly endorse unemployment insurance. When he ran for re-election in May 1930, he reiterated that progressive government must be a living thing. He was re-elected to a second term with 56 percent of the vote against 33 percent. He proposed an economic relief package and established the Temporary Emergency Relief Administration.

  52541

• 4. The Hundred Days And The Bank Holiday

  ›

  Roosevelt was inaugurated on the 4th of March 1933, when the U.S. stood at the nadir of the worst depression in its history. A quarter of the workforce was unemployed and farmers were in deep trouble as prices had fallen by 60 percent. Industrial production had fallen by more than half since 1929. Two million people were homeless. By evening of March 4, thirty-two of the forty-eight states plus the District of Columbia had closed their banks. On his second day in office, Roosevelt declared a four-day national bank holiday to end runs by depositors seeking funds. He called for a special session of Congress on March 9. Congress passed almost sight unseen the Emergency Banking Act. The act gave the president power to determine opening and closing of banks. It authorized Federal Reserve Banks to issue banknotes. When banks reopened on Monday, March 15, stock prices rose by 15 percent. In following weeks over one billion dollars returned to bank vaults ending the panic. On March 22, Roosevelt signed the Cullen, Harrison Act which brought Prohibition to a close. He presented proposals directly to the American public in series of thirty radio addresses known as fireside chats.

  272830

• 5. Social Security And Labor Rights

  ›

  Roosevelt expected his party would lose seats in the 1934 Congressional elections but Democrats gained seats instead. Empowered by public vote of confidence, first item on agenda was creation of social insurance program. The Social Security Act established Social Security and promised economic security for elderly, poor, and sick. Roosevelt insisted it should be funded by payroll taxes rather than from general fund. He said they put contributions there so contributors have legal moral and political right to collect pensions. Compared with systems in Western European countries, the 1935 act was rather conservative. Against original intention for universal coverage, act excluded farmers domestic workers and other groups making up about forty percent of labor force. Nevertheless for first time in American history federal government took responsibility for economic security of aged temporarily unemployed dependent children and disabled people. After winning authorization for further funding he established Works Progress Administration under Harry Hopkins. WPA employed over three million people in its first year of operations. It undertook numerous massive construction projects in cooperation with local governments.

  303941

• 6. The Arsenal Of Democracy And War Mobilization

  ›

  World War II dominated Roosevelt's attention with far more time devoted to world affairs than ever before. Domestic politics were largely shaped by efforts to achieve total mobilization of nation's resources for war effort. Even relations with Latin America and Canada structured by wartime demands. Roosevelt maintained close personal control of all major diplomatic and military decisions. He worked closely with generals admirals war and Navy departments British and even Soviet Union. His key advisors on diplomacy included Harry Hopkins in White House Sumner Welles in State Department and Henry Morgenthau Jr at Treasury. In military affairs he worked most closely with Secretary Henry L. Stimson Army Chief of Staff George Marshall and Admiral William D. Leahy. By late 1940 re-armament was in high gear partly to expand and re-equip Army and Navy. He became Arsenal of Democracy for Britain and other countries. With Four Freedoms speech in January 1941 he proposed four fundamental freedoms people everywhere ought to enjoy. Assisted by Willkie he won Congressional approval of Lend-Lease program which directed massive aid to Britain and China. There would be no repayment unlike loans of World War I.

  455156

• 7. Pearl Harbor And The Atomic Secret

  ›

  After German invasion of Poland primary concern of both Roosevelt and top military staff was war in Europe. Japan also presented foreign policy challenges as relations had deteriorated since its invasion of Manchuria in 1931. After Roosevelt announced one hundred million dollar loan to China in reaction to Japan's occupation of northern French Indochina, Japan signed Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy. Germany Japan and Italy became known as Axis powers. In July 1941 after Japan occupied remainder of French Indochina Roosevelt cut off sale of oil to Japan. This deprived Japan of more than ninety-five percent of its oil supply. He placed Philippine military under American command and reinstated General Douglas MacArthur into active duty. Following Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on the 7th of December 1941, Roosevelt obtained declaration of war on Japan. Subsequently he declared war on Japan's Axis partners Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. He worked closely with other national leaders leading Allies against Axis powers. He supervised mobilization of American economy to support war effort and implemented Europe first strategy. He initiated development of first atomic bomb and worked with Allied leaders to lay groundwork for United Nations. He won reelection in 1944 but died in 1945.

  535758