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Franklin Delona Roosevelt

FDR Biography


Franklin Delona Roosevelt is one of the three greatest and strongest American Presidents. The other two are Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. He was also a very popular President, dearly known as FDR. His colorful life was filled with activities which baled America out from a great economic depression. Roosevelt left behind him a robust and wealthy America. As he was the President during the great World War, he had to play a crucial role in the international politics too. With a brief sketch of Franklin's biography, this paper reflects the critical role played by this eminent statesman in twentieth century.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was born in 1882 at Hyde Park, New York. His father, James Roosevelt, Sr., was of Dutch origin, and his mother, Sara Anne Delona, was of French ancestry. Roosevelt had his early education in Groton school, Massachusetts. And he was sent to Harvard for his under graduation. Before entering politics in 1920, he had studied Law at New York's Columbia university. He married Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, a distant cousin, in 1905. They had six children, out of which five survived and they left behind 21 children through marriages and remarriages.

Franklin had an attack of paralysis in 1921, an infantile paralysis known as poliomyelitis. He found himself paralyzed from the waist down. This caused retardation in his public and political activities. But it also made him sensitive to the need of eradicating polio and saving thousands of children from this unfortunate illness, leading to unpleasant life. At Warm Springs, Franklin founded a hydrotherapy center for the treatment of polio patients. Using his presidential powers later, he also established a national foundation for the infantile paralysis.

His appointment as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy marked the beginning of his career as a good administrator. The extraordinary talent as an administrator which gradually became an asset for Franklin started with his ardent attachment to the Navy. This lasting affection for the Naval life prompted him to go for many innovative reforms in Navy. This experience also helped him greatly when he became the Commander-in-chief later on.

Roosevelt entered the Statehouse as a Senator in 1911. Till he resigned in 1913, his presence as a member in the house gave him wide experience. In 1920, he was defeated in the election for the Vice-President ship. He retired from public life for a while after this defeat. He was elected as Governor of New York in 1929. This gave him a wonderful opportunity to prove his mettle. He introduced many reforms. In 1932, Franklin won the Presidential election as a Democratic candidate.

Franklin D. Roosevelt's first term as the President of America, from 1933 to 1937, was a decisive period in the history of America. It was the time of great depression. The situation in the country was precarious in almost all areas of life. His great election speeches reflected the aspirations of the people, their problems and difficulties. What was popular as the "New Deal Coalition" was a new experiment in politics. He brought together people belonging to different classes, races, and thoughts to reconstruct the American life. He did everything possible to retrieve America from a bad situation. Once he told a friend, "I have done the best I could and turn over and go to sleep" (Goodwin)

The situation in America when Franklin became the President requires a brief mention here. Almost all the banks were closed. Unemployment was at its peak. The farmers were finding no market for their crops., and the whole farming community faced a financial crisis never known to them before. Industrial production fell, shaking the very structure of American economy. It was estimated that about 2 million people were homeless. Franklin D. Roosevelt was compelled to embark on reforms in all fronts. Relief, recovery, and reform were the catch-words of his period. He formulated a new social security system. There were many businessmen who were opposed to his economic ideas. They thought his liberal attitude and reforms would take the economy backward, particularly the regulation of the Wall Street. Unmindful of these negative criticisms, he went all out for major reforms. America saw, during his period, a vast expansion of industry. Another notable achievement was full employment to his people. He also introduced new taxes and imposed rigid price control. Though all Americans felt a sort of social security during his period, African Americans and ladies felt special favorable treatment from Franklin. In short, America moved from depression to prosperity under the Presidential stewardship of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Equally great was Franklin's foreign policy. He maintained a good neighborly relationship with his neighbors. He was also merging as the key figure in international politics. The world, under the dark cloud of a world war, was badly in need of a leader like Roosevelt. He established a good relationship with Winston Churchill. Later on it paved the way for a grand alliance, leading to great decision making during the Second World War. Roosevelt's second term as President, from 1937 to 1941, was a crucial period for him. He declared that all those greedy for war must be quarantined. The famous "Quarantine Speech" he gave in 1937 made a great impact in international politics. He said the war mongers were a great threat to public health. As he entered his third term as President of America, the world was in the grip of a second world war. In 1941, the Japanese attacked the US Fleet at Pearl Harbor. About 2400 American soldiers and civilians were killed in the attack. It was imperative for the President to create a war strategy. Roosevelt was one of the "Big Three", Churchill and Stalin being the other two, to chalk out new war strategies against the Nazi regime. They decided to divide among themselves the war responsibilities. Franklin also was a key figure in all the great international war conferences of the Allied Forces. He knew that domestic situation is not cut off from international events. In an address from White House, he said that "I want to emphasize to you that the domestic situation is inevitably and deeply tied with the conditions all over the nations of the world" (1933).

The fourth term of Roosevelt as President, from 1945 to 1962, was marked by illness and long-time health problems. He had high blood pressure and a weak heart. But, by this time, he had earned enormous popularity. His reforms were quite helpful not only to the laborers, but also to the people from all sections of society. Artists, writers, musicians and authors were equally benefited by the reforms of Franklin. The Supreme Court Judges were among those who found fault with his new deal, and Franklin tried to make constitutional changes to ensure that the executive had the requisite powers to carry out reforms. In the international front, after the war, America started playing a leadership role. The most important contribution from him, perhaps, is in the setting up of an organization for peace, which later on came to be known as United Nations Organization.

America today remembers Franklin D. Roosevelt in various ways. His home has now become National history's site. His retreat at Warm Springs is a museum. There is a memorial for him in Washington. And many schools, parks, roads, and other public places carry his name. He suffered a massive stroke in 1945 and died. It was the year in which complete military victory was achieved in Europe in the world war. He was buried in the rose garden of his estate at Hyde Park, New York. Roosevelt is not just an American leader, but a world leader. He is being taught at schools and colleges all over the world. Twenty first century, unfortunately, is bereft of great leaders like Roosevelt. "Under Roosevelt's leadership, the United States emerged from the World War 11 as the world’s foremost economic, political, and military power" ( Roosevelt)







Works Cited:

"Address of the President by Radio Delivered from the White House". May 7, 1933.
http://www.mhric.org/fdr/chat2.html

Goodwin, Doris Kerns. "Franklin D. Roosevelt"
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/character/essays/roosevelt.html

"Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933 to 1945): 32nd President of the United States"
http://www.americanpresident.org/history/franklindelanoroosevelt/
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Posted by: SANJUANA T. TORRES

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