FREE ESSAY ON FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

Franklin Delano Roosevelt is among the most remembered U.S. Presidents. Serving as
President for more than twelve years, he was the only President to be elected four times.
Roosevelt led the United States through its worst depression and its worst war. He tried
his best to stay optimistic with our country and the decisions he made. In Roosevelt's
first inaugural address, he asked for faith in America's future. He told the country, The
only thing we have to fear is fear itself (Burns 1970, p. 238). That is the lesson that
he taught our country to live by.
Franklin was born on January 30, 1882, in Hyde Park, New York. He was the only child of
James and Sara Roosevelt. Born into a very wealthy family, he grew up on his father's
estate called Springwood. Being an only child, his parents adored him, but brought him up
with a loving firmness. His father taught him that being wealthy also brought with it the
responsibility of helping people who were not so lucky (Johnson 1967, p. 38).
Franklin D. Roosevelt was always a very smart and educated young man. Growing up,
Franklin's parents took him on many trips to Europe, where he studied and learned how to
speak many different languages. He graduated from Harvard University in 1903 and then
went on to get a degree from Columbia University Law School. But he never seemed to show
an interest with doing legal work. In 1905, he married his distant cousin, Eleanor
Roosevelt, whom he had been courting for some years before that. Franklin and Eleanor had
six children together. Franklin took much pride and companionship in them. It wasn't
until this time that Franklin decided to get involved with politics.
In 1910, Roosevelt accepted an invitation from state Democratic leaders to run for the
New York Senate. This was going to be a difficult task for Franklin because Republicans
had controlled his district for over fifty years. But he was determined to do it.
Roosevelt wanted a clean government and strongly opposed big city officials. With those
requests, that was all he needed to win the election. Franklin became a state senator at
the age of 29, and from then on, he was known as a very bold and skillful political
fighter (Abbott 1990, p. 103). In 1913, President Wilson appointed him as assistant
secretary of the Navy. This was the perfect job for FDR, as he said, I now find my
vocation combined with my avocation in a delightful way. Politics being my 'vocation' and
ships and naval history being my hobby or avocation' (Abbott 1990, p. 104). This job
taught him, not only a lot about national politics, but especially about ways to get
along with Congress. In 1914, Roosevelt ran for the Democratic nomination as a candidate
for the U.S. Senate, but lost by a large margin. He wanted to enter the military service
in 1917, when the U.S. was involved in World War I, but was convinced instead to visit
the battlefields and meet with military leaders overseas. This is how he became a
national figure to the world. In the 192, Roosevelt was nominated for Vice-President
under James M. Cox, who together, called for a campaign concerning U.S. membership in the
League of Nations. They ended up getting defeated by Coolidge, though. This defeat did
not really harm Roosevelt. By that time, he was already a well-established leader among
the Democrats.
Life seemed to be going all too well for FDR and his family until tragedy struck. In
August 1921, Roosevelt fell into the water while sailing, which left him, not only
partially paralyzed, but also with a severe case of polio. Many people thought that his
career in politics had ended. But he continued his political activity out of his home,
eventually gaining back the use of his hands, arms, and developed strong shoulders. He
was determined to fight this disease with his best effort and he surely did. While doing
this, he helped others do so, as well. In 1924, he established the Warm Springs
Foundation, where people could go to get proper treatment for polio, even if they
couldn't afford it. When he returned to politics later that year, he had mastered his
walking with the help of braces.
His first major public appearance since the polio attack was his nominating speech for
Governor Smith of New York. He received major applause from the crowd at the National
Convention. Even though Smith didn't win, Franklin had regained significance as a
Democratic leader and a man who had overcome personal tragedy. But, Smith did get the
presidential nomination in 1928 and encouraged Roosevelt to run for Governor of New York,
which he did do and won. This was a big and exciting step for Roosevelt. During his time
as governor, he proved to become very popular with the voters by obtaining relief systems
for both farmers and the unemployed, gaining control of public utilities and services,
strengthening the prisons, getting better pensions for elders, and taking better care of
the environment. He said to the nation at this time, It is common sense to take a method
and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something
(Abbott 1990, p. 200). This gained much respect and admiration for Roosevelt from the
public.
Roosevelt was now ready to take on a more challenging job, and it just so happened that
he was nominated for President in 1932. John Garner was chosen for Vice-President.
Roosevelt was ready and willing to take on this campaign. He was the first man to ever
make an acceptance speech at the national convention, during which he promised the United
States a new deal to get the nation out of the Depression and prevent future ones. During
the campaign, he traveled to 38 states, showing the world that he was physically able to
take on this job. At this time, he also told the world that the fate of America cannot be
depended on any one man. The greatness of America is grounded in principles and not on
any single personality (Johnson 1967, p. 173). And he was very convincing, receiving 472
electoral votes and winning the Presidency in a landslide.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt entered off ice on March 4, 1933. He was the last President to
be inaugurated in March. Going into this job, Roosevelt knew that there were many
immediate problems that had to be handled, like the banking crisis. On March 6th, just
two days after becoming President, Roosevelt declared a bank holiday, which meant that
all banks would shut down until the Department of Treasury could look over every bank's
books and make sure they were all on a stable basis. By doing this, Roosevelt ended the
bank crisis and restored confidence in many Americans.
Moving right on to the next problem, on March 9th, Roosevelt, with congressional
approval, began to pass recovery and reform laws. Congress approved almost all the
important bills with large majority rules. The session of Congress passing laws in known
as the Hundred Days. On March 12th, Roosevelt began to give his famous fireside chats
over the radio, explaining the new laws that are being passed and how they will benefit
the nation in the future. Walking into a Presidency while the nation is in the midst of a
depression is an extremely difficult job. But Roosevelt was prepared to make immediate
changes and succeeded in handling the nation's problems, while also gaining respect from
the people.
Roosevelt described his reform program, the New Deal, as a use of authority of government
as an organized form of self-help for all classes and groups and sections of our country
(Sullivan 1970, p. 87). There were many different parts to the program, all of them
working towards relief for the cities and states. The Civil Works Administration was
started in 1933, which supplied funds that went towards public projects such as building
roads, repairing old schools, cleaning public parks, and other things like that. Also in
1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps was established to, not only give work to many
young Americans, but also helped with programs for flood control, forestry, and soil
conservation (Sullivan 1970, p. 93). Roosevelt also passed laws to protect investors of
stock, help oil and railroad industries, and strengthen small businesses. In 1935, the
Social Security Act was passed, giving relief to the unemployed and pensions to the
elderly. Later that year, the National Labor Relations Act also strengthened the rights
of labor workers. The only downside to the New Deal was the fact that it cost a great
amount of money, causing the national debt to rise higher than ever.
Roosevelt did an outstanding job of strengthening relations with and promoting good will
among other nations (Burns 1970, p. 334). He described his foreign policy as one of a
Good Neighbor. His first move was to repeal the Platt Amendment of 1901, which said the
U.S. could interfere with Cuban affairs. This repeal was approved in 1934. Then, in 1935,
the U.S. signed Reciprocal Trade Agreements with six other Latin-American countries,
promising nonaggression and conciliation with all of them 
(Burns 1970, p.336). Roosevelt also used personal diplomacy by visiting countries to make
peace with them. He was actually the first U.S. President to visit South America and
attend the Inter-American Conference. Roosevelt also succeeded in resuming trade between
the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Because all ties were broken after the Russian Revolution
in 1917, the United States had no relations with the Soviet Union. But in 1933, with
Roosevelt's help, the two nations exchanged diplomatic representatives for the first time
in sixteen years. Roosevelt told the world that Nationwide thinking, nationwide planning,
and nationwide action are the three great essentials to prevent nationwide crises for
future generations to struggle through (Burns 1970, p. 340).
Before long, it was time for another election. Both Roosevelt and Garner were renominated
to represent the Democrats. They were running against Alfred Landon and Frank Knox. The
Republicans tried to bring Roosevelt down, saying he failed in keeping his promise to
balance the budget. But Roosevelt responded by sharing how he succeeded in ending the
Depression and bringing the U.S. back to a prosperous nation. FDR's speech in New York
City in 1936 left a very strong message to the world, saying, I should like to have it
said of my first administration that in it the forces of selfishness and lust for power
met their match. I should like to have it said of my second administration that in it,
these forces are mastered (Freedman 1990, p. 194). Again, that was all it took to
convince the American people, because Roosevelt won the election in another landslide,
carrying almost every U.S. State.
In Roosevelt's second inaugural address, he told the United States that the test of our
progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is
whether we provide enough for those who have too little (Freedman 1990, p. 213). FDR's
first problem that needed to be dealt with in his second term of office was the Supreme
Court. The Supreme Court declared many portions and laws under the New Deal as
unconstitutional. So, in 1937, the President decided to reorganize the Supreme Court. He
wanted to make it so that the Supreme Court justices were constantly changing, bringing
the Court different views and opinions from time to time. This proposal did not pass
because people thought that Roosevelt was doing this just to prevent the New Deal from
failing. Before long, though, most of the Supreme Court justices had retired or died, so
new ones had to be appointed.
The next problem came up in 1937, when Japanese attacks on China started to threaten
world peace (Schuman 1996, p. 107). Roosevelt wanted to help China get armed for defense.
He believed that Japanese should respect U.S. rights to aid China and demanded that Japan
apologize and pay for the U.S. ship that went under by China. The Japanese people agreed
to this at once (Schuman 1996, p. 108).
The third major issue that came about in Roosevelt's second term was the Neutrality Acts.
Roosevelt was not a huge fan of these acts because he wanted to help nations in time of
need, especially ones opposing the Axis Powers: Germany, Italy and Japan (Schuman 1996,
p. 110). Even after World War II began in 1939, the U.S. managed to stay isolated from
the last Great War. But later that year, the U.S. passed the Neutrality Act of 1939,
allowing other nations to purchase weapons from the U.S. for war.
Hard to believe, but very true, it was time for yet another Presidential election, which
led to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's third consecutive term in office. There were many
factors that lead to his reelection. He appointed a few Republicans to his Cabinet,
hoping to gain some Republican support. He was the only President to ever be nominated
for three terms, which led to the 22nd Amendment. Roosevelt was, so far, keeping the
United States out of war and promised to continue to do so. And, guiding the U.S. through
two successful terms, the people thought that at the time, the nation needed a president
with good experience and leadership skills (Schuman 1996, p. 132).
As FDR entered his third term of office, he decided to give Great Britain all the help
they needed with the war. In 1941, he met with the British Prime Minister, Winston
Churchill, and together made up the Atlantic Charter. Under this charter, there were no
territorial gains and all nations had the right to choose their own government, there
were freedom of the seas, and all could conduct world trade peacefully (Burns 1970, p.
591). Roosevelt also granted all Americans Four Freedoms which were: freedom of speech,
freedom of worship, freedom of want, and freedom from fear. Later that year, Congress
passed the Lend-Lease Act, allowing the U.S. to provide war supplies to any nation vital
to U.S. security. To reassure them in doing so, Roosevelt told Congress that, Our
security is not a matter of weapons alone. The arm that wields them must be strong, the
eye that guides them clear, the will that directs them indomitable (Burns 1970, p. 601).
As time went on, relations with Japan got increasingly worse. The United States reduced
trade with Japan and issued warnings, but nothing seemed to help. Finally, the U.S.
officials decided to meet with Japanese diplomats, unaware that the Japanese planes were
attacking U.S. fleets in Pearl Harbor. This is what finally led to the U.S. entering
World War II.
Now having entered the war, Roosevelt had to decide where to send troops first. He met
with Churchill, along with officials from the Soviet Union, and they all formed the
United Nations, or Allies that opposed the Axis Powers. He was the first President to
leave the U.S. during war, but it was necessary so that he could meet with other Allied
leaders (Schuman 1996, p. 197). He mostly met with Churchill and Joseph Stalin of the
Soviet Union. Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin became known as The Big Three, and together
created a strong pact to stick together and defeat the Axis Powers. Their goal was to
drive all Germans, Italians, and Japanese out of any territory where they did not belong,
starting with North Africa.
Besides being involved with the war outside the country, Roosevelt's home life changed
during this time as well. The Roosevelt's could not entertain guests as much anymore
because security regulations were added to the White House. Machine guns were set on the
roof, Secret Service agents posted throughout the grounds, and even a bomb shelter was
put in the basement. These regulations were necessary in order to keep everyone safe and
the White House under control.
In the election of 1944, Roosevelt was ready to retire, but felt it was his duty to run
for the fourth term, especially since the war was still going on. He had no problem
getting renominated and Harry S. Truman was nominated as Vice-President. The Republicans
thought that the fourth term was unfair and felt that Roosevelt was in poor health. But
this did not stop him from winning yet another election, this one also a landslide. In
his final inaugural address, he told the United States that they learned they cannot live
alone at peace, that their own well-being is dependent on the well-being of nations far
away (Johnson 1967, p. 353).
When Roosevelt started his fourth term, his health was really starting to weaken. But his
Presidency still went on, so he never let a cold or minor weight loss stop him. In
February 1945, he met with Churchill and Stalin for the Yalta Conference in the Soviet
Union. The Big Three discussed plans for organizing a peace treaty with the United
Nations once the war ended. But it was at this time that Roosevelt began to have doubts
about the Soviets. He told Churchill to keep on top of Stalin and keep Roosevelt posted
if any changes occurred. Franklin D. Roosevelt was then headed to Warm Springs for a
break from politics and time to just relax and rest. He spent only a very short time
there before his death. The night of April 12th, the President had a horrible headache,
which caused a cerebral hemorrhage that then spread throughout his body. With the news of
his death, Americans gathered around the White House, filled with silence and grief.
Roosevelt had prepared a fireside chat for the following day, which the First Lady later
shared with the nation. The last words written by Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the
nation, that he brought such a long way, were, To you, and all Americans who dedicate
themselves with us to the making of an abiding peace, I say: the only limit to our
realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and
active faith (Freedman 1990, p. 492).
When you think about all the amazing accomplishments of one man, it is easy to understand
why Franklin Delano Roosevelt will always be among the most remembered United States
Presidents. He not only faced the truth himself, but made the rest of the country face it
as well. Roosevelt had the incredible ability to look truth in the face and deal with it
as best as he could. He left behind him a country that had greatly changed from what it
was in 1932 (Johnson 1967, p. 384). Besides that, Roosevelt left Americans a story about
history that will always interest them. It is more than a tale that is just told for fun;
it is one of our legends (Johnson 1967, p. 385).
President Roosevelt lived quite a life. Besides being a wonderful father to his children,
a loving husband to his wife, and fighting an endless battle with polio, FDR lead a
nation through many difficult obstacles and to tremendous heights with more strength and
confidence, and that in itself made him a great man. But what made Roosevelt even more of
a man was his ability to not only help others, but make the American nation believe in
themselves as individuals. For he once told his nation, True individual freedom cannot
exist without security and independence (Freedman 1990, p. 494). That quality was his
real claim for being known as the man that he was.
Bibliography
Abbott, P. (1990). The Exemplary President and the American Political Trust, University
of Mass. Press, Boston.
Burns, J. (1970). Roosevelt, the Soldier of Freedom, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., New
York City.
Freedman, R. (1990). Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Clarion Books, New York City.
Johnson, G. (1967). Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Portrait of a Great Man, William Morrow
and Co., Englewood Cliffs.
Schuman, M. (1996). Franklin D. Roosevelt: The Fourth Term President, Enslow Publishers,
Inc., Springfield.
Sullivan, W. (1970). Franklin Delano Roosevelt, American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc.,
New York City.