Over the course of American History thus far, we have stopped to consider the significance of certain presidents such as Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Polk, Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt. Each of these men has a certain claim to being remembered for the positive impact that each has had on American History, either immediately at the time of their service, or later as the results of their efforts and policies have ripened and brought forth fruit. None of them, however, has had the public appeal and lasting influence of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a man who certainly felt a call to destiny, and a man who, despite his paralysis from polio, inspired others to rise to the multiple challenges facing the country (Great Depression, Fear of Fear Itself, Lingering Recession, Pearl Harbor, the War in Europe, the War in the Pacific, etc.) over the twelve-plus years in which he presided in the White House. As far-reaching as his cousin's, Teddy Roosevelt's, presidency was, it is indisputable that the shadow of influence that is cast by FDR still hangs over presidents today.Consider each of FDR's separate terms in office (1933-37; 1937-41; 1941-45; 1945) and sumamrize the major accomplishments (social, political, economic, etc.) and major failures (social, political, economic, etc.) in each. Then, determine to what extent it can be said that FDR was or was not the greatest of American presidents up to his time. This will require you to re-evaluate some of our past presidents so that you can convincingly argue for or against one of them in favor or not of FDR.
Your response will necessarily need to be at least seven (7) paragraphs in length (Introduction, First Term, Second Term, Third Term, Fourth Term, Evaluation, Conclusion) and will need to incorporate comparisons to previous administrations and their claims to greatness.
DUE DATE: Monday, April 8, 2013
Minimum Word Count: 1,000 words
92 comments:
Beckett Lee
Periods 3 & 4
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, FDR, creator of the New Deal, President of the United States, Commander in Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, longest serving President of all time; all of these names and titles refer to America’s 32nd president, Franklin Roosevelt. The question is, was he the greatest president in all of American history? Franklin Roosevelt was America’s Commander in Chief from 1933 to 1945 when his unfortunate death ended his presidency. This period in history was one of America’s most trying times. Contained within these few years were the nadir of the Great Depression, the rise of the fascist powers in Europe, the fight against American isolationism, and the Second World War. Many presidents and world leaders confronted with such overwhelming odds would fold and be forgotten in the pages of history, but FDR fought all of these threats and overcame them all. FDR was the greatest president in American history because of his ability to defeat the Great Depression, crush the menace of Fascism, and leave a legacy which would influence every American president after him.
FDR met his first major enemy in his first term from 1933-1937. The Great Depression had been engulfing the nation for years. Unemployment was increasing at ridiculous rates, poverty plagued many families across the nation, and businesses were suffering. Unlike the Laissez-Faire presidents before him, FDR took control of the situation by establishing federal agencies to control the floundering economy. He created what he called the “New Deal” to reacquire economic stability. As part of his New Deal, FDR passed the Emergency Banking Act, the Glass-Steagall Act (which created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation), and created the Federal Emergency Relief Administration to help manage the recovery. He also established the Civilian Conservation Corps to help employ young men and develop rural areas of the country. These programs were accompanied by many more which also helped tame the national economy and bring it under control. Just as his cousin had tamed the trusts, FDR had used the government to tame business and stop the wild economic tailspin that was plaguing America.
FDR’s second term was also domestically powerful, though it was accompanied by the growing menace of the war overseas. Foreign policy became a large issue during these years when war in Europe and in Asia loomed ominously over FDR’s head. The major New Deal policies passed during this era are as follows: the Housing Act of 1937, the second Agricultural Adjustment Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Acts. Unfortunately for FDR, he lost some momentum within the government because of his attempts to “pack” the Supreme Court with six new justices and the Democratic loss of six senate seats and seventy-one house seats in the November 1938 election. Thanks to these defeats, much of FDR’s New Deal legislation was lost in the new Congress or repealed by the Supreme Court on the grounds that it was unconstitutional. At the same time that he was dealing with battles at home, FDR was looking for ways to support the Allied plight in Europe and Asia. The Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937 and FDR made every attempt to assist the battered Chinese. With public support leaning towards China but far away from any military involvement, FDR was forced to find indirect means of assisting China. As the fascist powers grew in Europe, the American public again vehemently opposed any attempts to support either side. In the early years of fascist growth, more Americans actually supported going to war on the side of Germany and Italy than with England and France. As fascist power grew to dangerous and aggressive levels, FDR was able to make America the “Arsenal of Democracy” and passed the Cash and Carry policy and the Lend-Lease policy. These kept America out of the war while allowing the Allies to acquire badly needed supplies to hold off the Axis powers. As FDR’s second term came to a close, so did the fragile peace that the world had so desperately clung to since WWI.
The world burst into the flames of war in FDR’s third term, and as the captain of one of the world’s strongest nations, FDR had no choice but to jump headlong into the middle of it. World War II, as wars tend to do, ended almost every remnant of the Great Depression because of increased trade (in war supplies), new sources of income (war payments/debts), and new sources of employment (soldiering). By the time FDR had been elected for his unprecedented 3rd term, Italy had conquered Ethiopia and Germany had taken Austria, Czechoslovakia, and France. FDR’s 3rd term was devoted almost entirely to foreign policy and WWII. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, American isolationism ended and FDR called Congress to declare war on the Axis powers, which it did. America was now well and truly at war. With Germany putting the finishing touches on Fortress Europa, the British backed up against the wall, the Russians desperately trying to hold their last cities, and Japan sweeping through the Pacific, the momentum was clearly in favor of the Axis. However, America’s industry, population, and geographic isolation gave it a huge advantage over the other nations. FDR’s previous increases in wartime production proved very valuable and allowed America to transition from a peacetime economy to a wartime economy much faster than would have been possible. As America swept through the Pacific and smashed across Europe, its never-ending industrial and agricultural production at home gave it the power it needed to win on both fronts. As one German tank officer put it, “Our Tiger Tank was the superior tank, it could destroy seven American Sherman Tanks alone, but there was always that eighth Sherman…” This statement completely summarizes how America won WWII and how FDR’s foresight into wartime manufacturing may well have saved democracy.
FDR’s fourth term was his shortest; he died three months into it. At this point in his life, FDR was aging rapidly and his health was failing. The years of paralysis and strain had finally taken their toll and he was so weak that he had to give his 4th inaugural speech from the White House lawn. He had just returned from the Yalta Conference where he had met with Stalin and Churchill to decide what the fate of the world would be. After briefing Congress on the events of the Yalta Conference, Roosevelt went to Georgia to rest. While having his portrait painted, he suffered from a stroke and died soon after. His Vice President, Harry Truman would lead the country. Roosevelt’s impact was extraordinary and his death solidified his beloved image in the hearts of the people.
FDR is definitely a significant figure in the history of the presidency. Amongst even the other presidents, he stands out. He is clearly more influential than the majority of the presidents in American history just because of his sheer number of accomplishments, but how does he compare to some of the greatest presidents? How does FDR compare to Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Polk, Lincoln, and his cousin Theodore? Polk was famous for his annexation of western lands, but FDR had global influence and he had domestic significance. So FDR is more significant than Polk. Theodore Roosevelt definitely had a significant domestic impact, but FDR had to fight one of the greatest wars in human history. So FDR is more significant than Theodore Roosevelt. Andrew Jackson established several precedents that even modern presidents use, but he never had to fight a global war AND a global depression like FDR did. So FDR is more influential than Jackson. Thus it comes down to the top four: FDR, Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln. Jefferson struggled in the area of foreign policy and he lost favor with the American people as President. His embargo and his management of foreign relations encourage the belief that FDR was greater. So FDR is more significant than Jefferson. This is where FDR stops. While FDR was able to assist the economy with his New Deal, WWII saved it. FDR also did not have to deal with a significant amount of internal unrest. Both Lincoln and Washington had to deal with external AND internal threats. FDR used internment camps to segregate people from enemy nations, Lincoln freed the slaves and reunited the nation. As the first president, Washington set almost all of the precedents that have been used since. As a matter of fact, FDR himself broke Washington’s two term precedent and the 22nd Amendment showed the people’s support for Washington’s way over FDR’s way. Therefore, Washington was the greatest president, Lincoln the second greatest, and FDR the third greatest.
While FDR might not be the greatest president of all time, he was certainly one of the most influential. By using the Federal Government as the means with which to control the American economy, he set the precedents that are used by all presidents who use “government assistance” or “bailouts.” By regulating business with government agencies, he created systems that the government still uses. FDR’s FERA became today’s FEMA. His global influence is even more significant. By giving American support to the Allies, he prevented every possible reality that could have resulted from an Axis victory or a draw. He literally created the modern world as we know it. This also created the worldwide Americanization that has resulted in people all over the world wearing Nordstrom’s clothing and drinking Coca-Cola. This would never have been possible if it weren’t for the global American influence acquired during World War II. In this way, FDR changed the world and gave the world a New Deal and a new, brighter future.
Beckett, I don't think you really hold Washington and Lincoln to the same standards of dismissal that you did the others in the face of FDR. Washington never had to fight a global war, so why would he not be dismissed just on that front alone? Lincoln was waging a civil war and western exapnsion across the continent, very significant, but FDR was waging a two-ocean, multi-continent world war while supplying much of the world with needed food in the midst of it. How can Lincoln hold a candle to FDR just on that topic? Your logic is sound until you get to Washington and Lincoln, then it all just kind of goes to pot.
Well sir, I can explain why they would be more significant rather easily. Consider what each president started with. Washington literally started with nothing. The only precedents that existed for establishing a new republic were from ancient civilizations that ultimately failed. He had some English examples to draw upon, but ultimately he had to come up with most of the precedents himself. You are correct in the fact that Washington never had to fight a global war. However, global war did not truly exist at the time. Transporation and communication technology at the time were by no means capable of supporting a global war. When one considers this, it is accurate to say that the Revolutionary War, which Washington did fight, would be the closest analogy possible. Also considering the fact that Washington had practically no resources to work with, while FDR was handed one of the world's strongest nations, it becomes clear that Washington was the superior American leader.
In regards to Lincoln, a similar trend holds true. FDR was given a powerful nation which had a strong, established Federal Government that had already been developed by Theodore Roosevelt AND Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was given a nation that had just split in half. He was at war almost as soon as he had sworn in. He was at a severe disadvantage as soon as he started. Almost instantaneously he lost half of his government, half of his land, millions of people, and much agricultural strength. Contrary to FDR's foreign war, which never touched the continental United States in any noticeable way, Lincoln's capital city was just a few miles from the battlefield. If Lee's Gettysburg campaign had been a success, the Confederates would have been NORTH of the capital city. This would be analogous to the Germans invading America, capturing half of the country, and setting up artillery emplacements right outside Washington D.C. all at once. The chances of FDR being able to recover from that blow are almost nonexistent. On top of this, Lincoln was able to expand west and free the slaves. This would be analogous to FDR then defeating the German invaders while expanding North to take Canada and the North Pole and freeing all the Jews from the Holocaust. The United States didn't even have all of the states that FDR had before secession. Lincoln took command of a relatively new nation and used its nascent, primarily agrarian economy to reunite the country. FDR inherited a global power and used its well-developed industry to pump out enough tanks and planes to drown the Axis powers, who had no way to reciprocate the attacks thanks to the oceans that FDR inherited. You are correct in saying the two are almost incomperable. When viewed in this light it becomes clear that while FDR was great, Lincoln was just that much better.
Olivia Brophy
Periods 3&4
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was one of the most tested presidents that the United States has ever seen. During his presidency, he was forced to confront major back to back crises, including the Great Depression and World War II, with methods that had never been tried before in this country. As any great leader learns, you cannot always be successful or the most popular and FDR encountered this many times during his four terms as President of the United States. Yet Franklin Delano Roosevelt has had a lasting influence on the country. This raises the question – was Franklin Delano Roosevelt the greatest President to take office up to his time?
The first term of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidency was most notable for dealing with the many effects of the Great Depression. In order to try and rebuild the economy, Roosevelt first focused on the banks and banking system of the United States. The Emergency Banking Relief Act of 1933 gave FDR the ability to exercise control over all banking endeavors in addition to oversee the reopening of banks. The Glass Steagall Banking Reform Act forbid banks to invest the money entrusted to them by their patrons in the stock market and created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which insured the money that people put into certain banks. Both of these actions helped to coax people out of their fear of investing money in banks, and also led to fewer bank failures. By 1945, there wasn’t a single bank failure, compared to four thousand and four bank failures in 1933. Roosevelt reached out to the public to reassure them of their ability to safely put their money back into the banks by utilizing the hugely popular radio to spread his message on their terms, not his, in his “fireside chats”. FDR’s soothing personality played a major part in convincing a traumatized American public to deposit their money in banking institutions once again, which resulted in the opening of more banks, and an economy on its way to substantial repair. FDR also took on the task of creating jobs in his firm term, which had both social and economic benefits. The Hundred Days Congress under Roosevelt created many government programs which were designed to tackle the immense issue of unemployment in the United States following the Great Depression. The Civilian Conservation Corps curbed the appetite of unemployed young men to earn money through criminal pursuits by giving them useful jobs such as firefighting or flood control. Steering these workers away from crime could possibly have played an important part in establishing a strong economic base, as opposed to the economy of the 1920s, which was heavily stimulated by various types of crime. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration gave temporary relief to American by providing jobs, which would then stimulate the economy through moderately increased consumerism. The Home Owners’ Loan Corporation allowed homeowners to meet their mortgage payments, which in turn gave money to banks. The Works Progress Administration provided jobs to needy students, which gave them the opportunity to gain work experience and would be beneficial to both them and the country as a whole once they entered the workplace. The Tennessee Valley Authority was one of the most far reaching departments created by the Hundred Days Congress because it provided jobs for the unemployed, allowed for major beneficial changes to take place in the area it was carried out and gave the government some control over the vital electric industry. However, not every promise made by FDR was fulfilled in his first term. Balancing the budget was not achieved due to the massive increase of the nation’s debt because of government spending to try and counteract the Great Depression. Additionally, the Great Depression was not cured by FDR’s New Deal, although large scale relief did occur. A major foreign affairs faux pas of Roosevelt’s during his first term was his withdrawal of support for the London Economic Conference. This action unintentionally allowed for the rise of dictators who were fueled by extreme nationalism.
The second term of FDR’s presidency was mostly categorized by lapses in judgment and inconsistencies in foreign policy. Roosevelt’s Court Packing scheme made the President look as though he was trying to disturb the “checks and balances” systems as set up by the Founding Fathers. This in turn made Roosevelt take on a villainous façade as compared to the previously soothing nature that he portrayed in his “fireside chats”. This image of the president caused his New Deal legislation to flounder due to public indignation, but also negatively affected the 1938 election for Democratic members of Congress. Other major mistakes of FDR’s in his second term mostly had to do with inconsistencies in foreign affairs. The Neutrality Acts passed in response to the growing threat of war in Europe paired with the previous disregard for the London Economic Conference to fuel the rise of dictators around the world, and also denied democratic allies aid in defeating their enemies. The Lend Lease Bill served as more fuel, specifically for Hitler’s rise to power in Germany; he interpreted the bill to be an informal declaration of war and used its passage to justify the German sinking of American ships. In its relations with Japan the United States proved inconsistent as well. The U.S. had placed an embargo on military goods necessary for Japan, yet was blindsided by the attack on Pearl Harbor, which was essentially a direct result of these embargos. How could the government pass a bill that by extension restricted an emerging power’s ability to grow, yet not see the detrimental aspects of such an action? Despite the failures of FDR’s second term as president, he did achieve success in some of his domestic actions. The Housing Act of 1937 built upon the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) of 1934 and provided funding to build low income housing for 650,000 people. This Act helped the FHA to extend its life long past the end of FDR’s 12 years as president. The Second AAA, the Agricultural Adjustment Administration of 1938, replaced the original, unconstitutional AAA as a more comprehensive and substantial legislation. This administration allowed for the betterment of the situation of the countless farmers of the United States, and by extension allowed the U.S. itself to work towards stability through the economic stimulation of farmers who could now make payments and purchases. The Fair Labor Standards Act established a minimum wage and eradicated child labor, among other things, for industries associated with interstate trading. By setting up a minimum wage, the government could count on economic stimulation from workers who now had enough money to buy things, rather than workers overcome with debt. The elimination of child labor in this field allowed for these children to get an education, and then enter the workforce better prepared for higher earning jobs, which would allow for increased economic stimulation.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s unprecedented third term was most memorable for its involvement in World War II, which fundamentally contrasted that of President Wilson in World War I. Manufacturing overall, but specifically the institution of the War Production Board in the United States prior to its entry into the war proved to be a huge success for the third Roosevelt administration. By allowing this board to oversee all of the industrial production in the United States, a more streamlined, efficient manufacturing system was able to come about. The War Production Board eliminated the production of unnecessary items and instead flooded factories with huge military orders, and thus played a pivotal role in the war effort. President Roosevelt saw the importance of the United States’ manufacturing potential during wartime. “We must out-produce them overwhelmingly, so that there can be no question of our ability to provide a crushing superiority of equipment in any theatre of the war.” This ability to out-produce any other nation really was the key position of the United States in winning World War II. The War Production Board was also key in shaking the nation of the remnants of the Great Depression. This is because it provided thousands of jobs in a fairly steady industry with a paycheck higher than that of other industries. Although there were fewer domestic goods to buy, other purchases, such as war bonds, provided the government with a way to raise money for the war. Since many war bond purchasers worked in the defense industry, the money travelled in a circle that eventually allowed for more economic stimulation in the form of post-war consumerism. The Fair Employment Practices Commission, which worked to ensure the right of African Americans to work in the federally supported defense industry, and by extension helped propel the nation towards the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Militarily, a fantastic success was achieved in the form of the “leapfrogging” or “island-hopping” campaign in the Pacific during FDR’s third term as president. By gaining ground for bases on numerous islands without heavy fortifications, the U.S. and its allies in the Pacific theater were able to starve out heavily guarded, key Japanese held islands in order to gain access to the Japanese capital of Tokyo. By establishing bases on various islands throughout the gargantuan Pacific Ocean direct attacks on Japan were made possible and enabled the Allies to gain the upper hand in the Pacific, and eventually to win the war.
Roosevelt’s success in leading the United States in the still raging World War II allowed him to be reelected for a fourth time in 1945. The major accomplishments of this administration were the victory at Battle of the Bulge and the Yalta Conference. Although much of its fighting had taken place during the end of FDR’s third term, the crucial Allied victory at the Battle of the Bulge occurred five days after FDR’s fourth inauguration. This victory was important, despite claims to the contrary, because the offensive fronts of the Americans and the Russians crushed any chance the Germans had of progressing in the war by eliminating German military assets, both supplies and soldiers, which would never be able to be replaced. The demoralizing of the Germans subsequently provided necessary morale for Allied forces, especially American and Russian, to finish out the war in the European theater. The Yalta Conference was also a major accomplishment of FDR’s prior to his death in April 1945, three months into his fourth term. Although claims have been made that the Yalta Conference did not achieve all that it could have, the fact is that Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill were not trying to develop an all-encompassing peace plan. The conference’s real purpose was to develop a generalized plan for the future of the world. By doing this, the world would be able to prevent another fiasco such as the one regarding the League of Nations after World War I. The death of President Roosevelt soon after delivering the outcome of the Yalta Conference to Congress left an unprepared but determined Vice President Truman to fill the shoes of the political giant Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
FDR was undeniably one of the most memorable presidents ever to lead this nation. For many reasons, Roosevelt stands out even among his fellow presidents. However, where is his standing compared to six other extremely of the most significant presidents, Polk, Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt, Jefferson, Lincoln and Washington? Polk’s legacy is based almost entirely on expansionism as a result of conflict whose significance dissipates in comparison to the disastrous war that Roosevelt and his allies were confronted with. Although the United States didn’t expand physically under Roosevelt, it permanently expanded its influence socially, economically, politically and in so many other ways. Thus, FDR is certainly a more memorable president than James Polk. Andrew Jackson left behind him a legacy of great democracy in the United States accompanied by bank failures, not to mention a raging temper that earned him many enemies. FDR left behind him a plan to spread American democracy all over the world, and had already developed programs that worked to counteract the long history of bank failures as a result of Jackson’s actions during his presidency. Roosevelt utilized his soothing nature to get the nation on his side, not turn them against him. FDR is clearly more significant than Jackson. Teddy Roosevelt’s impact on the nation from a domestic standpoint cannot be denied and his Square Deal was the basis for FDR’s New Deal. However, FDR expanded upon the Square Deal extraordinarily, fought a worldwide war victoriously with his allies, and, on the whole, left a positive impact on the world through foreign relations. In contrast, Teddy Roosevelt was not sensitive in his dealings with foreign countries, as evidenced by the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, U.S. support for the Panamanian revolt against Columbia and the Gentlemen’s Agreement with Japan. So, FDR’s legacy is, overall, greater than Teddy Roosevelt’s. The legacy of President Jefferson is not comprised of his actions during his time in the White House, but instead encompasses his work before that time, most notably helping the create a country where “…all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator to certain unalienable rights…”. By comparison, FDR is known for what he did during his twelve years as President, and is especially notable for his work to apply Jefferson’s concept throughout the world, in addition to the United States. This shows that the legacy of President Roosevelt is more significant than the legacy of President Jefferson. Abraham Lincoln left behind a legacy that served and still serves as a basis for human rights in the United States. He dealt with a disastrous war that devastated the South, yet his legacy influenced how the nation handled reconciliation with this rebellious sector. During his twelve years as President, FDR worked to address human interest issues such as unemployment and child labor. He and his allies were confronted with a war that destroyed much of the world, but his legacy served to remind his successors of how to and how NOT to work towards a more united world. So, Abraham Lincoln and FDR are truly equals
(continued from last paragraph)
George Washington used the experiences of others throughout human history to help form a government that would be effective in achieving its purpose. The Cincinnatus of the early modern age, Washington derived power from the people to set the United States, with its huge potential, on its way towards becoming a great nation. Similarly, FDR took into account historical evidence in order to rebuild the United States, which was in shambles socially, economically and politically following the 1920s and the Great Depression. FDR was able to garner popular support for his goals in various ways, most notably through his “fireside chats”. Through such support, Roosevelt was able to work towards rebuilding the United States following the Great Depression, through social, economic and industrial programs, all of which helped to make the United States a world power during the post World-War II period. This shows that Washington and FDR are fundamentally equals. Further support for the assertion that FDR is on equal footing with both Lincoln and Washington is that wars are relevant to their time, and in the same way that the Civil War could not have happened during the Revolutionary War, World War II could not have taken place during the Civil War period. Social and economic concerns are of the same caliber; emancipation would not have been possible in 1790 just as the Great Depression could not have occurred in 1863.
The President of the United States is given the ability to influence the nation as well as the world. Some have been more successful than others, but all are required to examine the occurrences of the past and take into consideration the effects that actions taken under their administration might have on future generations. Three presidents in particular, FDR, Washington and Lincoln, were able to meet the extraordinary challenges they faced during their presidencies with effectiveness. While the challenges faced by each of these men were different, in the grand historical scheme of things, they are of equal magnitude for the era in which they occurred. FDR, Washington and Lincoln were equal in their influence, leadership abilities and their vision for the nation “…of the people, by the people and for the people…” Thus, due to the above evidence and analysis, I assert that FDR, Washington and Lincoln were equal in their magnitude of influence and significance and are the greatest president of their respective eras.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt who was the longest serving president ever, had created the New Deal, which was loosely based off of his cousins, Teddy Roosevelt, plan the Square Deal. Franklin Roosevelt was America’s President from 1933 to 1945, a whole three terms and was elected for his forth one when his unfortunate death ended his presidency. This period in history was very difficult for America and it showed. Within these years was the Great Depression, the fascist powers in Europe, and the Second World War. FDR was one of the greatest president in American history because of his promise and eventually make true to end the Great Depression, defeat the hazard of Fascism, and leave a path which would manipulate every American President after him to try and be like he was, but like any human being FDR was not without faults.
FDR met his first major problem in his first term which started in 1933 and ended in 1937. The Great Depression had been taking over the nation for years. Unemployment was increasing at preposterous rates, poverty overwhelmed many families across the nation, and businesses were decaying. Unlike the Laissez-Faire presidents before him, FDR took control of the situation by establishing federal agencies to control the floundering economy. He created what he called the “New Deal” to reacquire economic stability. As part of his New Deal, FDR passed the Emergency Banking Act, and created the Federal Emergency Relief Administration to help manage the recovery. He also established the Civilian Conservation Corps to help employ young men and develop rural areas of the country. These programs were accompanied by many more which also helped tame the national economy and bring it under control. Just as his cousin had tamed the trusts, FDR had used the government to tame business and stop the wild economy that was plaguing America.
In contrast to FDR’s first term little major legislation was passed during the second term. The Supreme Court became Roosevelt's primary focus during his second term, after the court overturned many of his programs. Roosevelt stunned Congress in early 1937 by proposing a law allowing him to appoint up to six new justices, what he referred to as a "persistent infusion of new blood." Roosevelt had massive support from the rapidly growing labor unions, but now they split into bitterly feuding AFL and CIO factions, the latter led by John L. Lewis. Roosevelt pronounced a "plague on both your houses," but labor's disunity weakened the party in the elections from 1938 through 1946. Determined to overcome the opposition of conservative Democrats in Congress (mostly from the South), Roosevelt involved himself in the 1938 Democratic primaries, actively campaigning for challengers who were more supportive of New Deal reform. His targets denounced Roosevelt for trying to take over the Democratic Party and to win reelection, used the argument that they were independent. Roosevelt failed badly, managing to defeat only one target, a conservative Democrat from New York City. Also during his second term is when Hitler started rising to power in Germany
Roosevelt's third term was dominated by World War II. Roosevelt slowly began re-armament in 1938, although he was facing strong isolationist sentiment from leaders like Senators William Borah and Robert Taft. By 1940, re-armament was in high gear, with bipartisan support, partly to expand and re-equip the Army and Navy and partly to become the "Arsenal of Democracy" supporting Britain, France, China and (after June 1941), the Soviet Union. As Roosevelt took a firmer stance against the Axis Powers, American isolationists vehemently attacked the President as an irresponsible warmonger. Roosevelt initiated FBI and Internal Revenue Service investigations of his loudest critics, though no legal actions resulted. On December 29, 1940, he delivered his Arsenal of Democracy fireside chat, in which he made the case for involvement in the war directly to the American people. A week later he delivered his famous Four Freedoms speech laying out the case for an American defense of basic rights throughout the world. The home front was subject to dynamic social changes throughout the war, though domestic issues were no longer Roosevelt's most urgent policy concern. The military buildup spurred economic growth. By 1941, unemployment had fallen to under 1 million. When Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, Roosevelt agreed to extend Lend-Lease to the Soviets. Thus, Roosevelt had committed the U.S. to the Allied side with a policy of "all aid short of war." Later that year a German submarine fired on the U.S. destroyer Greer and Roosevelt declared that the U.S. Navy would assume an escort role for Allied convoys in the Atlantic as far east as Great Britain and would fire upon German ships or submarines (U-boats) of the Krieg marine if they entered the U.S. Navy zone. Roosevelt and Churchill conducted a highly secret bilateral meeting in Argentia, Newfoundland, and on August 14, 1941, concluded their Atlantic Charter, conceptually outlining global goals following the war; this was the first of several wartime conferences. In 1942, war production increased dramatically, but fell short of the goals established by the President, due in part to manpower shortages. In 1944 the President requested that Congress enact legislation which would tax all unreasonable profits, both corporate and individual, and thereby support his declared need for over ten billion in revenue for the war and other government measures. Roosevelt, who turned 62 in 1944, had been in declining health since at least 1940. FDR died on April 12, 1945 after complaining about a pain in the back of his head. As Allen Drury later said, “so ended an era, and so began another.”
FDR is unquestionably a noteworthy figure from the past of the presidencies. Among even the other presidents, he sticks out like a sore thumb. He is unmistakably more persuasive than the majority of the presidents just because of his total number of undertakings, but how does he compare to some of the greatest presidents? If one were to answer this question honestly there is really no way to compare FDR to any other President due to the fact that they never really had to deal with something this big. Washington did not have much to deal with during his Presidency other than the people. When Hamilton was President his main focus was the creation of the banks, which is where there is something one could compare between him and FDR, but Hamilton was not in the middle of a crisis when he did his action. Lincoln was in the middle of a war that was American against American while he was trying to expand west, but in contrast to FDR’s worldwide war, it doesn’t seem to hold much to it. When someone looks at it from this view maybe Franklin Delano Roosevelt was not one of the greatest Presidents, but that he IS the greatest President.
Hot on the trail of great and significant presidents, Franklin D. Roosevelt steps in line first in 1933, then in 1937, then again in 1945, and finally, in the beginning of his fourth term in 1945. FDR was the president that was badly needed at the time he began office, and he proved that he was the president needed. He got the nation through two major crises, the Great Depression and WWII. Some suspected him of becoming a dictator, and other practically praised him because of what he did just within his first 100 days, which later laid expectations on future presidents to do something in their first 100 days of office. First, we see his great accomplishments and failures in his first term; Second, we see his accomplishments in his second term; and third, we see his accomplishments in his third and the beginning of his fourth and final term.
In FDRs’ first term, the very first woman to hold responsibility in any cabinet is appointed in 1933. This is significant because it shows that women are no longer the inferior sex of the world, but they are rising to the same responsibilities as the men of the world. With FDRs’ “New Deal” enacted in his first hundred days, more than 1,000 banks were able to reopen because of this act and almost raise the nations’ financial confidence over night. This act also worked on other things, such as the railroads, forest, and the living situations of many of the American citizens. Although this seems to be a great thing, it did have some discrimination, as it was believed that it gave too much power to the government. The Government could now control large industry companies and many other things. It was believed that this act would lead to a dictatorship, which we will see again in FDR’s third presidential campaign. In the next year in 1934, FDR establishes the Home Owners Loan Act which was to promote home production programs, which would give more homes to people and get money back into circulation.
In the election of FDR’s second term, the Republican Party threw Governor Alfred Landon in an effort to beat FDR. During the election, the American crowd absolutely loved Roosevelt and gave him all their support. In effect to this, Governor Landon lost without even a chance. During FDR’s second term, there is one thing that has brought up some conversations about whether or not FDR was the great president he was thought out to be. This one thing was that FDR decided to close off trades with the warring countries. Some say this was not the best idea because had we stayed trading with those countries, the banks would have gotten back on their feet and America’s factories would have been working again. Others say that it was a good thing that we pulled out when we did, since we might have been sucked into the war sooner than we actually were.
For the election of 1940, FDR’s opponents hated him for running for a third term. Many people believed that Roosevelt’s intentions were that he wanted to become a dictator. This made this election the hardest for FDR. Roosevelt’s opponent, Wendell Willkie, had many political buttons that were directed mainly toward attacking Roosevelt’s decision on running for a third term. Even though we see brutal campaigning between Willkie and Roosevelt, after FDR wins the election Willkie befriends Roosevelt and Roosevelt’s wife Eleanor. Willkie goes on to travel on behalf of the president and supported and helped Eleanor with the Humans Rights campaign. For the next election Willkie ran again but died a month before Roosevelt won the election again. In FDR’s third and pretty much his final term, we see that right off the bat, he signs the Lend-Lease Act. This act is pretty important, because it allows for the U.S.A to support any country that is needed for the U.S. that is in war.
In FDR’s final term of only one year, he met with the leaders of the Britain and Russia to plan the final attack on Germany. Known as the Big Three, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin all met with each other in various locations and they decide on what to do with the country after the war. Roosevelt and Churchill had not known the intentions of Stalin after the Great War was over. Soon after they decide to meet again and form the International Peace Organization. Roosevelt had later died and Harry Truman had taken over and joined in on the Big Three, carrying on the intentions of Roosevelt
Throughout Roosevelt’s four terms he had two great crises that he had to overcome. One was the Great Depression that rippled through the U.S. and left behind poverty and inflation. The second was WWII and how he had to deal with both of these crises back to back. Although these two major factors were precedent during his presidential terms, he had also had to deal with polio, being diagnosed with it in 1920. Unable to let the citizens of the United States think that he was unfit, and unable to run for office, he had to create the illusion that he was a strong man and that he had what it takes to be a president and run the country. It is for these reasons that I think FDR was one of the only presidents that has cast a shadow on those that follow and that his shadow lengthens even further into the future. He did was what needed at the time to pull the nation back out of its financial crisis and war crisis that soon after followed and even more.
This leads me to believe that Roosevelt had one of the worst conditions to work with along with Abraham Lincoln. Roosevelt did what was needed, even though some people disagreed with a passion. He did what others could not to, and he won by landslides in his elections which proves that the people absolutely loved him and what he did for them.
From George Washington to Andrew Jackson to Abraham Lincoln to Theodore Roosevelt, the continuously growing American nation never did undergo developments as momentous as those during the years of 1933 to 1945 under the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. From the devastating chaos of the Great Depression during his first term to the global conflict of the second world war during his last terms, Franklin Delano Roosevelt exercised extraordinary capability in responding to the problems and events of his time, in spite of the errors that accompanied successes along the way. First, FDR’s insistence to “do something, if it doesn’t work do something else… but above all, try something” helped the nation to recoup after the terrible economic crisis of 1929; second, the impending doom of the second world war helped FDR to recognize how important America’s role would be in the cause for democracy; third, challenges during wartime led FDR to break down long-standing social barriers in order to sustain the country; fourth, FDR’s significant part in the final plans for the fate of the post-World War II world shaped the future of the nations into what it is today. Therefore, because of the way FDR responded to and handled the social, economic, and political trials present throughout the entirety of his presidency, to a large extent, FDR was the greatest of American presidents up to his time.
FDR’s first term was centered on addressing the problems wrought by the severe economic crisis that succeeded the crash of 1929. The Great Depression had taken a huge toll on American families and livelihoods across the United States: industries were shut down, unemployment skyrocketed, and poverty ravaged the land. The financial institution of the country was especially hard hit, and FDR, moving along with his “New Deal” program of relief, recovery, and reform, responded to the failing economy by attempting to mend the economic system of its inefficiencies. In order to approach this goal of economic soundness, FDR began by declaring a nationwide banking holiday in 1933 that closed all banks from March 6 to March 10 in order for them to be reopened on a more stable basis. Also addressing banks, the Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act put an end to the bank failures that had been occurring ever since the days of Andrew Jackson by offering better protection to investors by insuring individual deposits up to $5,000. In addition, FDR replaced the gold standard with paper currency, and succeeded in increasing the amount of dollars in circulation by instructing the Treasury to purchase gold at escalating prices. But that wasn’t all he did to jumpstart the economy. Employment still remained at extremely high levels, so in order to counter this unhealthy phase, FDR created New Deal agencies such
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as the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Civil Works Administration to provide jobs to unemployed. The most popular of all the New Deal agencies, the CCC prevented many young, male citizens from resorting to crime during this trying period by providing employment in important, beneficial activities such as reforestation, flood control, swamp-drainage, and firefighting. With this corporation, both human and natural resources were conserved, as recruits of the CCC were required to send most of their pay home to their parents to help them. Not only did the American public need jobs in these hard times, but they also needed better homes, something the Federal Housing Administration provided for in 1934 that sped recovery by laying down new policies for housing construction. More economically beneficial acts and agencies followed, but besides legislating public works projects, soil conservation, and reform bills intended to protect the public against fraud, one of FDR’s main achievements was removing the traditional yet relation-damaging high-protective-tariff policy of the Civil War period through the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act of 1934. This legislation, partially designed to bolster American export trade from depression levels, ended up increasing U.S. foreign trade and bettered our relations with our Western Hemisphere neighbor Latin America. FDR also achieved break-through social advancements during this first term when he and his wife Eleanor Roosevelt endorsed women assuming a larger part in politics and education, thus stimulating the women’s movement further and gradually easing women more and more into society. Native Americans were also returned some of their rights in the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 that helped stop the loss of Native American lands as well as revived tribes’ interest in their identity and culture. This was significant because throughout early American history the way of life and tribal values of the indigenous peoples had never been held in high light by the white inhabitants of the United States, whose focus for a long time was westward expansion. Even labor gained new footing with the Wagner Act of 1935, through which FDR reasserted their right to engage in self-organization and bargain collectively through representatives of their own choice. Under this act, the U.S. labor movement reached a tremendous milestone in their long struggle when they were granted their own National Labor Relations Board for administration. However, despite all these successes, several New Deal Agencies such as the National Recovery Administration, the United States Housing Authority of 1937, and the Agricultural Adjustment Administration fell tragically short of needs, increasing unemployment and failing to be enforced and executed efficiently. Meanwhile, Dust Bowl, a result of poor dry-farming techniques and mechanization, made matters worse by devastating huge portions of lands as well as heavily tainting the air to the point where the inhabitants had to move out of the region.
FDR’s second term was largely shaped by the emergence of the second world war. With Adolph Hitler on a brutal rampage throughout the European theater, Britain and France had sided against the threat and declared war on Germany. But these two democratic nations, especially after World War I, were far from prepared for another armed conflict, and desperately needed American war crafts and weapons. However, because of the Neutrality Acts of 1935-37, the United States had relinquished its highly valued policy of freedom of the seas in exchange for staying out of the war completely by forbidding any American from legally sailing on a belligerent ship, selling transport munitions to a belligerent, or making loans to a belligerent. This, in itself, was a political failure of FDR’s second term, for America failed to recognize how it could have utilized its immense power to shape international events, and by declining to use its industrial strength to aid its democratic allies, it helped goad the totalitarian foes along their path of conquest. Under the Neutrality Acts, America had no means of supporting France or Britain, but after Hitler’s invasion of Poland, FDR passed a new Neutrality Act in 1939 allowing for European democracies to purchase American war materials on a “cash-and-carry-basis,” meaning they had to transport the munitions in their own ships, that way America could indirectly air the cause while simultaneously avoiding loans, war debts, and the torpedoing of American arms-carriers. The fact is, though, the war bolstered the U.S. economy, supplying an overseas market for war goods and solving the unemployment and surplus crisis that was unable to be cured by the New Deal program. However, in the very next year, the Lend-Lease Bill was passed, pledging American support to the nations fighting aggression (partly so that the war would be kept on their side of the Atlantic). On the other hand, should the case ever arise that the Allied Soviet Union would fall under the strength of Germany, FDR met with Prime Minister Churchill in 1941 at the secret Atlantic Conference to fashion an Eight-Point Atlantic Charter for the formulation of a “new League of Nations,” a big milestone that laid the basis in the shaping of the post-World War II world. Throughout his second term, however, Roosevelt made many
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political and economic blunders, including trying to tweak the organization of the government so as to fill the Supreme Court and Congress with people who would support his legislations. So despite his previous achievements, FDR perhaps became too overcome with how the results of his work sustained the American nation through the Great Depression that he grew overconfident in the prospect of ensuring the success of his future legislations.
On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked the American naval base at Pearly Harbor, brining the United States into World War II. Economically, American entry into World War II dramatically saved the nation from the still-lingering effects of the Great Depression. Now that the U.S. had a direct part in the war effort, FDR moved to break down existing social barriers for the sake of the war cause, especially in the case of women and blacks. Women were admitted into noncombat duties (examples include the WAACs for the army, the WAVES for the navy, and the SPARS for the coastal guard) and millions of women took up jobs outside the home, spurring the creation of government day-care centers for the children of working mothers. This opening of new opportunity for women was an important step in the eventual revolution of women’s roles in society. As for African Americans, in 1941 FDR issued an executive order forbidding discrimination in defense industries. As a result, blacks were granted the right to be drafted into the armed forces, and though they were generally assigned to service branches rather than combat units and were sometimes were subjected to segregation, this act by FDR gave the blacks a new revitalizing energy in their continuing struggle for equality. Native Americans were also presented with privileges never before theirs, and took on a more prominent role in the American nation when they were able to be enlisted in the armed forces as valuable assets. Navajos and Comanches especially proved vital as “code talkers” during the war, transmitting radio messages in their native languages to avoid any understanding by Germans and Japanese listening. Thus, major advances in the closing of racial and social gaps were made by FDR during his third term. World War II turned in favor of America and the Allies with the Battle of Midway from June 3 to June 6, 1942, which stopped further advancement of Japanese forces. Another success with FDR’s third term was the U.S. Navy’s strategy of “leap-frogging” that enabled American troops to bypass the most heavily fortified Japanese posts and therefore neutralize enemy bases more quickly and efficiently through heavy bombing from airfields set up on nearby islands. Later that same year came the turning point of the land-air war against Hitler, where the bombing of German cities was executed by both British and U.S. forces. Some failures during this term includes the racial injustices imposed on Japanese Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbor, following which the fear of sabotage prompted the relocation of loyal, American-born U.S. citizens to concentration camps and deprived the Japanese-Americans of their basic rights. Labor tensions also disrupted the war effort, as dissatisfied striking workers caused occasional but dangerous work stoppages in American industries.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was President of the United Sates from 1932 to 1945. F.D.R is considered by many to be one of the few of presidents who left a lasting major impression on the country. Franklin D. Roosevelt caused several major changes in America; first, He lead the country out of the greatest economic depression it had ever seen; second, he expanded the roles of the federal government; thirdly, he gave hope back to American living in a time where hope had seemed lost. Therefore, for social, political, and economic reasons Franklin Delano Roosevelt is the greatest president this country has ever seen.
Two of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s major political accomplishments during his first term were the First and Second New Deals. F.D.R believed Laissez Faire could not appropriately run industrialism in the U.S, so in these “New Deals” Roosevelt used his executive power to control the free market in order to strengthen the economy. With control over the free market F.D.R was able to create jobs for the millions of unemployed in the country through several work projects.
In the last, short term of FDR, the two major highlights that occurred in 1945 were the Battle of the Bulge in Europe and the Yalta Conference between FDR, Churchill, and Stalin. At the Battle of the Bulge, Hitler launched a surprise attack against thinly held American lines in the Allied line, driving them backwards until reinforcements swooped in, halted Germany’s westward encroachment, and provided a crucial Allied victory that boosted the morale of the Allied forces to win the war. At the Yalta Conference in February 1945, the Big Three of the Allied Powers met to discuss a generalized plan for the end of World War II, and laid the groundworks of a plan for formulating a new international peacekeeping organization (the “United Nations”).
Compared to great presidents like George Washington, Andrew Jackson, and Theodore Roosevelt, FDR still remains quite the impressive character. George Washington, as the first president of the United States, had always insisted on neutrality during European disputes of early American history, as did FDR initially when it came to World War II, but in George Washington’s time, American had practically only begun, and had a lot of developing to do. Partly, George Washington felt that the United States was not ready to involve itself in such affairs, that until the nation could “mature” a little more the country should exercise caution with dealing with any powerful group that would interfere with the country’s critical growth. In FDR’s case, a global war was at hand, something George Washington never had to deal with, and by this time America had achieved quite a few great accomplishments. Still, neutrality for the sake of the American nation came first for both Washington and FDR. Washington’s concern about “unruly aggressors” (mainly speaking of Shays’ Rebellion in 1786) was that such disorder could disrupt the American government, therefore his answer to this problem was a stronger central government for America. With FDR, much more was at stake in a war that engulfed the whole world. While Washington contested aggressors in defense of his economic possessions as well as the government that sustained his high-ranking status, FDR was fighting for not only the security of the United States, but for the life of democracy so that all may have a chance to take hold of it. In Washington’s case, his response to
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internal American tensions was a stronger central government. As for FDR, this was an external conflict that was so much bigger than just America. FDR would realize how important America’s role is in the world and eventually lend aid in the struggle for democracy. With Andrew Jackson, just as Jackson helped advance the position of the lower-class peoples, FDR aided low-status groups like women and blacks gain new ground during wartime, and helped them break into society more than they ever had before. Jackson’s term saw a new extension and exercising of presidential power – when it came to FDR, he extended presidential power even further by not only shattering the two-term tradition set by Washington, but also be using a “blank check” of power to legislate what he wanted to get done. FDR was also able to counter a problem that had been brewing since Jackson’s days with the Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act that ended dangerous bank failures. Lastly, Teddy Roosevelt’s number one desire during his presidency was to advance the U.S.’s status in the world. With FDR, FDR actually utilized America’s influential status in defense of democracy. A significant trait about TR that was one of the reasons that made him a great president was his ability to communicate to public and rile up their support. FDR, whether over radio or in person, was able give hope to the American people in a time of need and soothe their worries (he did this in the presidential campaign that won him his first term when he promised the public that he would “do something,” and again when persuading the people that it was safe to take their money back out and invest it back in the banks). As significant difference between the two, however, was that while TR believed in an aggressive foreign policy that had soured Latin American relations, FDR adopted a “good neighbor” policy that was ultimately more beneficial to the U.S. nation than the policies used by previous presidents.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was faced with enumerable obstacles during his four terms of presidency before his death in 1945. From problems that plagued the entire American country to a dire threat that endangered the world, FDR had more to deal with than any president up to that point, and through it all, he managed to provide leadership that sustained not only the American country but also – and more importantly – its people through the most trying period in American history yet.
I turned in my blog post directly to Edmodo since it would be hard to read the formatting as a blog.
The uncouth financial policies of the roaring 20’s brought about a global depression that ripped through the world’s major economies. In this time of great despair, the people looked to the government to alleviate the horrors of the depression and the Hoover administration blatantly ignored the people’s pleas until it was too late. The ideological loyalty of the Hoover administration to Laissez-faire capitalism doomed Hoover in the 1932 election which he lost to Roosevelt. The four terms Roosevelt will serve will be epochal in U.S history because he will redefine the Democratic Party platform and the office of the Presidency. Each term FDR served was critical in defining his legacy but each had term had its high and low points. Overall FDR’S ascension to greatness can be broken down into the 4 terms he served as President of the United States.
When FDR took office the United States economy was in shambles with about a quarter of the work force unemployed, commodities prices dropped by 60 percent causing great despair for farmers. This prompted FDR to lay out the New Deal, which was an assortment of legislation meant to alleviate the lingering effects of an economic collapse. FDR’S first initiative was too stop hemorrhaging of the banks; he does this by declaring a banking holiday to allow people’s tempers to cool and to buy time to restore faith in banking system. The passage of the Glass-Steagall act was imperative in ensuring that the banks will survive the depression because the law federally insured the people’s money in case their bank fails. This restored confidence in the banks and people moved their money back to banks, thus saving the banking system from collapse. This act also prevented commercial banks from participating in speculative activity and vice versa with investment banks. The recession of 1937-1938 is seen as failure of Roosevelt’s governing because manufacturing output dropped 37 percent and unemployment jumped up 5 percent. The cause the depression has many interpretations but economist Milton Friedman asserts that Federal Reserve’s tightening of the money supply in 1936 and 1937 caused the recession , while Keynesian economist assert that cuts in federal spending caused the recession. Whatever the cause may be, it was under FDR’S watch that the nation slipped backed into recession. The first term defined FDR’S legacy as the man who provided for his people during tough times and navigated the U.S through treacherous economic times.
FDR’s second term was dominated by foreign affairs because the world was poised to have another World War. In 1939 World War 2 was commenced in Europe and FDR supported Britain and France, while officially keeping the United States neutral. Unlike Woodrow Wilson, the last president embroiled in a World War, FDR only secretly supported Britain and France by selling weapons and he also used his charisma to build support for an interventionist foreign policy. During his iconic fireside talks FDR said that America needs to be an “Arsenal of Democracy” and he defied the Neutrality Acts by trading 50 American warships for free base rights in Bermuda and Newfoundland. Roosevelt’s second term had very little domestic legislation passed and the Supreme Court struck down many of his New Deal programs. FDR tried to combat this by trying to pack the Supreme Court with his justices who would be more liberal and sympathetic to Roosevelt’s New Deal programs. This was widely considered Roosevelt’s greatest failure because his party showed virulent opposition. It was also seen as a violation of the sacred checks and balances created by our Founding Fathers. This folly crushed FDR’s credibility in Congress and marked the end of his New Deal. Overall Roosevelt’s second term domestic affairs were underwhelming in comparison to his first term.
Roosevelt’s third term was dominated by the World War 2, a bloody conflict that forced the U.S to fight a two front war while supporting the entire allied force with supplies. A crucial move FDR made in his third term was befriending the Soviet Union after they were invaded by the Nazis by extending the Lend Lease Act to the Soviet Union. This bond will be critical in extinguishing Hitler’s reign of fire and crushing his dreams of dominating Europe. Another critical move made by FDR was the establishment of the Atlantic Charter, which laid out the Allies war goals. These objectives were to restore Europe to its prewar state and ensure that sovereignty is restored to nations under Axis control. On the contrary one of FDR’S failures was the internment of first generation Japanese, German, and Italian immigrants and their children who held U.S citizenships. The goal of internment was to prevent further attacks and sabotage on the U.S and it limited free speech because outspoken supporters of Hitler and Mussolini were also imprisoned for the duration of the war. FDR’s third term defined FDR’s presidential legacy as a wartime leader who ensured that the free world would not be engulfed by the evils of fascism.
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s last term was unfortunately cut short by his untimely death but this term still had many accomplishments in the short window he served. In his last term FDR held a historic meeting with King Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, which was critical in developing a strong a relationship with the oil rich kingdom. This meeting still has significance today in America’s relationship with Saudi Arabia. Also FDR attended the Yalta conference which was the second war time conference where the big three met. The conference was essential because it established that Germany must surrender unconditionally and Germany will demilitarize. It also avoided the fatal flaw of the Treaty of Versailles conference by forcing Germany to only pay war reparations with labor. This conference also ensured that the Soviet Union will join in on the fight in the Pacific within 90 days of the defeat of Germany. This conference was epochal because the Soviet Union will agree to join the U.N which will be critical in Cold War communications. When FDR addressed Congress a couple weeks later about the specifics of the Yalta Conference, people were shocked to see FDR in such poor health and a month later he died from a cerebral hemorrhage while resting for the founding United Nations meeting. This term paled in comparison to FDR’s previous terms because it was cut short by his death but his legacy was well ensconced before his fourth term.
During FDR’s four terms as president he navigated the United States through a global depression and pacified the unemployed masses saving the very idea of capitalism. As president he was faced with the growing threat of the fascist powers in the world and oversaw a global campaign to dethrone these powers. These achievements ensured that FDR would hold a top tier presidential legacy but the administrations of Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt provide tough competition for the accolade of being the greatest presidential legacy. Andrew Jackson was a southern Democrat who dominated the White House during the early 1800’sand he is the father of mass democracy because he broke the Washington aristocracy. Jackson finally allowed for the people’s voices to be heard in government and championed the common man. These achievements are important in American politics but they pale in comparison to intricate issues of global economics and foreign policy FDR faced. While Jackson brought true democracy to America, FDR brought democracy to the entire world and was the protector of it. Teddy Roosevelt, FDR’s cousin, brought about an era of progressive reform in many sectors of economy and also tamed the monstrous trusts. The Roosevelt Corollary helped maintain dominance in Latin America. Teddy Roosevelt also flexed American muscles by sending the new American Naval fleet around the world. FDR achieved similar goals to TR but his were to a higher degree. Franklin Roosevelt implemented an entire social welfare system, which was only a dream for TR and he also made sweeping reforms in the banking industry that prevented its collapse. Also FDR displayed the ultimate showcase of American muscle by crushing the axis powers in World War 2 while providing supplies for its allies. After the United States utterly decimated the axis powers, FDR made plans to rebuild them, thus showcasing the financial power of the U.S. FDR excelled in his presidency where his cousin could not and that is why FDR is a greater president than his cousin. Thomas Jefferson was a founding father and author of the Declaration of Independence, which is a relic in nation’s history. As president Thomas Jefferson oversaw a war in Libya, which ended with a U.S victory and restored safety of U.S merchants. He also oversaw the Louisiana Purchase which nearly doubled the size of the United States but on the other hand Jefferson passed the Embargo act of 1807 which kept the United States neutral during the Napoleonic Wars. This devastated the U.S economy because it forbad trade with Britain and France. Unlike Jefferson’s domestic affairs, FDR’s domestic affairs overall helped the U.S economy and the power that FDR wielded as president is exponentially greater than Jefferson or any the founding fathers could ever imagine, thus putting FDR above Jefferson as the greatest president. The top three presidents Lincoln, Washington and Franklin Roosevelt all have extraordinary circumstances in their terms making it impossible to discern which has the greatest presidential legacy without a personal bias
As president FDR faced so many defining issues like the depression and World War Two. As president he fundamentally redefined the governments to encompass caring for its own people and this became the new basis for Democratic Party platform that is still relevant to this day. Abraham Lincoln was a president during a constitutional crisis, as southern states seceded from the Union in order to preserve states’ rights. The Lincoln administration had to conduct a war of attrition in the south in order to maintain perpetual Union, while building a transcontinental railroad. Of all of Lincoln’s achievements the most important one was releasing the United States from the shackles of slavery. Finally George Washington was the first victorious general in world history to limit his own power and establish a representative government instead. He also set a powerful precedent of only serving two terms as president. This action was unthinkable at his time and it shows that Washington was a man of character because he passed up the opportunity of wielding supreme power. Overall FDR will rank as one of our greatest president, rightfully so because his work as president brought America from the verge of cataclysm to super power status.
FDR entered the Oval office during a time when America was being haunted by a global depression, which was caused by the government’s abandonment of progressive principles. In his first term FDR laid out an array of legislation to revive progressive principles and this fundamentally changed how our government operates. In his second term FDR was faced with World War 2, which he delicately maintained U.S neutrality in the war while covertly aiding our allies in Europe. During his third term he oversaw the U.S entry into World War 2 and D Day, two critical events that shaped the war. FDR’s fourth term was dominated by the Yalta conference which laid out the restructuring of post-World War Two Europe. Overall each of FDR’s terms holds achievement that firmly ensconces his place as exceptional chief executive.
In the early 20th century America was becoming what now a days we would call a world power but we didn't have the leadership to guide us that we had when Lincoln was president but then we elected one of the greatest presidents of all Theodore "teddy" Roosevelt who; was the first president to strive to "go green" by declaring certain areas national parks; was one of the most active presidents; and was unrelenting in dealing with the great depression.
First off Roosevelt was the first president to declare certain areas as protected land where we still had a wilderness to go to. Later on more and more presidents founded national parks such as Woodrow Wilson who supported the national park organic act which created the national parks service. Also after Roosevelt many other nations followed suit and created national parks. Today many of Roosevelt’s parks are still here for example Yellowstone national park is one of the largest parks in the US. Another example is Yosemite national park. The first effort by a United States president to protect lands was President Andrew Jackson who signed legislation that Congress had enacted to set aside four sections of land around what is now Hot Springs, Arkansas, to protect the natural, thermal springs and adjoining mountainsides for the future disposal of the U.S. government. It was known as the Hot Springs Reservation.
Secondly Roosevelt was one of the most legislatively active presidents in history; he was the first president to use the first hundred days of his presidency to show how effective his presidency would be. In the first hundred days of Roosevelt’s first term he had 15 major bills put through congress. The public seemed to like how his first hundred days turned out for example, "The first hundred days of the New Deal have served as a model for future presidents of bold leadership and executive-legislative harmony,", wrote Cambridge University historian Anthony Badger in ,“FDR: The First Hundred Days”. This set the bar for all future presidents though today many presidential advisors dislike the hundred day goal. But none the less modern day presidents still strive to meet or surpass Roosevelt’s hundred day “challenge”. Roosevelt’s first hundred days were during one of the hardest times in united states history, the great depression, a time where government was floundering to try and help the economy rebound but during this time in history we were in a definite bust economy but Roosevelt attacked the depression with definite ferocity for example he would try one thing and if that didn’t work he would keep trying, he had the most backing from congress in his first hundred days out of any president to date.
Finally Roosevelt was unrelenting when it came to the great depression. As I stated before he attacked it with all the congressional approval he could muster and it seemed to pay off for example he created the civil works administration to give jobs to the unemployed and he pumped cash into the economy on long term projects to keep Americans employed.
The presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt was insurmountable for the time, a driving force that pushed America through one of the darkest times in our history, and was responsible for pulling America by its bootstraps out of the depression and set in motion the process to being the world’s most powerful nation. The 32nd president reigned from the period of 1933 until his death in 1945, longer than any other president with four terms as president. And through his death he would cast an everlasting shadow of greatness onto the presidents of our future.
Although F.D.R came into presidency at one of the darkest times in American history, he managed to create and inspire a hope in the hearts of the people. His first a hundred days, as well as the rest of the term was spent devoted on the recovery of the nation, through his “three R’s” “relief, recovery, and reform.” And so he took direct control of repairing the nation personally through his first “New Deal”. And his first act was to pass the Emergency Banking Act, as well as the Glass-Stegall Act, in order to ensure the people would maintain their trust in the banks and allow them to recover instead of collapsing. Then with the multitude of “ABC” organizations to help rejuvenate the nation, such as the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corporation) which organized and employed over two million young men in order to fix the economy from the ground up, as well as having an easily available labor force. In addition to creating the TVA, the largest government owned organization that helped to rejuvenate and modernize the Tennessee area in addition to creating dams and controlling floods. He created these organizations in a desperate and effective attempt to calm the rapid economic sinking on the nation.
In 1933 unemployment was at a ghastly 20.6%, and by the height of the WPA over 3.3 million jobs were founded, FDR’s creation, and unemployment was down to 12 percent in 1938, a mere five years. The supreme court was FDR’s focus, due to their attempts to prevent his legislation, until he attempted to “pack the court” with this own justices, although it failed, the current justices learned of their folly and FDR gained even more power. In a bombshell, FDR rejects the world Monetary Conference in favor of the American economy, further isolating the nation. However a new threat oversea was mounting, more so than just the economic troubles at home, and foreign policy comes to the forefront of the nation, with the threat of war in china and in Europe. Although the people favored war in china there was only an increased neutrality act in attempt to stay out of the war. However public interest of war only continued to increase with the fall of Paris. Although FDR would only attempt to help china and Europe economically, by the end of his second term the threat of war loomed menacingly over the horizon.
The beginning of FDR’s third term was marked by the rapid escalation of the war, and he was powerless to prevent our intervention, as all anti-war sentiment collapsed overnight after the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Although Italy was well in control of Ethiopia, Germany was well onto conquering most of West Germany, and with Russia powerless to stop them the favor was clear in favor of the Axis powers, however the American industrial machine was unmatched worldwide and would be a clear turning point for the allies. And as wars commonly create, a new economy was formed creating millions of new jobs and rejuvenating their pockets dropping unemployment down to 1.5 percent. And due to this economic force America and its allies were all but assured victory by 1943.
FDR’s time in office was a major stress on his body, and he had aged rapidly in the process, and as such his fourth term was quite short, he died three months into his office, on April 12, 1945. He had just returned from the Yalta Conference, where he and his allies, cut up and decided the fate and boundaries as result of the war.
FDR had acclaimed for himself and died on the cause that allowed him to be called the greatest president in the history of America. For a multitude of reasons, the simplest of which is the sheer number of his acts and accomplishments, four terms of which, something no other president can attest too. His over twelve years of presidency was marked with four separate elections, showing that his actions were so well received that the people remarked him so well they went right away from previous traditions of reelections, a fact that sunk the political careers of several others, such as Ulysses S Grant, and Theodore Roosevelt. A devotion that was so fanatical to the wellbeing of the nation that he drove himself into an early grave. Roosevelt had taken direct control and turned around the darkest period in American economic history, and used it to curtail the nation into an economic giant. All the while he was fighting the bloodiest war in human history, on several fronts all most single handedly due to the weakened nature of his allies.
FDR’s presidency was the longest in American history and as such contained two of the most important events in our history, The Great Depression and World War 2. His actions were personally responsible to the overcoming of both events. As such he was reelected three times, an unprecedented level that never was, nor ever will be matched. However the ever mounting stress in addition to his medical conditions drove him to his death in 1945, only after determining the future fate of the nations of most of the world.
FDR’s presidency
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the nation’s 32nd president encountered some of the biggest problems that the Union had faced yet and shaped the presidency more than any of his predecessors. Roosevelt encountered not only the immense economic problems of the Great Depression but also the social issues of the New Deal, and the political quagmire of World War Two in which he would need to protect the world from the aggression of Nazi Germany. FDR accomplished more in his first 100 days in office than most accomplished in their entire 4 years, and enjoyed the support of the entire nation- something no other president had experienced since Andrew Jackson. Was he, therefore, the greatest President ever?
FDR’s first term, 1933-37, started with a flurry of activity as FDR sought desperately to pull the drowning US economy out of the toilet. Roosevelt sought the three R’s – relief, recovery and reform. His fireside chats, the Emergency Banking Relief Act, the Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act , and the establishment of FDIC gave the people more economic protection and involved the people in the government in such a way that they felt like they were there sitting by Roosevelt. FDR inherited one of the biggest economic crisis ever, and masterfully stimulated the economy with renewed government support of the people and economy. No other president had yielded the nation at his full disposal since Lincoln declared martial law, and controlled the economy to defeat the rebels in the Civil War. Also, no other politician had influenced the economy more since Alexander Hamilton, who was the fore-father of the modern American economy. FDR proved his mastery of the American system in the first 100 days alone, and the programs he created were a culmination of all that his successors such as his cousin TR and Woodrow Wilson. The legislation passed by FDR helped to calm the populous down, as they now had more security at their banks with FDIC, and by 1945 there wasn’t a single bank failure. FDR’s self assurance also helped to calm the people down as he soothed and serenaded them over the radio in his fire-side chats; something previous presidents didn’t have access to. Roosevelt, in his first term, launched into what he called the alphabetic government under his new deal, and created the CCC which employed unemployed to create social works projects. Another similar program was the WPA which also employed workers to create highways and help clear out national parks. These programs sought to get the American people back off the ground with government funding to stimulate the economy back into motion. Other legislation followed, such as the NLRA and Social Security. Roosevelt’s ability to involve the people led to nationalistic fervor as everyone backed FDR’s boisterous persona. His speech that the nation had “…nothing to fear but fear itself” further calmed the turbulent economy down. Roosevelt also accomplished an amazing landmark of having the almost entire backing of the largely Democratic Congress who approved most of his legislation. Roosevelt during his first term revolutionized what the President was like- he was now a celebrity who masterfully pulled strings and knew what the people wanted and operated the “American System” first thought of by Henry Clay. Roosevelt’s foreign affairs with Latin America was somewhat similar to TR’s “Big Stick Corollary” and was aptly named (for the American feeling at the time) “The Good Neighbor Policy,” however, unlike his cousin FDR maintained US isolationism. FDR’s first term accomplished more than any president before, and changed the fabric of the nation enough to lead many to compare him to the likes of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. FDR was the right man for the right job.
FDR was reelected in a landslide victory in 1936 and put emphatically back into the oval office by the screaming loving people. FDR continued with more New Deal Legislation such as the Housing Act of 1937, and FLSA which created minimum wage. Roosevelt, however, was seriously hindered by the Supreme Court and tried to pass through Congress the ability for the president to expand the Court. This became known as the “Court Packing Scheme” and gained much flak from within his own party. Many accused Roosevelt of trying to seize more power and disregard the checks and balances founded by the fore-fathers. However, the economy gradually lifted out of the fog and began topping the hill. Roosevelt’s reforms and programs were boosting the economy and the people’s hopes. However, as the nation find the solutions for one of their problems they were presented with another major problem, but this one was global; Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in Germany. The Nazis came to power in Germany and began threatening Western Europe and by 1939 and 40 Germany had all but engulfed Poland, Czechoslovakia, and France, along with all the other European countries except Spain, Switzerland and England, and both Spain and Switzerland were neutral. The US was in a difficult position, and FDR once again masterfully handled the US machinery, and sent aid to England through the Lend-Lease act, and established an all important relationship with Winston Churchill who would soon become Prime Minister. The US wisely, and analogous to the first World War, sought to profit, but stay neutral. The US would send both ships and materials to the British, but not commit any men, even though they started a peace time draft to be prepared to step in if need be. FDR went in direct opposition of the Neutrality Act and showed his sense of control over the American “machine.” FDR’s second term shows his swagger as he realized he had won the people’s heart with his personable charisma and fire-side chats. No other president had realized his complete control of the American people’s hearts since George Washington, who knew what he was to the country. And no other president had pushed the boundaries of the checks and balances since Andrew Jackson had killed the bank and created the spoils system. FDR’s second term, although not important as his first, yielded important results- the role of the presidency was revolutionized, and the power of the President was raised to new heights. FDR was realizing his power, and the power that he could yield with the backing off the people- he was stretching what the president could and couldn’t do. Also, his popularity with his fellow politicians and party took a turn for the worse, as the Court Stacking controversy raised questions about how much power FDR would try to seize, and if a president could seize more power if he had the backing of the people.
The election of 1940 brought up unprecedented presidential procedures as FDR ran for and won his third term- the two term rule was an unspoken rule since Washington refused to run for a third term. This procedure eventually led to the 22nd Amendment which limited presidents to two terms. Roosevelt promised in his campaign for his third term to keep you boys out of the war, however, as FDR was elected in 1941he began the rearmament of the US so that they could support France, Britain, and later the USSR in what the US called the “Arsenal of Democracy.” Roosevelt’s Lend Lease Act attracted the attentions of many isolationist Americans who claimed he was a warmonger. FDR was showing he could not only control the US’ policy on the home front, but also on the global stage as he put America’s nose in the affairs and openly supported the Allies. However, like former presidents learned, the US could not openly throw troops into the fray unless there was reason, so FDR supported the Allied cause economically instead of throwing US troops into a war in which there was (so far) no American interest. FDR once again appeased the populous but also controlled his destiny as he rode the fence by donating supplies but also appeasing the majority who were slowly becoming less isolationistic. As tensions mounted in the Atlantic with shipping so did tension with Japan, and December 4th, 1941 all hell broke loose in the Pearl Harbor attack that firmly pushed the US into the war. FDR’s third term was almost wholly donated to defeating Nazi Germany as Commander in Chief. This goal was nearly achieved with the D-Day invasion and the battle of Midway and Guadalcanal, which set the war on a timer until the defeat of the Germans and Japanese. The US and British stormed across Europe to meet the Russians in Berlin, and on April 30th, 1945 the Reich was captured, signaling the end of the war with Germany. Two atomic bombs ended the war with Japan. FDR, during his third term, defeated one of the biggest military powers the world had ever met, and solidified his place as militaristically able to control the power of the US to defeat a major foe. No other president had done this since Lincoln, and George Washington. However, unlike Washington and Lincoln, FDR was fighting a global war with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
FDR ran for reelection in 1945, and won, however, due to major health concerns the inauguration was held on the lawn of the White House. Even though Roosevelt’ health was failing rapidly he still attended peace meetings in Europe and spoke to Congress, although, this time he was seated. FDR, on April 12th, died of a stroke. As Allen Drury proclaimed, “so ended an era, and so began another.”
FDR, as president served more than any other president, and shaped future generations of presidents as much as Andrew Jackson and George Washington, which is largely significant as FDR comes later down the line and had less to shape than his predecessors who had no precedents to follow. So how does FDR stack up against presidents such as Washington, Jackson, Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Jefferson and Polk? Like Washington Roosevelt set many precedents for future generations of politicians and presidents, like the 100 days precedent that every president is now unsuccessfully trying to recreate. Also, FDR showed the power of advertisement, as his fireside chats calmed the nervous populous and helped to fix the economic woes of the country. FDR’s New Deal was perhaps the most helpful legal package since the Bill of Rights and Constitution. The New Deal came at a time in which it successfully pulled the starving and economically deprived nation out of the Great Depression. His alphabetic government was so comprehensive that some of the programs are still being used nearly 60 years later. Also, crucial to FDR’s legacy, he successfully saved the world from the menace of Nazi
Germany, and ushered in the total dominance of American power; FDR made the US a super-power. Like Jackson FDR saved the economy of the US and protected the people economically. FDR furthered Teddy’s goal of creating and crafting the US into a superpower, as, post-WW2, the US had total economic control of the global economy, and had the largest military machine in the world. Also like his cousin FDR took the square deal and made the New Deal, but the New Deal was far more in depth and gathered Truman’s policies as well. The one thing that makes FDR arguably the best President ever was his popularity- the goal of Democracy was to be run by the people, and FDR embodied what the people wanted, and because of this he won in landslides in four elections. FDR’s legacy is as far reaching as Washington’s, and he should be right next to Washington on Mount Rushmore.
The president is the most powerful man in the US, and, because of FDR and the sacrifices of millions of Americans, in the world. No other president had a more lasting influence on future presidents as FDR, who saved the nation economically, destroyed perhaps the most lethal military machines on the planet- the Nazis, and socially reformed the nation with his New Deal which gave unheard of support to the people with numerous pieces of legislation. FDR faced some of the most difficult situations as a president and overcame them with brilliant politicking that had such far-reaching policies that they still affect us. Because of this FDR can be ranked among names like Lincoln and Washington.
-Christian
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was without question one of the greatest presidents in American History and no doubt he will go down in history as such. Rightfully so, I might add, he was able to win over the population for two more terms than any other president and is given credit for bring the nation out of the great depression. Some would argue that he is the single greatest American President up to his time. This could possibly be true but while he should be well respected and remembered there were presidents before him, namely, Abraham Lincoln, that possibly deserve the title even more. But in order to make a more solid conclusion we must first explore FDR’s four terms individually.
March 4, 1933 FDR was handed a nation that was in the midst of a depression that was arguably one of the worst in its history. In his Inaugural Address Roosevelt blamed the depressed economy on the bankers, the lust for profit, and capitalism’s selfish nature. His answer to this crisis was “The New Deal” which was comprised of public service programs and agencies. Most of these services and programs were originally thought up and put in place but the previous Hoover administration, including but not limited to the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, Reconstruction Finance Corporation, and the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. It took the FDR administration’s confidence and power to really activate these programs but contrary to popular belief they did not come up with these plans.
Also, during his first term Roosevelt laid out his foreign policy. He effectively ended the Monroe Doctrine with the Montevideo Convention. FDR also decided not to have America help with the World Wide depression until they had helped themselves. This was an important and influential decision because it made everyone realize that America was vital to the world-wide economy and when they bandaged themselves everyone benefited from it. Even though the economy hadn’t even really began to turn around Roosevelt was loved by everyone and he was elected with a landslide vote in the election of 1936.
Compared to all that he did in his first term FDR did very little in his second term. One of his main focuses though was the Supreme Court. He contrived and put into action a plan that would pack the court with his supporters. This was no doubt controversial, but I don’t even think FDR himself thought there would be protest from his own party. His initial plan of appointing a law that allowed him to blatantly replace people was shot down but nevertheless, within a couple of years eight out of the nine judges were his supporters anyways.
World War II was Roosevelt’s one and only focus in his oddly won third term. The war seemed to have changed FDR’s isolationist foreign policies to one that was in favor of the Allied powers and very much against the Axis Powers. He became adamant that the US prepare for the war in every way possible. This was very wise because the US was ready and able to go to war when Pearl Harbor was attacked December 7, 1941. When the US entered the Second World War Roosevelt implemented their war strategy of ending the German invasion of the Soviet Union, by launching an invasion of Western Europe. Public opinion, however, forced the United States to retaliate against the Japanese first.
With the war still on in 1944, FDR had to go into the election with a new Vice President because Henry Wallace who was his previous VP was supposedly “too erratic and too pro-Soviet” for the Democratic Party. His replacement VP was Harry Truman. The Democratic Party had incredible foresight because one year after his election in the final months of the war Roosevelt would die of a stroke in Warm Springs, Georgia. Truman would then end the war and go on to finish Roosevelt’s fourth term.
The greatness of FDR is apparent and he was truly a king in his time, but the greatness of Abraham Lincoln is also unprecedented. It is very hard to compare two great presidents from two completely different time periods and two totally different situations. When deciding who is the greatest president of the United States there are three main criteria that have to be taken into consideration. First, did he win over the hearts and minds of the general populous; second, when extremely difficult problem and/or situation handed is he able to handle it; and thirdly, was he able to abide by the nations laws entirely and keep the ideals of the Constitution pure.
These criteria are very interesting, the last one in particular, because this means that Lincoln is disqualified because he used powers that he knew he didn’t have only because the congress wasn’t in session, but if he had not done this then would he really be keeping the ideals of the constitution pure? That being said FDR did everything by the book and there was nothing constitutionally controversial about what he did. Both of these presidents meet every single one of the criteria, almost to the letter, except Lincoln who instead of making sure he was doing right by the constitution he made sure that he was doing right by the best interest of the nation. Because of the completely different in situations that they were handed it is very difficult in determining which one is better than the other. If they were to switch places there is no telling what would be different today. But there is one thing that just can’t be ignored and that is Abraham Lincoln’s complete and utter disregard for the constitution by not having congress clear many of his acts and it is because of this that FDR is the greatest president of all time. He was able to bring the nation out of one of the worst depressions that this country has ever seen and it was his expertise that helped America come into the war when it was necessary and it was his gumption that was able to bring the war to a close. And as I have detailed in the previous paragraphs everything that he did was Constitutionally in the best interest of the country.
From 1933 to 1945, the American nation was under the leadership of the historic President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He guided the people through a multitude of crises, everything from the Depression and the disaster that accompanied it to launching a full scale horrendous World War, proving his enormous competence under drastic situations. First, he invigorated the nation throughout the devastating first few years of the Depression and brought hope for a better future; second, the shadow of the Second World War forced Roosevelt to change his policies domestically and internationally; third, America’s entrance into the war led to a whole new set of unforeseen obstacles; and fourth, FDR’s short, yet significant post war plans set the nation on a path to become a superpower. Therefore, because FDR was able to lead the country in such a significant and trial filled time period, he was, to a great extent, America’s greatest president up to that time.
Roosevelt overwhelmingly won the presidential election of 1932, after the failure of his predecessor Hoover to accomplish anything to aid the American people after the crash on October 29, 1929. He brought in an attitude of “do something”, in which he meant that it was better to at least try something and have it not work, rather than not doing anything at all. His 3 R’s-relief, recovery, reform- were aimed at immediate revival of the nation along with long term security, especially from the dreaded boom-bust cycle. As soon as he was inaugurated he called for a nationwide banking “holiday” that lasted for 5 days, in order to reopen the banks on a sounder platform. He also called Congress into a special session (known as the Hundred Days session) which passed unprecedented numbers of remedial legislation. The Glass-Steagall Banking Reform act in 1933 provided for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) which insured individual deposits up to 5,000 dollars, planting faith in the banking system. He also took America off of the gold standard domestically in order to “manage” the currency through inflation which he believed would relive debtors and stimulate production. Other relief acts included the Federal Emergency Relief Act (public work projects) and the Wagner Act 1935(reasserted right of labor to organize). One of the earliest acts of Congress was repealing the 18th Amendment for prohibition with the 21st Amendment, providing some employment. FDR was not scared to spend federal money to help aid Americans. The Civilian Conservation Corps which provided employment for approximately three million uniformed young men. This program planted trees, extinguished fires, and drained swamps; however, critics accused Roosevelt of overextending his power and acting as a dictator. Much of Roosevelt’s work and legislation that he passed early on in his administration was thwarted by the Supreme Court, so Roosevelt decided to "pack" the court by adding more judges that were friendly toward his polices. This court packing scheme backfired when Congress voted against it. The American people were shocked and accused of becoming a dictator. However, it did work for him in that the court started voting his way. His “fireside chats” on the radio succeeded in comforting the people, since he was able to reach out to an exceedingly large amount of people. Roosevelt was able to touch the people of America differently than any president ever before. His policies directly affected people’s personal lives, and established an unprecedented connection between the federal government and the people. In his foreign affairs, at first Roosevelt was unwilling to get involved, focusing only on building America back up domestically. He receded from the London Economic Conference in 1933, which was held to develop a solution to the depression. With America’s exit, the conference collapsed and the world was plunged into and even deeper economic crisis. FDR withdrew America from Asia, because he realized that the possessions in the area had become liabilities during this time. He also brought in the “Good Neighbor Policy” by endorsing nonintervention in Latin America. The Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act in 1934 allowed the president to lower the staggeringly high tariffs as much as 50% for a specific country if that country agreed to lower its tariff as well.
Starting in his second term, the New Deal started to lose its sparkle. Many of FDR's programs spent huge amounts of federal money and didn't give much of a result. However, Roosevelt’s second term was formed around the growing war in Europe, which was slowly shaping the struggling nation. After World War 1, many dictatorships had sprung up to take advantage of the lack of power. These included Mussolini in Italy, Stalin in the Soviet Union, and Hitler in Germany. Although America did not approve of these dictatorships, it did not get involved because it didn’t want to meddle in European affairs, especially during the Depression. The Spanish Civil War of 1936 to 1939 saw another overthrow of democracy as the fascist Francisco Franco- aided by Hitler and Mussolini- took over the country as the U.S., led by Roosevelt, sat by idly. When war officially broke out in Europe with the declaration of war on Germany by England and France, America was quick to declare complete neutrality. Because America wanted France and England to win, Roosevelt persuaded Congress to declare a new Neutrality Act of 1939 where European democracies could buy American war materials on a cash and carry basis. An extension of this revised neutrality act came with the Lend-Lease Law in 1941 where America would lend arms to democracies to be returned after the war. Economically, this law already declared war on Germany. This production of war materials sparked the American economy, in a way that the New Deal programs never could. Unemployment and surplus goods were slowly cured by the demand overseas. Although Roosevelt did help heal the Depression, it was World War II that truly pulled America out of the depths it has been sunk in.
Roosevelt won the election of 1940, shattering the two-term tradition long established by famed George Washington. On December 7, 1941, America was officially dragged into the war with the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. A unanimous vote declared war four days later in both the House and the Senate. The entrance of the United States into the war ended the era of the New Deal. Many programs were ended, such as the Civilian Conservation Corps, as the country's efforts were turned towards winning the war. America and Britain agreed, upon America's entrance to the war, on a "get Germany first" strategy and then get Japan. Because of this, in the Pacific, troops did not have as many resources and a famous strategy was "island hopping," which allowed them to slowly take over the Pacific. Nearly 15 million men were enlisted to the war and women took up jobs outside the home to replace the missing workers. Both African Americans and Native Americans left their previous homes and sought war jobs in cities or in the military. The war cost 330 billion dollars- twice as much as all previous federal spending since 1776. Approximately 100,000 Japanese-Americans on the Pacific Coast were herded into concentration camps, even though about 2/3 of them were born in America. This action reflected the fear and hatred towards the Japanese after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but it was a failure morally of Roosevelt to allow his fellow citizens to be treated as such. D-Day, starting on June 6, 1944 at French Normandy, succeeded in gaining more and more of France until Paris was finally freed in August.
In the Presidential election of 1944, Roosevelt easily won a fourth term against opponent Thomas E. Dewey. The war was going well and the American people did want to change presidents in the middle of an all-consuming war. Although FDR's final term in office lasted just a few months, it had a significant impact. The Yalta conference in February of 1945 between the Big Three- Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill- in which plans for the United Nations were made and peacetime plans were discussed. Roosevelt was criticized as selling out China's Chiang Kai-shek out to the Soviet Union by giving Stalin China's Manchuria. The end of the war was near when Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, leaving a lasting legacy on the United States and its people. Roosevelt's efforts finally paid off when Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945 and Japan surrendered on August 10, 1945.
Compared to the presidents before him, Franklin Delano Roosevelt stands out from the rest. George Washington, although a great president in a different way, insisted on neutrality and isolation as the path of his administration to follow. Much of the groundwork for American politics- especially economically- was shaped by his Secretary of State, Alexander Hamilton. America was very weak during Washington's administration, and did not hold the power which FDR was able to yield. Washington never had to fight a serious nationwide depression or fight a global war, both things Washington would have been shaken in the face of. He also did not want to be president and did not feel the call to serve as Roosevelt did. Although Roosevelt was in critical health by his fourth campaign, he felt bounded to the job and literally gave up his life for his country, in a similar way as did the soldiers fighting around the globe. In addition, Washington was very cautious about overstepping any executive boundaries, not wanting to shape the presidency to a dictatorship. After Washington, the next "big" president", Andrew Jackson, succeeded in re-defining the lines of the presidency. He brought in the new "era of the Common Man" and advanced the cause of democracy throughout the nation. Similarly, Roosevelt aided the poor and also extended the executive to greater lengths. However, Jackson's biggest worries were the nullification crisis with South Carolina over the so called Tariff of Abominations, the moral concern over the relocation of the Native Americans, and the battle over the Second Bank of the United States, all puny in the face of world wide conflict and the saving of democracy from the clutches of everything America was built to be protected from. Abraham Lincoln, the protector of the Union, is probably one of the most well known and famed presidents of all, and the only one who can almost rise up to FDR. He mostly single handedly- since Congress was not involved much- decided the course of the Union during the Civil War and created a perfect Union once more. He also gave his life to the country when he was assassinated because of his policies. However, the impact that FDR had on the entire nation as a whole and the people as individuals, had never been seen before. Also, just looking at Roosevelt's twelve, unwavering years in office makes Lincoln's four years seem mediocre.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt encountered countless crises during his twelve year long administration, and he worked tirelessly to solve all the nation's woes. He greatly extended the reach of the executive and the reach of the United States as he steered the nation through its most turbulent and troublesome period. His legacy left a shining mark on American history that no president has been able to match before or since.
Cammie Gelbuda
Mr. Korling
1 & 4
Part 1
Who was the greatest man to ever hold the office of President? Many people believe, as I do, that the greatest President of his time would be Franklin D. Roosevelt. From 1933 to 1945 the United States President was Franklin D. Roosevelt. During his four terms in office, Franklin D. Roosevelt had to deal with many things. For example, he dealt with World War II, unemployment and the Great Depression. He also had to give the American people hope and a new sense of purpose. Franklin D. Roosevelt was a President that always figured out a way to do what was best for our country. First, he taught Americans how to move forward and have hope during a horrible depression; second, he made the United States a powerful nation during World War II, and third President Roosevelt made the country a superpower.
Part 2
President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected for his first term in 1932. The depression that had started in 1929 was having a very bad effect on the country and its people. President Roosevelt passed many laws and legislation that helped the poor and hungry people during the depression. One thing this President did was to fix the banking system. He passed a law that made the banks insure that they would have money if the bank failed. They were insured up to 5, 000 dollars, which was a lot of money back then. This made people start believing in the banks again and they put their money back in the banks. During this bad time he also started the Civilian Conservation Corps, which today is known as the (CCC). This was a program that put people to work when they could not find regular jobs. Millions of young men brought a paycheck home to buy food for their families by working for the government, building roads or fighting fires. This government work kept a lot of these young men from stealing and committing crimes. It made them feel useful and gave them hope. President Roosevelt also would get on the radio and many Americans would gather around the radio to listen to his “fireside chats.” This was probably the first time regular people felt like the president was talking just to them. Many of the presidents actions affected regular peoples lives and made them feel like the government was working for them. This made people feel better.
Part 3
President Roosevelt’s second term as president did not go as well as the first. The American people started to lose trust in this president. During this second term FDR passed the Neutrality Act. This act was passed because FDR did not want to interfere in other countries wars and FDR wanted to stay neutral. This act was passed in 1939. It let other countries buy bullets and bombs but we did not have to fight. In 1941 FDR created the Lend-Lease Law, which would allow Americans to lend war materials to countries that were not lead by dictators such as Adolf Hitler. During this time unemployment went down because Americans were put to work making war materials for other countries. During this time FDR also established the Fair Labor Standards Act, which allowed many people to get minimum wage and did not allow people to use child labor. Without children having to work they could go to school and receive an education.
In 1940 President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president that was elected to a third term. On December 7, 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in the United States of America. All Americans paid attention to this war because another country attacked us on our soil. No Americans wanted to lose this war. Millions and millions of men went to fight this war and many women took jobs here at home to take their place. All of these jobs finally helped put an end to the depression. This was a big accomplishment for President Roosevelt. This was also the era of better manufacturing plants. There were big orders for military supplies and the United States filled those orders in these successful manufacturing plants. FDR also put into place the Fair Employment Practices Commission, which gave African Americans the right to work in the production of war materials. This began Americans understanding that African Americans could work side by side with all people. I think FDR’s good work during World War II got him elected for his fourth term in 1944.
In President Franklin D. Roosevelt forth term, Americans were very impressed with the way the president was handing the war. In 1945 there was a meeting called the Yalta conference with President Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin. This meeting started the plans for the United Nations and also discussed plans for peace after the war. President Roosevelt passed away soon after this meeting on April 12, 1945. How Franklin D. Roosevelt handled himself during these twelve years left a good impression on America.
Part 4
For many people Franklin D. Roosevelt is probably one of the most popular Presidents of his time. I think many people would even say that he was one of the greatest Presidents ever to hold office. If you were to compare FDR to any other of the popular presidents such as Teddy Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln or even George Washington, I believe that FDR is sill one of the greatest President. George Washington was a very good President but did not face as much trouble during his term as Franklin D. Roosevelt did. When Washington was President of the United States it was not a very strong country and did not have much power. FDR made us the strong and powerful nation that we are today. Abraham Lincoln is perhaps the most recognizable figure of our past Presidents and he accomplished many things during his term. He had to handle the Civil War and many human rights issues before he was assassinated. I believe he was also a great President. Teddy Roosevelt also faced many difficult situations during his presidency, and created many things such as the Monroe Doctrine, civil service reforms and he was also very popular and was very appealing.
In conclusion, even though Franklin D. Roosevelt was definitely one of our greatest Presidents, he just followed in the footsteps of other great Presidents before him. All the Presidents mentioned above faced big challenges and problems during their terms. All of these men were different and faced different problems. They all were great men and accomplished many things during their time in office.
Krizelle DeGuzman
Periods 1 and 4
As the longest president in American history, Franklin Delano Roosevelt had always felt a calling from his destiny and endured many trials and tribulations throughout his 12 years in office. By pushing through historic events such as the Great Depression, World War 2, and the rise of fascist powers in Europe, his appeal from the people rose and fell but FDR’s shadow continues to haunt the presidents succeeding him. Because of his many achievements, historians have always wondered on a single question; Was Franklin D. Roosevelt the greatest president of his time?
Krizelle DeGuzman
Periods 1 and 4
From the very beginning of his 12 years in the White House, FDR was already attacked by the monstrous Great Depression. The Great Depression had been plaguing the nation for years already and FDR responded with the creation of something he called the New Deal which would claim back economic stability. In order to do so, Roosevelt focused first on the banks by passing the Emergency Banking Relief Act of 1933 which gave him the power to control the reopening of banks as well as all other actions, the Glass Steagall Act so that banks would stop investing in money owned by their patrons and also helped the people trust the bank more, and FDIC to protect the people’s money in certain banks and thus have an increased use in the banks. With the help of all these actions, and much more, the 4,004 bank failures of 1933 dropped down to 0 by 1945. There was also the Hundred Days Congress under FDR that attempted to solve the unemployment issues under the Great Depression by passing the Civilian Conservation Corps or CCC, so that young men would become employed with useful jobs like firefighting and stay off the streets; and the FERA which would slowly stimulate the economy through moderately increased consumerism by giving temporary jobs. Through all of his efforts in his first term, FDR was able to tighten his grasp on the economy and become extremely popular with the American people.
Krizelle DeGuzman
Periods 1 and 4
During his second term, FDR still continued to pass major New Deal policies but war between Europe and Asia began to seen as just around the corner. In response FDR passed the Neutrality Act, along with the disregarded London Economic Conference in his first term, was now used as fuel to the fire in foreign affairs. As the fascist powers began to rise in Europe Americans actually began to show isolationism once again as they loudly opposed both sides but Roosevelt eventually passed the Cash and Carry policy and then later the Lend Lease policy so that the United States would stay out of the war but was still able to aid the Allies by giving them much needed necessities. Unfortunately by this time FDR had begun to decline in terms of popularity because of the Court Packing scheme that made Roosevelt appear to be disturbing the checks and balances system within the government. Because of the villainous image he now had, the New Deal legislation had a tough time keeping its head above the water as the people replied with indignation. Because of this scheme, much of the New Deal was deemed unconstitutional and was repealed. While domestic affairs were certainly not Roosevelt’s best during his second term, there was still success in domestic actions. 650,000 people were able to get low income housing thanks to the Housing Act of 1937. In general, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s second term was full of poor judgment, especially in foreign affairs.
Krizelle DeGuzman
Periods 1 and 4
The world will forever remember the 3rd term years of Franklin D. Roosevelt. While important events such as the Great Depression and Pearl Harbor were defining moments in the 1st and 2nd terms of FDR, those definitely could not compare to the entrance of World War 2 for America. It took this war to end the Great Depression thanks to the increased amount of trade, war payments, and much more employment for young American men. Isolationism had already ended after the attack on Pearl Harbor and the 3rd term of FDR was devoted almost entirely to foreign affairs and WW2. Being a man who already knew that he was destined for greatness, FDR noted the potential in manufacturing and encouraged Americans to “out-produce” all other nations. With many men leaving the manufacturing jobs to join the army, women and minorities began to fill in the open positions with little conflict among workers as they all put the war above themselves. Despite all the cutbacks and rationing issued by the government, they were still able to raise funds through war bonds. This also led to a decrease in items to spend extra money on and Americans were able to increase their savings.
Krizelle DeGuzman
Periods 1 and 4
In 1945 America was up for another election but this time we were still in a brutal war. This made it possible for FDR to run yet again and win for the 4th time. Unfortunately, Roosevelt died 3 months into his 4th term. Within these 3 months FDR was able to enjoy a victory at the Battle of Bulge that happened just a few short days after his inauguration and the Yalta Conference which was attended so that the 3 leaders, Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt, could decide the fate of the world. After recapping what happened in the conference, Roosevelt went to Georgia to rest (his stress matched with the paralysis and strain finally caught up with him) and he passed away.
Krizelle DeGuzman
Periods 1 and 4
Out of all the presidents that the American people have supported, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt is said to have stood out the most for the great things that he has done for our nation. The question is, was FDR really more amazing when compared to all 6 of the most influential presidents of America? Washington started the beginning of our still ongoing government and set the rules and policies for future presidents to follow and got America involved with isolationism and or neutrality when it came to European affairs. FDR eventually had to involve the US into WW2 and had the ability to endure and was able to push through the Great Depression but worked from the America that George Washington (and all the presidents before FDR) had set up. Thus I believe George Washington is still just a bit above FDR. As for Jefferson versus FDR, I think FDR definitely wins because Jefferson struggled with the idea of buying Louisiana which would double the size of America at the time and floundered with foreign affairs where are FDR handled them pretty well and had to deal with much more serious situations. When moving onto Jackson, he himself set the precedent that presidents still tend to follow and set up the idea of a great democracy which got paired with many bank failures. FDR fixed the problem of bank failures and had a plan to spread the idea of democracy around the world and thus is above Jackson. Polk is considered to be a significantly important president because of his expansion legacy. While FDR did not expand American territory during his 12 years, Roosevelt did expand American presence in social, political, and economic ways and thus crushes Polk. As we all know, Abraham Lincoln set the basis of human rights in America and even had to deal with the nation from ripping into two. FDR was able to address situations like unemployment and unfortunate events such as Pearl Harbor and World War 2 which I think makes them equal since they were both involved with such horrible events even though one was at home and one was across the seas. Now it’s down to cousin against cousin. Teddy was able to focus and expand on domestic affairs greatly through his Square Deal. It’s widely known that FDR based his New Deal on Teddy’s Square Deal but he was able to do so much more with it while dealing with a national depression and world crisis. As much as I’d like to say that both Roosevelt’s are at least equals, it’s clear that FDR was the superior cousin.
Krizelle DeGuzman
Periods 1 and 4
America has gone through many presidents during her time and only 7 have been deemed the best among the best. When compared to these presidents FDR beats 4 out of the remaining 6, is tied with Lincoln, and lost to Washington. The president has the hugely important role of not just influencing his own nation but the world as well by studying our history and making the best decisions for our country. While these decisions may not be so popular among the people at the time, we usually find later on that these decisions were actually the best possible solution at the time. Washington, Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt have faced extreme challenges and faced them with superb effectiveness using their decision making.
Assuming the presidency in the midst of turmoil, President Franklin D. Roosevelt helped the American people regain their faith. Franklin D. Roosevelt led the United States through a Great Depression and a World War. By the time he died, the nation was profoundly changed –and we owe much of this change to him and the bravery of his presidency. First, Roosevelt’s first two terms became the time of recovery for the United States; second, Roosevelt’s second two terms were riddled with war and turmoil; third, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s overall presidency proved to be one of the most beneficial to the make-up of America and influenced future leadership in America. Thus, the Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt both preserved the country through the hectic 30’s and 40’s and influenced the future of America’s leadership.
When franklin D Roosevelt was inaugurated March 4, 1933, the United States was at the nadir of the worst depression in its history. One fourth of the work force did not have jobs. Farmers were in extreme danger as prices fell by 60%. Industrial production had decreased by more than half since 1929. Two million citizens did not have homes. By March 4th, 1929, 32 of the 48 states had closed their banks. The New York Federal Reserve Bank was unable to open on the 5th, as huge sums had been withdrawn by panicky customers in previous days. Franklin D. Roosevelt, during his inauguration address, Roosevelt began blaming the economic crisis on bankers and financiers, the quest for profit and the self-interest basis of capitalism. Roosevelt soon developed a program, by which historians categorize it as “Relief, Recovery and Reform.” The millions of unemployed were desperate for relief. Recovery meant boosting the economy back to normal. Reform meant long term fixes of what was wrong, particularly the financial and banking systems. Much of the legislation that the Hundred Days Congress drafted doled out immediate relief for the American people that President Hoover and the Republicans had failed to provide. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration’s relief assistance, provided millions of Americans with enough money to make ends meet. The Civil Works Administration put the unemployed to work, and the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the National Recovery Administration, and the Public Works Administration kept millions of others alive as well. Americans were so relieved by the federal government’s quick action that many became die-hard Democrats and Roosevelt fans. The president’s optimism and can-do attitude, combined with the success of his immediate relief programs, made him almost politically untouchable during his first term. Many of the same programs designed to provide immediate relief were also geared toward long-term economic recovery. The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Public Works Administration put millions of men to work not only to keep them employed but also to improve the national infrastructure. When the United States finally emerged from the Great Depression during World War II, it had hundreds of new roads and public buildings, widespread electrical power, and replenished resources for industry. The third goal of the New Deal policies was to reform the banking and financial sector of the economy to curb bad lending practices, poor trading techniques, and corruption. The president’s decision to take the country off the gold standard proved to be a smart move because it boosted people’s confidence in the U.S. dollar. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, created under the Glass-Steagall Act, eliminated untrustworthy banks that had plagued the country for more than a century. Once Americans became confident that their funds would be safe, the number of bank deposits surged. Likewise, the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1934, which weeded out bad investment habits, gave Americans more confidence in the stock market. The Second new Deal—the legislation that Roosevelt and Congress passed between 1935 and 1938—was strikingly different from the First New Deal in certain ways. Perhaps most important, the Second New Deal legislation relied more heavily on the Keynesian style of deficit spending than the First New Deal did. Roosevelt altered his policy making in part because of complaints from critics and in part because, by 1935, it was clear that more Americans still needed federal relief assistance. Roosevelt thus aimed approximately half the Second New Deal programs and policies at long-term reform.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was easily reelected in 1936, defeating Republican Alf Landon in a landslide. His second term as president was less successful than his first, however. The Supreme Court had ruled a number of New Deal measures unconstitutional. With an electoral mandate in the bank, FDR proposed "packing" the Supreme Court with justices of his political persuasion for every judge over the age of 70 that did not retire. However, Congress refused to pass the Supreme Court packing plan, and from that point on FDR was unable to get Congress to pass much of his legislation. Also, fascism was rising rapidly throughout Europe and Asia. Germany’s Adolf Hitler and Italy's Benito Mussolini had both seized power and began to conquer other countries, such as Ethiopia, Austria and Czechoslavakia. FDR was unable to respond to the threats from Europe and Asia, however, because sentiment in the US was strongly isolationist and Congress had passed a series of neutrality laws that gave the President very little power to respond to international aggression. World War II began in September 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland. Nine months later all of Western Europe had fallen to Hitler. Great Britain was standing alone. FDR wanted to help Britain, but had to move carefully and skillfully. He negotiated a deal in which the US gave Britain 50 old destroyers in exchange for bases in the Western Hemisphere
With World War II underway, FDR took the unprecedented move of seeking a third term as president. He won that term in November 1940, defeating Republican Wendell Willkie. Safely re-elected, he proposed a radical new program for helping Britain, known as Lend-Lease, in which Britain could buy armaments and other supplies from the US but not have to pay for them until after the war. FDR used the analogy of borrowing a neighbor's hose to put out a house fire to sell Lend-Lease. It passed and America became the "arsenal of democracy" as it began to build armaments for Britain and then Russia, when Hitler invaded it in mid-1941. Roosevelt met Britain's Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for the first time in August 1941 where they drew up the Atlantic Charter. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, destroying much of America's Pacific fleet. The next day, FDR declared war on Japan, calling December 7 "a date that will live in infamy." America was in the war, and not only against Japan, but also against Germany. Under FDR's leadership, America quickly transformed itself from a decaying nation of idle factories, impoverished families, abandoned farms and masses of hobos roaming the streets to a nation turning out planes, tanks, guns, military vehicles and other armaments on a scale that quickly dwarfed the capability of Nazi Germany to do the same. World War II also changed American life as blacks got better jobs in the war plants and women began working outside the home in unprecedented numbers. Helped by Eleanor, FDR used the war as a vehicle for social progress, securing better treatment for minorities and women, higher wages and better benefits for workers and a GI bill, which guaranteed a free college education for all American soldiers who fought in the war. In so doing, he created the American middle class of today. After a series of military defeats, the US and its allies began to win the war. Invasions of North Africa and Italy were launched and the US started retaking islands in the South Pacific it had lost to Japan at the beginning of the war, starting with the Battle of Midway in 1942. FDR met with Churchill several times throughout the war and with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin at Tehran in 1943 and at Yalta in 1945. The Allied invasion of France, known as D-Day, was launched on June 6, 1944. As the war ended, FDR pushed for his dream of a United Nations and for reforms that would ensure that another World War would never happen. The United Nations did come to pass, as well as new global institutions such as the World Bank and IMF. Also, FDR advocated for decolonization of Africa and Asia, leading to the collapse of the old European empires.
Because of the war, FDR felt he had no right to leave the presidency while Americans under his command were still fighting. So he sought a fourth term in 1944. His opponent was the new governor of New York, Thomas E. Dewey, who ran a campaign of innuendo, hinting that FDR was too ill to lead and that his government had gone stale. FDR retaliated with a speech accusing the Republicans of attacking his dog, Fala. FDR won his fourth term in November 1944. In January 1945 he journeyed to Yalta to confer with Churchill and Stalin for the last time, to settle the postwar world and push for Russian participation in the United Nations. By this time FDR was gravely ill. After the Yalta Conference, he traveled to his resort at Warm Springs, Georgia, where he died suddenly of a massive stroke on April 12, 1945. It was revealed that Lucy Mercer, his one-time lover, was with him when he died and that she had secretly visited him in the White House a number of times during his last year.
The presidency that we know and are used to today begins with Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Many components to the executive office began in the beginning years of America. In fact, Presidents such as Andrew Jackson demonstrated how the president could serve as the tribune to the people. In more recent years, presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson demonstrated that the white House could radiate power. Professor Fred I. Greenstein has observed, "With Franklin Roosevelt's administration ... the presidency began to undergo not a shift but rather a metamorphosis." Franklin D. Roosevelt made such a powerful impression on the American office that in a recent survey of historians ranked him second greatest President in United states history, only behind the beloved Abraham Lincoln. Roosevelt’s High ranking is due to his role in leading America to accepting the large responsibilities of a world power. When he took office, the United States was firmly committed to isolationism; it had refused to participate in either the League of Nations or the World Court. Denied by Congress the discretionary authority he sought, Roosevelt made full use of his executive power in recognizing the USSR, crafting the Good Neighbor Policy, and, late in his second term, providing aid to the Allies and leading the nation toward active involvement in World War II.
Annika Newman
Periods 1 & 4
The United States endured frequent hardship during the 1930s and 1940s, as one man did everything in his power to conquer the worst economic depression in the nation’s history and one of the bloodiest wars the country had ever taken part in. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, commonly known as FDR, is the longest serving president to date, serving a total of four terms. During these twelve years, FDR was faced with constant challenges regarding the economic state of the country, political reformation, social changes, and the increasingly deadly world war. Thus, for economic, political, social, and diplomatic reasons, FDR proved himself to be the greatest American president up to this time, as he rose to the challenge no matter the circumstance.
FDR’s first term of presidency revolved greatly around the impact of the Great Depression on the United States. Roosevelt focused on the banks and banking systems of the United States in an attempt to get America’s economy back on its feet. Under FDR’s New Deal, the Emergency Banking Relief Act of 1933 was passed, enabling the Federal government to have control over all banking ventures, as well as to supervise the reopening of banks. In 1933, the Glass-Steagull Act was passed, insuring deposits so that if a bank were to fold, people would not lose their savings. Both of these acts helped to take away a widespread fear of investing money in banks, and resulted in fewer bankruptcies. FDR went out of his way to restore the public’s confidence in the safety of entrusting their money to banks by utilizing the newly popular radio to get his message across. The creation of an increased amount of jobs was prominent in Roosevelt’s First New Deal, resulting in many economic as well as social benefits. The Civilian Conservation Corps of 1933 provided outdoor work for young men between the ages of 18 and 24, employing approximately 2.7 million men with CCC projects. Additionally, the CCC helped to bring unemployed young men away from criminal tendencies towards useful jobs, aiding the country’s morale, as well as establishing a stronger economic base. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) of 1933 was created to distribute over $500 million to state and local governments, that would, in turn, distribute aid to the poor or those in need. This act helped to propel the economy through a slight increase in consumerism. Under FDR’s Second New Deal, in which he focused mostly on providing assistance and support to the working class, the Works Progress Administration of 1935 was established, creating jobs for millions of unemployed men and women. These jobs ranged from construction work to theatrical production to writing guidebooks about each state. However, FDR did not succeed in fulfilling every promise he made to the public in his first term. The nation’s budget had still not been balanced by the end of FDR’s first four years in office, due to a colossal increase of the nation’s debt as a result of government spending in an attempt to counterbalance the Great Depression. In addition, although Roosevelt’s New Deal did provide large scale relief to the country, it did not heal all the wounds of the devastating Great Depression. In association with foreign affairs, Roosevelt withdrew his support for the London Economic Conference, which resulted in the rise of dictators that were energized by a surge of nationalism.
Roosevelt’s second term of presidency was primarily sculpted by the genesis of World War II. When France and Britain allied with each other and declared war on Nazi Germany in 1939, these two democratic nations lacked sufficient military resources, desperately needing aid from the United States. However, President Roosevelt was cautious in his responses to the conflicts in Europe. Though he was sympathetic to the countries defending themselves against fascism, he knew he couldn’t commit the United States to an interventionist position without the support of the public. Early on in 1937, FDR recognized that a European War could engulf people far from Europe, and he was not ready to commit the U.S. to intervene, though he did not try to pretend that America could isolate itself completely from European affairs. The Neutrality Act of 1935-1937 abandoned the United State’s freedom of the seas in exchange for avoiding war completely by prohibiting Americans from sailing on a combative ship, selling transport ammunition, and giving loans to any country in war. However, these acts were, in and of itself, a political failure of Roosevelt’s second term, because the U.S. did not utilize its immeasurable power to sculpt global events, and refused to use its advantage of industry to provide aid to its democratic partners. Instead, these acts helped stimulate dictatorial enemies towards further acts of attainment. Additionally, these acts obstructed American support of Britain and France; however, after Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, Roosevelt passed a new Neutrality Act that permitted European democracies the right to buy U.S. war resources on a “cash-and-carry-basis.” This meant that the European countries would have to transfer the materials in their own ships in order for the United States to help the cause without having to deal with war debt, loans, and attacks on U.S. arms-carriers. However, World War II boosted America's economy by equipping a transatlantic market for war materials and employing a considerable amount of Americans, a task that the New Deal had attempted and failed to do. In 1940, the Lend-Lease Bill was ratified, guaranteeing U.S. support to the European democracies fighting Nazi advancement. In 1941, Roosevelt got together with Prime Minister Winston Churchill at the confidential Atlantic Conference to present an Eight-Point Atlantic Charter for the establishment of a new League of Nations in order to ensure that the Allied Soviet Union would never fall under the control of Germany. However, throughout the course of FDR's second term as president, he made several mistakes, economically and politically speaking, such as an attempt to adjust the government's organization in order to reserve as many Supreme Court and Congressional seats with politicians that supported him. Thus, despite his past accomplishments, Roosevelt came to be overly confident in the thought of guaranteeing prosperity to his forthcoming legislations.
American entry into the second world war after the Japanese attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in 1941 left a colossal impact on the nations economy, and brought salvation from the continuing repercussions of the Great Depression. Franklin D. Roosevelt took action to dissolve any present social barriers, particularly for African Americans and women, as soon as America became directly involved in the war effort. To make up for the lack of males due to deployment, women took up noncombat responsibilities and jobs outside the home, prompting the establishment of government day-care centers for children of employed mothers. These new opportunities for women were prominent in the leading up to the revolution of women's societal roles. In regards to African Americans, Roosevelt passed an order prohibiting discrimination in defense industries in 1941, resulting in the right for blacks to be drafted into the military and a new energizing spirit in their fight for equality. Therefore, considerable advances regarding the breaking down of social barriers were made by Roosevelt during the course of his third term in office. The Battle of Midway in June of 1942 proved to be a turning point for the United States and the Allies, as additional advancement of Japanese forces was halted. Furthermore, FDR saw success in the Navy's effective strategy of “leap-frogging,” in which U.S. troops were able to bypass massively armed Japanese posts and thus neutralize enemy settlements faster and more effectively through extensive bombing from airfields on close-by islands. Some failures of FDR's third term include racial injustices brought upon Japanese Americans after the Japanese bombing on Pearl Harbor, including the deprivation of Japanese-American basic rights, and the removal of American-born United States citizens into concentration camps.
FDR's fourth and final term as president of the United States is mainly categorized by two major events that occurred in 1945, the Yalta Conference between FDR, Churchill, and Stalin, and the Battle of the Bulge in Europe. At the Yalta Conference in February of 1945, the “Big Three” of the Allied Powers – Stalin, Churchill, and FDR – got together to propose a generalized strategy to end World War II, as well as set up the foundation for the formation of the United Nations, a new international peacekeeping association. At the Battle of the Bulge, Americans were assaulted in a surprise attack launched by Hitler, forcing them backwards until reinforcements were able to come, stopping Germany's advancements and leading to a prominent Allied success that encouraged the morale of the Allied forces to see victory in the war.
FDR has far outshone many prominent presidents in American history, including George Washington, Andrew Jackson, and Theodore Roosevelt, with the amount of turmoil presented to him in his four terms in office. The first president of the United States, George Washington, pursued neutrality during international conflicts in early American history, as did Franklin D. Roosevelt in the time of World War II. However, in Washington's time, the United States was in its first few years as an independent nation, and extensive developments had yet to occur. Washington held a firm belief that the United States needed to mature before the country could become involved in international affairs for fear that a powerful group could interfere with the country's prominent growth. In regards to FDR, a world war existed, a challenge that Washington never had to manage, and by this time the United States had established itself as a world power, capable of great accomplishments. Nonetheless, Washington and FDR both believed that neutrality came first for the benefit of the country. Both presidents feared “unruly aggressors” that could disrupt the U.S. government, and thus believed that a stronger central government was essential to the protection and prosperity of the nation. However, much more was in jeopardy in World War II in FDR's case, than in rebellions caused by indentured servants in Washington's case. FDR had to fight not only for the safety of America, but also for the existence of democracy, in order to ensure that everyone would have the opportunity to take hold of it. FDR had to realize during his presidency the importance of America's role in the world, and eventually provided aid in the fight for democracy. Andrew Jackson, largely known for his firm belief in advancing the position of the “common man” like FDR is largely known for aiding low-status groups such as African Americans and women, saw a great increase in presidential power during his presidency. Likewise, FDR extended presidential power by breaking the two-term tradition established by Washington, and using a “blank check” of power to constitute what he desired to get done. Finally, Teddy Roosevelt (TR) had one primary aspiration during his presidency: to establish America as a world power. FDR utilized the United States influence in order to defend democracy. TR was able to communicate to the public and rile up their support much like FDR, who supplied the American people with hope in a time of great need and calm their worries. However, TR held a firm belief in an aggressive foreign policy that soured relations with other nations, while FDR established a “good neighbor” policy that proved to be much more beneficial to the United States than policies of presidents before him.
FDR was faced with the greatest amount of turmoil any president has ever seen during his four terms. From issues that left a lasting impact on the nations economy to a lethal threat that endangered the globe, FDR was faced with more challenges and obstacles than ever before, and through it all, he showed a strong ability to provide leadership that sustained the county and its people through the most difficult period in the history of the United States to date.
Edith Chavez
Periods 1&6
Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s term put the country through changes of a magnitude never seen before despite all the great presidents of the past. Faced first with the Great Depression and then WWII, FDR proved to have strong leadership abilities despite his errors. Starting with his first term and his proactive attitude to saving the country from the Great Depression; continued his second term handling the US and realizing the US’s importance in world democracy; continued in his third term as he took down the social walls dividing the country to make sure it could stand united in the war; continued in his short fourth term with his plans to end the WWII and determine the future of the world; [ANAPHORA] his presidency would cast a long shadow. And no shadow was cast upon him from any of the great presidents of the past because of his care for the country and world during his four terms even if his last was incomplete.
The Crash of 1929 and Hoover’s refusal to help get the economy defined the FDR’s first term. The Great Depression was taking a huge toll on the country as businesses shut down leaving people unemployed allowing for poverty to fill the land. FDR felt he had to do something famously saying “do something, if it doesn’t work do something else… but above all, try something” and he worked hard in the first 100 days to help the struggling nation. FDR stepped in with the three R’s of the New Deal- relief, recovery, and reform- [PARENTHESIS] to fix the economy. He started with declaring a bank holiday in 1933 which shut down the banks allowing them to reopen under more stable conditions. His help didn’t stop there though and he passed the Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act, protecting invertors by insuring deposits up to $5000. FDR meant the end to the gold standard; he replaced it with paper currency which meant wealth could be created. To help the people, he created the Civilian Conservation Corps to help youth (keeping them out of crime and putting them good use like in helping the environment) [PARENTHESIS] and the Civil Works Administration also provided jobs. The Federal Housing Administration helped with building more and better homes for the people. And that was just the beginning. The Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act of 1934 helped US relations with foreign countries despite it removing protective tariffs. Latin American relationships turned for the better and foreign trade went up overall. Women were empowered during his first term though not by him rather than by his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt. The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 helped out the Native Americans by helping them keep what was left of their land and culture, finally a president was caring the Natives as this had hardly happened before to any extent. Like his cousin before him, FDR helped labor with the Wagner Act of 1935 letting them self-organize again among other things and also granted the existence of the National Labor Relations Board. The Dust Bowl, the result of bad dry-farming techniques and mechanization, led to more problems for the US as in some places it got so bad that people had to leave the land. Despite the greatness in his first term, he was no god.
WWII became the defining factor of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s second term. Britain and France entered war against Nazi Germany though their countries would have a hard time handling it; still weak from the last war, the US shipped weapons and goods to them. The US only did this because FDR passed the Neutrality Act of 1939 to let European democracies buy what they needed from them, after Hitler’s invasion of Poland and after the US government passed the Neutrality Acts of 1935-7 which kept Americans off aggressive ships and kept the country from selling to warring countries. FDR’s plan didn’t come without a catch though as it required that the European powers buying had to transport shipments themselves. The war created a huge market for goods and further helped the US get out of its situation. The Lend-Lease Bill though made sure the country would get more involved and this was partly motivated by the need to keep the war away from the US. The thought of Russia falling to Hitler prompted FDR to meet with Winston Churchill and come up with a new idea for a League of Nations in 1941 at the Atlantic Conference. His flaws during the second term were shown by his need to add more members to the Supreme Court so that several of his legislations wouldn’t be met with resistance, indicating his few successes made him believe he could do whatever he wanted regardless of the rest of government since he could manipulate them.
Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941 would define his last full presidency as it drove the country in WWII, this actually helped full recovery of the US from the Great Depression. To make sure the country would not fail to stand, he took down the social walls dividing the country. Women began working in jobs outside the kitchen where they had been thought to belong and were even accepted to noncombatant duties and government daycares popped up for taking care of children while their mothers helped with the war. FDR issued an executive order to end segregation in defense industries to help take down that wall as well, but blacks typically never got assigned combat units and instead were left service branches. Native Americans proved to be crucial in the war efforts when given the chance as they used their languages to serve as codes that wouldn’t be understood by the Axis Powers- as was the case with the Navajo. The Battle of Midway, June 3-6, 1942, was a turning point in the War in the Pacific and the US Navy was successful in its use of “leap-frogging” allowing the country to push the Axis Power back to the far west of the Pacific. The victories of the year were even greater with the combined US and British bombings of German cities. Unfortunately, racism wasn’t being swept away in all senses as Japanese Americans were shoved into concentration camps and stripped of everything they owned despite their US Citizenship. There were also some labor strikes that threatened the strength of the war effort.
The War continued to affect Roosevelt’s presidency into his fourth term. In 1945 there was the Yalta Yalta Conference between FDR, Churchill, and Stalin and the Battle of the Bulge. During the battle, Hitler’s forces were forced to halt their expansion. [ANTANACLASIS] This battle greatly boosted the morale of the Allies. The conference between the Big Three laid out the plan for the future including the new League of Nations- the United Nation- [PARENTHESIS]which would be in charge keeping peace.
Though presidents of the past cast a large shadow, it did not touch him especially compared to how FDR still overshadow presidents today. [METAPHOR] FDR contrasted greatly against isolationist George Washington though the versions of the country each was in charge of were vastly different. Back then the US was a mere weakling while in WWII it came in already being a big player in the world. Not only that but while Washington had to pilot the infant country, FDR had to fight a world war with advanced industrialized weapons. Shay’s Rebellion was of the scariest things for Washington while for FDR it was the end of democracy in the world- which didn’t exist before Washington’s time- and the beginning of a new order far worse than British rule. [PARENTHESIS] FDR was faced with not only helping the minorities (something Washington wouldn’t have done as he only freed his slaves after his death when they would be of no use to him) but also saving them from the extreme racism of the Nazis. Washington had to worry about keeping the country together and mostly protect his riches from the restless lower class. While FDR had to do the same while fighting a war that would affect more than just the US. Like Jackson, Roosevelt helped the people despite having a few controversies about their actions like Jackson and the Natives and Roosevelt and the Japanese. But Roosevelt’s help went further than Jackson’s in helping minorities. “King” Jackson may have gotten lots of pattern from vetoing but FDR went further and added new judges to the Supreme Court, expanded the government vastly, and used his skills to get Congress to let him have his way. FDR even managed to fix a problem Jackson started with the Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act. FDR like Lincoln died while president though FDR wasn’t assassinated and when he died the whole world mourned versus Lincoln was only mourned by part of the country. Even if that is not taken into consideration since Lincoln did just fight the Civil War, his ten percent plan would have most likely put the efforts of dead Union soldiers in vain whereas FDR had no such thing and his death wasn’t what in part made him a great president while Lincoln’s memory is enhanced by his death. FDR, unlike his cousin, Teddy made Latin American relations better not worse and did not fight out of ambition for power but rather for defending democracy and really let the Philippines be free unlike what Teddy did to them. Sure, FDR had the new media of the day to help him get in touch with the people- such as his fireside chats- but Teddy profited from newspapers to wage war while FDR did it to keep peace at home while trying to bring peace to the world.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt got lots of years in office and tons more problems to solve. He saved the country at home from the Great Depression and at large along with the rest of the world from the Axis Powers. Presidents later on would try to match his greatness like LBJ trying to expand government to help people. And even today like with Obama, presidents are pressured to get a lot done the first hundred days.
All graded up to this point.
Steven Fraser
Period 6
From 1933 to 1945, the American nation was under the leadership of the historic President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He guided the people through a multitude of crises, everything from the Depression and the disaster that accompanied it to launching a full scale horrendous World War, proving his enormous competence under drastic situations. First, he invigorated the nation throughout the devastating first few years of the Depression and brought hope for a better future; second, the shadow of the Second World War forced Roosevelt to change his policies domestically and internationally; third, America’s entrance into the war led to a whole new set of unforeseen obstacles; and fourth, FDR’s short, yet significant post war plans set the nation on a path to become a superpower. Therefore, because FDR was able to lead the country in such a significant and trial filled time period, he was, to a great extent, America’s greatest president up to that time.Roosevelt overwhelmingly won the presidential election of 1932, after the failure of his predecessor Hoover to accomplish anything to aid the American people after the crash on October 29, 1929. He brought in an attitude of “do something”, in which he meant that it was better to at least try something and have it not work, rather than not doing anything at all. His 3 R’s-relief, recovery, reform- were aimed at immediate revival of the nation along with long term security, especially from the dreaded boom-bust cycle. As soon as he was inaugurated he called for a nationwide banking “holiday” that lasted for 5 days, in order to reopen the banks on a sounder platform. He also called Congress into a special session (known as the Hundred Days session) which passed unprecedented numbers of remedial legislation. The Glass-Steagall Banking Reform act in 1933 provided for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) which insured individual deposits up to 5,000 dollars, planting faith in the banking system. He also took America off of the gold standard domestically in order to “manage” the currency through inflation which he believed would relive debtors and stimulate production. Other relief acts included the Federal Emergency Relief Act (public work projects) and the Wagner Act 1935(reasserted right of labor to organize). One of the earliest acts of Congress was repealing the 18th Amendment for prohibition with the 21st Amendment, providing some employment. FDR was not scared to spend federal money to help aid Americans. The Civilian Conservation Corps which provided employment for approximately three million uniformed young men. This program planted trees, extinguished fires, and drained swamps; however, critics accused Roosevelt of overextending his power and acting as a dictator. Much of Roosevelt’s work and legislation that he passed early on in his administration was thwarted by the Supreme Court, so Roosevelt decided to "pack" the court by adding more judges that were friendly toward his polices. This court packing scheme backfired when Congress voted against it. The American people were shocked and accused of becoming a dictator. However, it did work for him in that the court started voting his way. His “fireside chats” on the radio succeeded in comforting the people, since he was able to reach out to an exceedingly large amount of people. Roosevelt was able to touch the people of America differently than any president ever before. His policies directly affected people’s personal lives, and established an unprecedented connection between the federal government and the people.
In his foreign affairs, at first Roosevelt was unwilling to get involved, focusing only on building America back up domestically. He receded from the London Economic Conference in 1933, which was held to develop a solution to the depression. With America’s exit, the conference collapsed and the world was plunged into and even deeper economic crisis. FDR withdrew America from Asia, because he realized that the possessions in the area had become liabilities during this time. He also brought in the “Good Neighbor Policy” by endorsing nonintervention in Latin America. The Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act in 1934 allowed the president to lower the staggeringly high tariffs as much as 50% for a specific country if that country agreed to lower its tariff as well.Starting in his second term, the New Deal started to lose its sparkle. Many of FDR's programs spent huge amounts of federal money and didn't give much of a result. However, Roosevelt’s second term was formed around the growing war in Europe, which was slowly shaping the struggling nation. After World War 1, many dictatorships had sprung up to take advantage of the lack of power. These included Mussolini in Italy, Stalin in the Soviet Union, and Hitler in Germany. Although America did not approve of these dictatorships, it did not get involved because it didn’t want to meddle in European affairs, especially during the Depression. The Spanish Civil War of 1936 to 1939 saw another overthrow of democracy as the fascist Francisco Franco- aided by Hitler and Mussolini- took over the country as the U.S., led by Roosevelt, sat by idly. When war officially broke out in Europe with the declaration of war on Germany by England and France, America was quick to declare complete neutrality. Because America wanted France and England to win, Roosevelt persuaded Congress to declare a new Neutrality Act of 1939 where European democracies could buy American war materials on a cash and carry basis. An extension of this revised neutrality act came with the Lend-Lease Law in 1941 where America would lend arms to democracies to be returned after the war. Economically, this law already declared war on Germany. This production of war materials sparked the American economy, in a way that the New Deal programs never could. Unemployment and surplus goods were slowly cured by the demand overseas. Although Roosevelt did help heal the Depression, it was World War II that truly pulled America out of the depths it has been sunk in.
Roosevelt won the election of 1940, shattering the two-term tradition long established by famed George Washington. On December 7, 1941, America was officially dragged into the war with the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. A unanimous vote declared war four days later in both the House and the Senate. The entrance of the United States into the war ended the era of the New Deal. Many programs were ended, such as the Civilian Conservation Corps, as the country's efforts were turned towards winning the war. America and Britain agreed, upon America's entrance to the war, on a "get Germany first" strategy and then get Japan. Because of this, in the Pacific, troops did not have as many resources and a famous strategy was "island hopping," which allowed them to slowly take over the Pacific. Nearly 15 million men were enlisted to the war and women took up jobs outside the home to replace the missing workers. Both African Americans and Native Americans left their previous homes and sought war jobs in cities or in the military. The war cost 330 billion dollars- twice as much as all previous federal spending since 1776. Approximately 100,000 Japanese-Americans on the Pacific Coast were herded into concentration camps, even though about 2/3 of them were born in America. This action reflected the fear and hatred towards the Japanese after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but it was a failure morally of Roosevelt to allow his fellow citizens to be treated as such. D-Day, starting on June 6, 1944 at French Normandy, succeeded in gaining more and more of France until Paris was finally freed in August.In the Presidential election of 1944, Roosevelt easily won a fourth term against opponent Thomas E. Dewey. The war was going well and the American people did want to change presidents in the middle of an all-consuming war. Although FDR's final term in office lasted just a few months, it had a significant impact. The Yalta conference in February of 1945 between the Big Three- Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill- in which plans for the United Nations were made and peacetime plans were discussed. Roosevelt was criticized as selling out China's Chiang Kai-shek out to the Soviet Union by giving Stalin China's Manchuria. The end of the war was near when Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, leaving a lasting legacy on the United States and its people. Roosevelt's efforts finally paid off when Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945 and Japan surrendered on August 10, 1945.
Compared to the presidents before him, Franklin Delano Roosevelt stands out from the rest. George Washington, although a great president in a different way, insisted on neutrality and isolation as the path of his administration to follow. Much of the groundwork for American politics- especially economically- was shaped by his Secretary of State, Alexander Hamilton. America was very weak during Washington's administration, and did not hold the power which FDR was able to yield. Washington never had to fight a serious nationwide depression or fight a global war, both things Washington would have been shaken in the face of. He also did not want to be president and did not feel the call to serve as Roosevelt did. Although Roosevelt was in critical health by his fourth campaign, he felt bounded to the job and literally gave up his life for his country, in a similar way as did the soldiers fighting around the globe. In addition, Washington was very cautious about overstepping any executive boundaries, not wanting to shape the presidency to a dictatorship. After Washington, the next "big" president", Andrew Jackson, succeeded in re-defining the lines of the presidency. He brought in the new "era of the Common Man" and advanced the cause of democracy throughout the nation. Similarly, Roosevelt aided the poor and also extended the executive to greater lengths. However, Jackson's biggest worries were the nullification crisis with South Carolina over the so called Tariff of Abominations, the moral concern over the relocation of the Native Americans, and the battle over the Second Bank of the United States, all puny in the face of world wide conflict and the saving of democracy from the clutches of everything America was built to be protected from. Abraham Lincoln, the protector of the Union, is probably one of the most well known and famed presidents of all, and the only one who can almost rise up to FDR. He mostly single handedly- since Congress was not involved much- decided the course of the Union during the Civil War and created a perfect Union once more. He also gave his life to the country when he was assassinated because of his policies. However, the impact that FDR had on the entire nation as a whole and the people as individuals, had never been seen before. Also, just looking at Roosevelt's twelve, unwavering years in office makes Lincoln's four years seem mediocre.Franklin Delano Roosevelt encountered countless crises during his twelve year long administration, and he worked tirelessly to solve all the nation's woes. He greatly extended the reach of the executive and the reach of the United States as he steered the nation through its most turbulent and troublesome period. His legacy left a shining mark on American history that no president has been able to match before or since.
Tristan Mauricio
Periods 1&6
6/3/13
Americans that lived through the 1920’s and 30’s would experience some of the darkest days of our history as the country slowly disintegrated. Out of the four Presidents that resided in office during the Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt had the best track record, serving four presidential terms and very popular among the people a lot of people regard him as one of the greatest Presidents in our History. First, his New Deal during his first term was the perfect response to getting Americans back on their feet; secondly he would test the limits of the Presidency by taking distinctive roles in regards to the Supreme Court and foreign policy; his third term would be completely dominated by World War II and end up being very brave in the face of total destruction; and lastly, his fourth term would end prematurely yet he had a huge impact on our society. Therefore with all of his terms in office and his legacy he left behind, Franklin Delano Roosevelt is the greatest President of all time.
Before FDR would come into office the country, its people, and industry was devastated by the terrible effects of the worst period of the Twentieth century which had become the Great Depression. His predecessors prolonged the Great Depression, since all three of them were Republicans they adamantly believed that the whole problem would sort itself out as it always had according to the Boom and Bust Cycle. An entire decade and a half was the result of this Keynesian mindset, it occurred to American public that things were never going to get better, Industry was in pieces, the Banks and the Economy were completely and utterly ravaged with no sign of Recovery, and most importantly the people were unable to cope with the poor state of the country. His focus upon taking oath was to provide immediate relief for the country in his first 100 days as President. The very first thing he would do was to assist the struggling Bank system which he believed was the core of the United States and so he would take immediate action declaring a Bank Holiday. The second most important item on his list was to relieve the people; he would pass numerous pieces of legislation such as the CCC or the FDIC to provide jobs to massive unemployment lines. His first term as President would gain him huge popularity and support with the crippled nation, perhaps as an extension of his gratitude and commitment to the people.
Although FDR’s second term contained little major legislation he would greatly challenge the role of the Presidency. Additions to his New Deal policies passed in his first term were mostly prevalent such as the Housing Act of 1937 and the FLSA which created minimum wage reminded the nation’s citizens that his allegiance lied with the people. In retaliation to lack of approval of his New Deal policies within the Supreme Court he would call the Supreme Justices out with his court packing scheme. The Supreme Court never agreed with FDR nor his polices, which contrasted his support within the public and Congress. FDR would review his knowledge of the Constitution and discovered that there is nothing saying that “packing” the Supreme Court with judges was Unconstitutional and attempted to do so. Many were completely dumbstruck by his political move to gain support of his New Deal policies, it was rejected but it ultimately provided the notion that he meant business. It was obvious that FDR had popular support yet there were still forces that would attempt to end his career as a politician. Surprisingly he was resented in his own party, the Democrats who attempted to do anything to splotch his Presidency. At the Democratic Convention he would carefully fight for his standing as the Democratic candidate and promptly win him his re-election. As he slowly but surely began to re define the Presidency some of the World’s Darkest Days would take place in Europe.
(Part 2) FDR preferred to maintain the Good Neighbor Policy and retain the neutrality of the United States in foreign war, yet as Hitler and the Axis Powers continued to dominate all of the countries around him our neutrality would soon come to an end. FDR understood that the United States needed to recover from the Depression as did the world and that should be the number one priority. He would keep us out of the War for as long as possible because most Americans were wary and going to war was out of the question, so FDR would provide aid to both sides which brought us much profit. The Allies’ War effort was going terribly as more and more countries would fall underneath the onslaught of the Nazi swastika and urged us to join the war to help them out which we constantly denied. On December 7, 1941 everything would change after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, the attack would result in full scale armament of the United States Army as thousands rushed to Army recruiters. As the country produced weapons, machinery, and food on a massive scale, The Great Depression was longer the issue, the issue was preventing the world from utter annihilation. Once the United States Army had entered the fray, we would slowly repel the German siege and retake each Pacific Island controlled by the Japanese one at a time. The United States during this time would transform from a crippled nation to a world super power.
Entering his fourth and final term as President FDR’s health was failing due to different conditions as Americans slowly claimed victory in the final days of World War II. After years of fighting German assets in Germany would be forced back into Berlin as combined Ally forces trudged along the beaten path as the Japanese Army was decimated and its Navy in full retreat. And finally in August of 1945 Japan would surrender after the atomic bomb drops. However the joy victory was short lived as FDR’s health would slowly perish, his health had been failing or years now but as of 1945 he was not well at all. After the War had ended he would make preparations for long term recovery as was his specialty but after his final meeting with the Yalta conference noted physician, Lord Moran, stated that he was dying. Soon after he would return the states he would suffer from a cerebral hemorrhage (stroke) and pronounced dead that very afternoon. His death would stop the world from spinning as it was met with immense shock and grief which some historians say his death marked the end of an age and the beginning of another. The United States seemed hollow as their much beloved leader had passed away.
FDR would take the reins of a crippled nation; he would pick up the States from dismay and help transform it into the World Superpower. His predecessors had done much to contribute to the success of the United States but none so more than Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s administration. His immediate relief, recovery, and reform would bring around the death of the Great Depression to the great nation it is today. The power that resides within the Presidency would be buffered up immensely during his four terms and 12 years as President. His response to the second but greater Great War would save the world from becoming conquered territory and also expand the role of the United States on the worldwide scale would go beyond what James Monroe had stated in the Nineteenth century. And his eternal impact on the United States would present a legacy in which the United States must follow to police the world. FDR was absolutely critical to this nation’s growth in the sense that he alone would lead the United States to THE Superpower it is today.
(Part 3)Franklin Delano Roosevelt is the greatest President in American history for a multitude of reasons but chiefly his redefinition of America itself. His immediate sense of relief to the American Government and its people was just what the doctor had ordered, relief ad been long awaited and if it had not been for FDR’s efforts with his 3 R’s recovery from the Great Depression could have possibly never ended. His buffer efforts at expanding the role of the President was one that had never seen before, it was one that the President of the United States would have all the power to enforce his policies. His neutrality policies for the United States and long years of war preparation prevented much disaster if the United States had entered the war prematurely or if at all. And finally his follow through would establish the United States as the country to get aid from which was crucial to its growth as a world superpower. FDR was not only the much beloved, influential, and powerful President he would lead the Greatest Generation from depression to the most powerful country in the world, and therefore Franklin Delano Roosevelt is the greatest President in American History.
Grading complete up to this point.
From Josh:
Franklin Roosevelt, the relative to "Teddy" Roosevelt, is considered by many to be one of the greater presidents in our country's history. Some may even call him the greatest we ever had. Some of the things FDR did were great, but some of his actions just didn't work out as he had wanted. FDR's first plan, FDIC, helped stabilize the crazy bank withdrawals going on in 1933; The second thing he did that worked fairly well in socially accepting FDR was his his radio firesides. However, FDR was never able to reinvigorate the country with his policies, since some failed actions, including the agriculture adjustment act despite some of his successes, and the US never really recovered until World War I. FDR managed to do some good thing s to the USA, but he shouldn't be considered the best president the country has ever had.
When Franklin Roosevelt came into office, the country was n a complete bank panic. After his famous inauguration speech, he declared a bank holiday and later passing the Glass-Steagall Act which created the Federal Deposit Insurance Company (FDIC for short). Banks that were(and now too) registered with FDIC guaranteed people that they would get their money back if the bank failed up to a certain amount that has changed over the years. This allowed people to keep their money in their bank deposits without risking the chance that they could loose everything from a bank failure. This kept banks afloat, stopping the bank panic when he entered office. This brisk action from FDR and congress was an excellent move, since it was a win-win-win situation since people would keep money in banks, then banks still had money to operate and not shut down, and finally kept the government from using more money to reimburse Americans that lost money from a failing bank. FDR created a great start to his first term in presidency, especially in the eyes of the common people.
Roosevelt's reputation with the common men and women of America had been strengthened from the very beginning. FDR was, actually, going to strengthen that relationship even more with his famous Fire-Side chats on public radio(a popular and booming form of public broadcasting at the time). He could talk to the entire country anytime on the radio, and he could tell what he was doing in the White House, and how he was attempting to fix the country. FDR had a experimental approach on fixing the country, since he would introduce different ideas all the time, sometimes faster than congress would like. Even though many would say he was wasting his time talking to the public, it allowed him to rally people for his changes in congress and give him an edge during re-election times due to his "connection" with the people. Even though World War II was the major reason that FDR stayed in the presidency, his Fire Side Chats (especially in his campaign for his second term) made for a great way to communicate with his followers and gain new ones over the extremely popular radio. Fire Side Chats allowed easy communication and became a link with the people of the country to keep himself in good terms with the American people.
Not all of FDR's policies worked out, and the policies that did work in any manner did not get the country out of the Great Depression. When FDR came into presidency, the unemployment rating was above 20%, but after several years the unemployment rate only went down to 15%. One of FDR's failed bills included the original crop adjustment act, which tried helping farmers by adjusting prices. Also, the CCC, despite helping many young men and their families, just could not help everyone. many of FDR's policies were practically only experiments, and they also generated a lot of debt at the time too. At the beginning of his presidency, the USA had about 22 Million USD in debt, but by the time he left (via Death, unfortunately), he brought the sum to about $258 Billion with his experiments. Also, his social security plans weren't entirely well thought out for future advancements in medicine. The life expectancies for Americans went up dramatically throughout the next decades, especially due to the newly created antibiotics and vaccines for viruses that were killing off major disease like polio, which had put FDR in his wheal chair in the first place. Now the elderly lived longer, and that means that Social Security will need more money to pay for those people for more years, which means more debt and more taxes forced upon the people because a bill wasn't entirely thought all the way through for future elders and longer lives. In the end, however, Roosevelt did not fix the unemployment problem/ depression, World War II did. Extreme increases in production at factories and farms needing to actually produce more food, instead of less, in order to power and supply the war effort against both Japan and helping Europe take back France and defeat Nazi Germany. People were also saving money during the war, which would make for some richer people after the war since they could buy stuff when the war ended. Despite its tragedies, War was one of the best things that could have happened to America at the time. Even though FDR gave it his best, he just couldn't fix Americas problems without WWII.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a great president, and he did some good things during the Great Depression, and he did not seek ultimate power over the country (well, maybe, after seeing that court packing "scheme") during the countries weakness. He made some expedient actions during the beginning of his presidency like with the bank holiday and the Glass-Steegal act to create FDIC, and he did manage to keep a tie to the American people using his Fireside chats on the extremely popular radio. The problem was that overall, FDRs experiments in creating so many Acronyms and bill didn't work well, and it took a gigantic war, fighting with two different areas in the entire world, to bring America out of the depression that lasted for practically a decade.
From 1932 to 1945 FDR, otherwise known as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, held office and lead with a firm, yet gentle hand, inspiring many and in turn further shaped out the wonderfully obscure shape that is the United States. F.D. Roosevelt was responsible for multiple significant changes in the U.S.; he is credited for many economic developments and resolutions, Roosevelt successfully lead our nation out of the greatest economic depression it had ever seen"; In addition, Franklin expanded the roles of the federal government and their efficiency and regulation; and most importantly he gave Americans hope for a brighter and safer future, for their children, their jobs, their businesses, their government, and their crippled, yet colossal leader as well. While I cannot say for certain that Roosevelt is America's greatest president that we'll ever see, I personally would not mind turning 18 and cast my vote in favor of any true American Delano that would come my way. Yes, I suppose I could say that Franklin was the best president that we've had as of yet, though I can still hope for someone more messiah-like I suppose.
Two of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s primary political accomplishments during his first term were his First and Second New Deals. F.Delano Roosevelt believed Laissez Faire could not appropriately support industrialism in America, so within these “New Deals” of his, Roosevelt utilized his presidential power to control the free market in order to first maintain, then enhance the U.S.'s economy. With this strength, in addition to his passion, Franklin D.R was able to create jobs for the millions of unemployed civilians suffering throughout the United States due to the massive recession that hit America's homes. He accomplished this by creating different labor programs and jobs not only to improve the livelihood of Americans in poverty, but the landscape of American progress and reform as well.
Grading Complete up to this point.
Nick Palmares
Per. 4
Franklin Roosevelt was America’s President from 1933 to 1945, a whole three terms and was elected for his forth one when his unfortunate death ended his presidency. This period in history was very difficult for America and it showed. Within these years was the Great Depression, the fascist powers in Europe, and the Second World War. FDR was one of the greatest president in American history because of his promise and eventually make true to end the Great Depression, defeat the hazard of Fascism, and leave a path which would manipulate every American President after him to try and be like he was, but like any human being FDR was not without faults.
FDR met his first major problem in his first term which started in 1933 and ended in 1937. The Great Depression had been taking over the nation for years. Unemployment was increasing at preposterous rates, poverty overwhelmed many families across the nation, and businesses were decaying. Unlike the Laissez-Faire presidents before him, FDR took control of the situation by establishing federal agencies to control the floundering economy. He created what he called the “New Deal” to reacquire economic stability. As part of his New Deal, FDR passed the Emergency Banking Act, and created the Federal Emergency Relief Administration to help manage the recovery. He also established the Civilian Conservation Corps to help employ young men and develop rural areas of the country. These programs were accompanied by many more which also helped tame the national economy and bring it under control.
(cont) The Supreme Court became Roosevelt's primary focus during his second term, after the court overturned many of his programs. Roosevelt stunned Congress in early 1937 by proposing a law allowing him to appoint up to six new justices, what he referred to as a "persistent infusion of new blood." Roosevelt had massive support from the rapidly growing labor unions, but now they split into bitterly feuding AFL and CIO factions, the latter led by John L. Lewis. Roosevelt pronounced a "plague on both your houses," but labor's disunity weakened the party in the elections from 1938 through 1946. Determined to overcome the opposition of conservative Democrats in Congress (mostly from the South), Roosevelt involved himself in the 1938 Democratic primaries, actively campaigning for challengers who were more supportive of New Deal reform. His targets denounced Roosevelt for trying to take over the Democratic Party and to win reelection, used the argument that they were independent. Roosevelt failed badly, managing to defeat only one target, a conservative Democrat from New York City.
Roosevelt's third term was dominated by World War II. Roosevelt slowly began re-armament in 1938, although he was facing strong isolationist sentiment from leaders like Senators William Borah and Robert Taft. By 1940, re-armament was in high gear, with bipartisan support, partly to expand and re-equip the Army and Navy and partly to become the "Arsenal of Democracy" supporting Britain, France, China and (after June 1941), the Soviet Union. As Roosevelt took a firmer stance against the Axis Powers, American isolationists vehemently attacked the President as an irresponsible warmonger. Roosevelt initiated FBI and Internal Revenue Service investigations of his loudest critics, though no legal actions resulted. On December 29, 1940, he delivered his Arsenal of Democracy fireside chat, in which he made the case for involvement in the war directly to the American people. A week later he delivered his famous Four Freedoms speech laying out the case for an American defense of basic rights throughout the world. The home front was subject to dynamic social changes throughout the war, though domestic issues were no longer Roosevelt's most urgent policy concern. The military buildup spurred economic growth. By 1941, unemployment had fallen to under 1 million. When Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, Roosevelt agreed to extend Lend-Lease to the Soviets. Thus, Roosevelt had committed the U.S. to the Allied side with a policy of "all aid short of war." Later that year a German submarine fired on the U.S. destroyer Greer and Roosevelt declared that the U.S. Navy would assume an escort role for Allied convoys in the Atlantic as far east as Great Britain and would fire upon German ships or submarines (U-boats) of the Krieg marine if they entered the U.S. Navy zone. Roosevelt and Churchill conducted a highly secret bilateral meeting in Argentia, Newfoundland, and on August 14, 1941, concluded their Atlantic Charter, conceptually outlining global goals following the war; this was the first of several wartime conferences. In 1942, war production increased dramatically, but fell short of the goals established by the President, due in part to manpower shortages. In 1944 the President requested that Congress enact legislation which would tax all unreasonable profits, both corporate and individual, and thereby support his declared need for over ten billion in revenue for the war and other government measures. Roosevelt, who turned 62 in 1944, had been in declining health since at least 1940. FDR died on April 12, 1945 after complaining about a pain in the back of his head.
(cont) Among even the other presidents, he sticks out like a sore thumb. He is unmistakably more persuasive than the majority of the presidents just because of his total number of undertakings, but how does he compare to some of the greatest presidents? If one were to answer this question honestly there is really no way to compare FDR to any other President due to the fact that they never really had to deal with something this big. Washington did not have much to deal with during his Presidency other than the people. When Hamilton was President his main focus was the creation of the banks, which is where there is something one could compare between him and FDR, but Hamilton was not in the middle of a crisis when he did his action. Lincoln was in the middle of a war that was American against American while he was trying to expand west, but in contrast to FDR’s worldwide war, it doesn’t seem to hold much to it. When someone looks at it from this view maybe Franklin Delano Roosevelt was not one of the greatest Presidents.
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