FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT Thirty-second President of the United States Born in 1882 - Died in 1945 Enter your search terms Submit search form   Web gardenofpraise.com

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FRANK ln DEL uh no RO zuh velt) known as "FDR" was a descendant of Theodore Roosevelt, his fifth cousin, who had been the 26th President of the United States.

He was the only child of James and Sara Roosevelt. His father was 26 years older than his wife Sara, who was 28 years old when Franklin was born. She was very strict with their son, but both parents loved him very much. They took him on trips to Europe with them, and instead of attending school, Franklin was taught by private tutors.

When he was 14 he went to a preparatory school, and upon finishing high school he attended Harvard where he graduated. Next he went to law school at Columbia University.

While he was at Harvard he made contact with his distant cousin, Eleanor whom he had known as a child. She was rather plain-looking, but she had a brilliant mind, and this attracted Franklin to her. His mother opposed the marriage and constantly interfered. In fact while they couple was on their honeymoon Sara rented a house and fully furnished it to suit her own tastes. Through the years her interference caused Eleanor a lot of grief.

They had six children, but one of their sons died as an infant. Roosevelt was a good father and engaged in many sports and activities with his children.

His political career began at the age of 29 when he became a U.S. Senator from New York. He ran for Vice-President in 1920 on a ticket with James Cox, but they lost the election to Herbert Hoover.

The next year a terrible thing happened to him. He became ill with polio * , a disease which attacks and cripples the body. He became partially paralyzed. He fought hard to overcome the disease and regained the use of his hands, but he would never be able to walk again without help. Swimming in warm water seemed to help his legs.

Some thought his career was ended, but with his determination he proved them wrong. He was elected governor of New York, then in 1932 he was elected President of the United States.

The country was in an economic depression * . People could not get jobs, and families were suffering. Men stood in bread lines to get food. People lost their homes, and farmers lost their farms.

Three weeks after he took office there was a banking crisis. People began to be afraid and drew their money out of the banks. The banks were running out of money. Roosevelt declared a "bank holiday" and closed all the banks until the accounting books could be examined. The financially sound banks were given money by the government to reopen, but the banks in financial trouble remained closed.

WPA workers in 1939

Roosevelt knew he had to do something to help his countrymen survive the economic crisis. He implemented "The New Deal". He created jobs for people building roads, bridges, and schoolhouses. They even paid people to clean up the parks and do odd jobs. The economy gradually began to recover.

He started a program called Social Security to help people in their old age. Millions of Americans today depend on Social Security benefits for their retirement income.

Radio was the primary source of information in those days. Roosevelt used the radio as a means of communicating through his "fireside chats". Through a series of thirty such "chats" he enlisted the co-operation of the American people. He would begin each talk with "My friends...".

In 1936 Roosevelt was re-elected. It was a landslide * ! He received 523 electoral votes and Alf (Alfred) Landon only received 8. Roosevelt won in every state except Maine and Vermont.

In 1935 Congress passed the Neutrality * Act which "prohibited the United States from furnishing weapons or supplies to any nation at war". They passed more laws to keep America free of "foreign entanglements".

Then Germany attacked Poland. What was America to do? Should she just ignore what was happening? Congress passed another Neutrality Act which allowed the sale of weapons, but nations buying the weapons had to move them on their own ships.

In 1940 the Democrats again nominated Roosevelt to run for President. No man up to this time had ever run for a third presidential term, but there was no law against it. (In 1947 the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was proposed limiting a person to serving only two terms as President. It was ratified in 1951.) Roosevelt was elected to a third term.

The world at this time was divided into two camps. On one side were the Axis Powers: Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and the Empire of Japan. Adolph Hitler (AH dolf HIT lur) was the Fuehrer (FYUR r) or the German leader, Benito Mussolini (buh NEE toe moo suh LEE nih) was Prime Minister of Italy, and Hirohito (heer oh HEE toe) was the Emperor of Japan. Tojo (TOE jo) was the Japanese general and Prime Minister. ( See FDR Resources )

In the other camp were the Allies; those opposing the Axis Powers. This alliance was composed of Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States, and Joseph Stalin of Russia. (See FDR Resources)

America had been able to stay out of the war until December 7, 1941. That was the day Tojo, the Japanese Prime Minister, ordered an attack on the American Naval fleet at Pearl Harbor on the island of Hawaii. Franklin Roosevelt described it as "a date that will live in infamy". America had finally been drawn into World War II (Two).

Roosevelt had meetings in Washington with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. They decided that Germany, the most powerful of the Axis must be defeated first. They continued to meet, then they included Joseph Stalin of Russia in the talks. They were known as "The Big Three". Roosevelt also had talks with Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek (JEE-AHNG ki shek) of China.

Since the war was continuing in 1944, Roosevelt was again elected President. This would be his fourth term! He had already been President for twelve years. He wanted to retire, but felt it was his duty to continue to serve his country.

The Republicans were adamantly * opposed to electing a man for a fourth term. They said Roosevelt's health was too poor for him to run again. He would show them! He drove around in an open car for four hours in a rainstorm.

He won the election, but he soon began to have one cold after another. This went on for a year.

Two days after his inauguration he went to Yalta (YAWL tuh) where he met with Churchill and Stalin. They planned their strategy to defeat Germany. Russia, in exchange for the Kurile islands and other favors, agreed to enter the war to help defeat the Japanese. He said Russia would enter 90 days after the defeat of the Germans.

In April 1945 Roosevelt was in Warm Springs, Georgia. While there he collapsed and died of a cerebral * hemorrhage * . Millions of Americans mourned the death of their beloved President. The world had lost a great leader. The war would come to an end four months later.

Webmaster's note: Roosevelt was President during the years of my childhood. I remember well my mother's tears the day he died. We heard the news on the windcharger-powered radio that occupied a prominent place in the living room of our small house on the farm.

I also remember one building we had on the farm that was built by members of the CCC, the Civilian Conservation Corps, one of Roosevelts work projects. It was an outhouse with the CCC imprint in the concrete floor.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt American Presidents, Life Portraits Listen to stories about this president. Franklin Delano Roosevelt from Wikipedia FDR Library and Museum educational programs for the student and teacher Franklin D. Roosevelt from whitehouse.gov Franklin D. Roosevelt from The Time 100 Video - Inauguration of Roosevelt plus newsreel clips (10 min 8 sec) Fireside Chats of Franklin Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt Speeches listen to Inaugural Addresses and Fireside Chats Character Above All Excerpted from an essay by Doris Kearns Goodwin FDR Cartoon Collection Franklin D. Roosevelt from World Almanac for Kids "Franklin D. Roosevelt, An Informal Biography" online book by Alden Hatch At biography.com search for Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Scroll the panel for the "Video & Audio Results".

Franklin Delano Roosevelt By Freedman / Houghton-mifflin Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president of the United States from 1933 to 1945, the years of the Great Depression and World War II. Under FDR's leadership in the most difficult of times, the United States became the most powerful nation in history. The carefully selected photographs and meticulously researched life in these pages combine to tell the life of an extraordinary man and of an era that was perhaps the most momentous in American history. Many of the programs and policies instituted by Roosevelt during his twelve years in office affect the quality of American life even today. Controversial in his own time, his views are still the subject of heated debate. A majority of Americans loved Roosevelt: a sizeable minority hated him. Russell Freedman brings to this important biography all the consummate and skill and artistry that have earned him universal acclaim as one of the finest contributors to books for children writing today.

Famous Faces from TIME: U.S. Presidents 1933-2001 By Teacher Created Resources Use original TIME magazine covers to help students discover history. A 16-page Teacher's Guide is included and contains a profile of each "Famous Face." Profile sections help students read for understanding, increase vocabulary, and make personal connections to the world around them. "Famous Faces" include Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Each pack contains 12 or more cards which measure 8 1/2'' x 11'' each. All bulletin board pieces are UV coated for extra durability.

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From Word Central's Student Dictionary
by Merriam - Webster
(Pronunciation note: the schwa sound is shown by &)



poliomyelitis
Pronunciation: "pO-lE-"O-"mI-&-'lIt-&s
Function: noun
an infectious virus disease marked by inflammation
of nerve cells in the spinal cord
accompanied by fever and often paralysis and wasting of muscles
called also infantile paralysis

depression
Pronunciation: di-'presh-&n
Function: noun
a period of low general economic activity with widespread unemployment

landslide
Pronunciation: 'lan(d)-"slId
Function: noun
an overwhelming victory especially in a political contest
as in "He won by a landslide."

neutrality
Pronunciation: n(y)oo-'tral-&t-E
Function: noun
the quality or state of being neutral especially in time of war

adamant
Pronunciation: 'ad-&-m&nt, -"mant
Function: adjective
firmly fixed or decided especially against something , unyielding

cerebral
Pronunciation: s&-'rE-br&l
Function: adjective
of or relating to the brain

hemorrhage
Pronunciation: 'hem-(&-)rij
Function: noun
a great loss of blood from the blood vessels especially when caused by injury

Biographies in this Series

Presidents of the United States	George Washington 1st U.S. President	John Adams 2nd U.S. President	Thomas Jefferson 3rd U.S.President
	James Monroe 5th U.S. President	Andrew Jackson 7th U.S. President	Abraham Lincoln 16th U.S.President
	Franklin D. Roosevelt 32nd U.S. President	John F. Kennedy 35th U.S. President	James Madison 4th U.S. President
	Theodore Roosevelt 26th U.S. President
American Patriots	Benjamin Franklin patriot and statesman	Francis Scott Key Star Spangled Banner	Deborah Sampson woman soldier in the Revolutionary War
World Leaders	Constantine Roman Emperor	Alexander the Great conqueror	Winston Churchill British Prime Minister
Inventors	Alexander Graham Bell telephone	Johann Gutenberg printing press	Cyrus McCormick mechanical reaper
	The Wright Brothers first airplane	Henry Ford Automaker	Thomas A. Edison electric light bulb
	Sequoyah Cherokee alphabet	Nikola Tesla 700 patents	.
Explorers	Christopher Columbus explorer	Meriwether Lewis explorer	Robert Peary Arctic explorer
	John Muir Naturalist	Matthew Henson Arctic Explorer	Sir Edmund Hillary Mr.Everest
	Kit Carson Indian agent	"Johnny Appleseed" orchardist	.
Women who made a difference	Clara Barton founder of the Red Cross	Helen Keller overcame blindness & deafness	Florence Nightingale founder of nursing profession
	Joan of Arc religious and military leader	Amelia Earhart Aviator	Annie Oakley sharpshooter
	Susan B. Anthony Suffragette	Elizabeth Keckly Seamstress	Harriet Tubman deliverer of slaves
	Anne Frank Diarist	Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian	.
Scientists	George Washington Carver botanist and educator	Sir Isaac Newton explained gravity and properties of light	Marie Curie scientist, physicist
	Louis Pasteur Biologist	Albert Einstein physicist, genius	Galileo Astronomer, physicist
Educators	Noah Webster writer of dictionary	Booker T. Washington leader and educator	Aristotle Greek philosopher
Physicians	Hippocrates father of medicine	Walter Reed discovered cause of yellow fever	Albert Schweitzer humanitarian
Religious Leaders	Increase Mather Salem witch trials	.
Athletes	Lou Gehrig baseball player	Wilma Rudolph Olympic gold medal winner	Tiger Woods golfer
Civil Rights Leaders	Martin Luther King civil rights leader	Rosa Parks bus desegregation	Sojourner Truth Former slave
	Frederick Douglass Abolitionist	Mary Ann Shadd Cary Civil rights leader	James Forten Inventor, abolitionist
Composers	Beethoven composer
Artists	John James Audubon artist and naturalist	Gutzon Borglum sculptor, Mount Rushmore	Ansel Adams photographer

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