Simone+P.+-FDR-+FA12

January 30, 1882 (Hyde Park, NY) – April 12, 1945 (Warm Springs, GA) Political Party: Democrat Terms: (Four) March 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945 Vice Presidents: John N. Garner (1933-1941), Henry A. Wallace (1941-1945), Harry S. Truman (1945) America during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency was in for a rough time. Before and during Roosevelt’s presidency, the United States had plunged into a global depression. The Great Depression witnessed by the United States was devastating to the nation’s economy and spirit; banks failed, people lost their jobs and homes, and suicide rates increased. The Great Depression came as a shock to Americans, many of whom were still riding the tides of previous WWI prosperity. As a whole, the United States looked for a leader who would represent and support the laboring class. World War Two also brought change to the American Identity during Roosevelt’s term. Keeping with the American spirit of neutrality, the United States remained a neutral country in the beginning of the war. But, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor caused the United States to enter the war. America’s new role in the war would prove to be beneficial, causing the United States to rise as a major world power, changing the countries global identity.
 * Franklin Delano Roosevelt**

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the 32nd president of the United States. After his inauguration, he wasted no time trying to improve American spirit and economy. The first “Hundred Days” of his presidency marked extreme legislative activity and Roosevelt worked to promote his Three R’s (reform, relief, and recovery) through his New Deal legislation. Roosevelt’s first New Deal was a confusing flurry of legislation that was designed to reinvigorate the American economy. During his terms Roosevelt passed many acts and started many programs that provided monetary relief and employment to countless Americans. Roosevelt’s decision to remain an under-the-table supported of WWII allowed the American economy to stabilize before the need to fully immerse the United States in the war presented itself. Although perhaps seen as chaotic, Roosevelt’s presidency provided the United States with reforms and relief programs that both stimulated American spirit and economy. His aid in WWII allowed America to relieve itself of the Great Depression, and stabilize its economy. Roosevelt was a great leader in a time when the country was desperate for action, and for that he and his administration deserve an A+.

When Roosevelt took office, the American people were calling for action. Roosevelt and his predecessor, Herbert Hoover, shared many outlooks on how to handle the United States’ economic crisis; the only difference is that Roosevelt was able to take action. Roosevelt’s main goal was to stabilize the country’s economy. He believed in the reformation of banking, which he took action towards in his first week of presidency. Roosevelt also believed that the cause of economic failure could be found in the decline of agricultural industry. Roosevelt’s main goal in the farming industry was to raise farm prices and put more money in the farmer’s pockets. He attempted to achieve this through various pieces of legislation, some more successful than others.

Roosevelt’s relationship with Congress was quite typical of a president. Both he and Congress worked towards passing legislation that would promote relief and economic reform. Roosevelt’s success in legislature can be contributed to the majority that his party held in both houses of Congress during the majority of his presidency. But, Roosevelt holds the most presidential vetoes in United States history. This can be attributed to the extensive legislation that both he and Congress attempted to pass to battle the Great Depression, as well as the fact that he holds the most presidential terms in history. Although mainly supported, Roosevelt did face some policy opposition from the Supreme Court, an example of this is the Court’s determination that Roosevelt’s NRA unconstitutional.

The decision of the Roosevelt administration that most greatly impacted the nation was Roosevelt’s push for United States action in World War II. Although taking much action to save America’s economic structure, WWII ultimately held the key to the end of the Great Depression. WWII revived American industry, recreating thousands of jobs and stimulating the economy. Had Roosevelt decided to remain completely out of WWII and the business it brought, the United States surely would have continued to suffer, and its economy would have continued to deteriorate. Roosevelt’s early tentative pushes towards trade with Britain and other European nations helped active the U.S. economy before the great need for WWII involvement arose. The most negative decision of the Roosevelt administration was the Agricultural Adjustment Act. Although designed to reduce farming surplus and therefore increase agricultural revenue, the act sparked quite a controversy. Farmers would receive government payments if they reduced their cultivation. Because the act was passed after planting season, many farmers plowed over already sowed fields. With millions going hungry, there was protest of the destruction of food sources. Also, many farmers would remove acreage from their less productive land and over cultivate the more fertile plots, often causing larger harvests. The AAA was a program with all the right intentions, but it did not perform up to expectations.

Roosevelt’s decision that impacted future generations was made during his Second New Deal period. Social security was not a novel idea of the Roosevelt administration. Dr. Francis Townsend spoke about providing relief of seniors, and many other European countries already had their own form of Social Security in place. In fact, the United States was the only major industrial power who didn’t have their own Social Security system when Roosevelt sign the Social Security Act in 1935. This act would provide monetary relief to the unemployed and retired elderly. It would offer protection against financial poverty to these classes, but one had to be employed at one point to gain coverage. This legislation is still in effect today, providing millions with financial aid and security.

One can hardly describe Franklin D. Roosevelt as a president who did not contribute to American prosperity. Roosevelt took control of a nation that was spiraling through an economic failure. He did his best to provide the American people with the relief that they needed. Although faced with other hardships, such as the Dust Bowl and World War II, Roosevelt never quit. He was a president who was determined to work for the greater good of the people. He passed a whirlwind of legislation that was designed to encourage the prosperity of the United States. He worked to benefit people of all classes. Much of the reforms and programs that were started by Roosevelt are still in effect today. His efforts in WWII helped to promote the United States yet again as a major world industrial power, and at the same time dragging the country from a volatile depression. There are times in American history that call for a special kind of person to lead. Roosevelt stepped up to the plate and embodied the spirit of the nation, working to push forward out of a depression and into success.

Works Cited "Franklin D. Roosevelt." American President: Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Ed. William E. Leuchtenburg. University of Virginia, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2012. . "Franklin Roosevelt." //Wikipedia//. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Sept. 2012. Web. 09 Dec. 2012 Magill, Frank N. "Franklin D. Roosevelt." //American Presidents.// Vol. 3. Danbury: Grolier Educational Corporation, 1986. 2-50. Print. Roosevelt to Bush.