Alex+S.+-+FDR+-+FA09

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) stated in his First Inaugural Address: “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Those were very powerful words at the time when the Great Depression was sinking lower and lower. Roosevelt was very confident in himself and his country that they could come out victorious in the battle against an economic crisis. FDR was one president who did not forget the “forgotten man” and focused on helping him. Roosevelt receives a ranking of A for being one of the greatest presidents the country has ever had.
 * Franklin Delano Roosevelt:**
 * Born:** January 30, 1882
 * Died:** April 12, 1945 (In office)
 * Term:** 1933 - 1937
 * Vice President:** John Nance Garner
 * Term:** 1937 - 1941
 * Vice President:** John Nance Garner
 * Term:** 1941 - 1945
 * Vice President:** Henry Wallace
 * Term:** 1945 (Died in 1945)
 * Vice President:** Harry Truman
 * Political Party:** Democratic
 * Overview:**

Roosevelt had only one goal when he was elected president for the first time. He wanted to help the nation get through the worst economic situation it has seen. He was confident that his New Deal would help very much but also knew that he had to try something and if that did not work try something else. His 3 R’s were “relief, recovery, and reform.” Besides fixing the crisis Roosevelt wanted to keep the country isolated from the world. He wanted to focus internally and retain neutrality during conflicts around the globe. Roosevelt helped the Great Depression get better but did not fix it completely. He was not a true isolationist due to his involvement in Latin America (though keeping the Good Neighbor Policy), recognizing the Soviet Union and granting the Philippines its freedom.

Roosevelt’s relationship with Congress, at the beginning, was quite interesting. With a Democratic majority, Congress decided to give FDR almost complete control as far as law passing goes. They trusted him to do what he thought would work. FDR passed a large number of laws in his first term. Banking laws such as the Emergency Banking Relief Act, the Banking Act, and set up the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation were passed. Jobs were created through the Works Progress Administration, Civilian Conservation Corps and the Tennessee Valley Authority (which also provided cheap electricity). Both of the Agriculture Adjustment Acts dealt with controlling the overproduction that caused the depression. The Securities and Exchange Act created an agency that watched over the stock market to correct the abuses that caused the crash. FDR pleased all the labor union with the passing of the Wagner Act, which established the right for laborers to organize and bargain. The Social Security Act took money out of paychecks to give to people in retirement. The Fair Labor Standards Act set up minimum wage for laborers for the first time. It also put a cap on maximum hours that a worker could work so that the hours could be distributed to more people, thus creating jobs.

The majority of the acts that were passed was in the New Dealer’s first term and dealt with the plan for “relief, recovery, and reform.” The New Deal was not his only focus. Four different Neutrality Acts were passed. The first was in 1935 outlawed the selling of weapons or war supplies to a party involved in war. The act in 1936 made granting loans or credit illegal to belligerents. The Neutrality Act of 1937 outlawed arms trade with Spain and Americans traveling of belligerent ships and established “cash and carry” which allowed countries to buy arms from America if they paid in cash and transported it themselves. FDR did not want to deal with war debts.

The New Dealer was an extremely busy man but his best decision he made it his leadership during World War II. His leadership got America through the war and came out victorious. After World War II the economy was finally much better and Americans started living lives that they were used to in the 1920’s. His great leadership and “experimental” laws also helped the country through the Great Depression. He relieved a lot of people and helped the situation from getting even worse then it was.

FDR did not have any bad decisions that had a large impact that hurt the country. Right after the New Dealer was elected for his second term he tried to “pack” the Supreme Court. The Court, during his first term, declared some of his New Deal laws unconstitutional. Many of the justices were over 65, which meant they were form the older generation and did not like FDR’s loose reading of the Supreme Law of the Land. He suggested that he would be allowed to appoint a new justice for every justice over 65 that did not retire. His shocked the nation and the Congress, which denied his request. This took away some of his support but the biggest impact was his slowing down of the New Deal form this.

Roosevelt had a tremendous influence of America after he died. His policies lived on and influenced many politicians to come. Through his New Deal he created many acts and organizations that still exist today. Social Security, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Securities and Exchange Commission are al still around today.

FDR is considered one of the greatest presidents America has ever had. He had strong leadership and a likeable personality. He had a large impact of the present and future America. He led the country through the Great Depression and World War II. America was definitely better off having Roosevelt in office. Franklin D. Roosevelt deserves an A.

Works Cited

Degregorio, William A. The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents. Fort Lee: Barricade Books, 2005. Print. "Franklin D. Roosevelt." US History. Web. 9 Dec. 2009. .