Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Sr. (b. January 30, 1882, in Hyde Park, New York) was the 32nd president of the United States. He served from 1933 until his death on April 12, 1945. He was 63 when he died. Roosevelt was the only U.S. president to be elected four times.
Roosevelt was a member of the Democratic Party. His vice presidents were John N. Garner (1933-1941), Henry A. Wallace (1941-1945), and Harry S. Truman (1945), who succeeded him upon his death.
Roosevelt was president during the period of the Great Depression, which began with a stock market crash in October 1929, and World War II, which the United States entered after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. During his presidency, Roosevelt instituted the New Deal, a domestic program that was created to bring economic relief to people suffering from the Great Depression.
Prior to serving as president, Roosevelt worked as a lawyer and served in the New York State Senate, as the assistant secretary of the Navy, and as the governor of New York. He ran on the Democratic ticket for vice president of the United States with James Cox in 1920 and lost to Warren Harding.
Biography
Timeline of life events
Below is an abbreviated outline of Roosevelt's professional and political career:[1]
- 1882: Born in Hyde Park, New York
- 1910: Elected to the New York State Senate
- 1913: Appointed to serve as assistant secretary of the Navy during U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's administration.
- 1920: Unsuccessfully ran for vice president of the United States
- 1921: Contracted polio while on vacation at Campobello Island, New Brunswick.
- 1928: Elected governor of New York
- 1929: Great Depression begins, highlighted by stock market crash in October 1929.
- 1932: Elected president of the United States
- 1936: Re-elected to his second term as president of the United States
- 1939: Germany invaded Poland which began WWII
- 1940: Re-elected to his third term as president of the United States
- December 7, 1941: The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor
- 1944: Re-elected to his fourth term as president of the United States
- April 12, 1945: Died of a cerebral hemorrhage
Before the presidency
Roosevelt was born in Hyde Park, New York, on January 30, 1882, to James Roosevelt and Sara Delano Roosevelt. He graduated from Harvard with a degree in history in 1903. After Harvard, he studied law at Columbia University but dropped out after he passed the state bar in 1907. For the next three years, he worked as a lawyer in New York City until he was elected to the New York State Senate in 1910.[1] Shortly after he was re-elected to the state senate in 1912, President Woodrow Wilson appointed him to serve as assistant secretary of the Navy. Roosevelt held the position during the whole of World War I and helped to implement Navy policies. He served in that position until 1920. In 1920, Roosevelt ran for vice-president on the Democratic ticket headed by James M. Cox but lost to Republican Warren Harding.[1]
After the loss, Roosevelt left politics and returned to private life. In 1921, while on vacation at Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Roosevelt contracted polio and lost the use of his legs. He stayed out of politics until 1924 when he nominated New York Governor Alfred E. Smith for president at the Democratic convention. That year, Smith lost the nomination to John W. Davis but Smith secured the nomination four years later. Since he was running for president, Smith asked Roosevelt to succeed him, and Roosevelt ran for governor of New York in 1928. Roosevelt was elected governor by one half of a percentage point.[2][3]
Shortly into his first term as governor, the stock market crashed and ushered the world into the Great Depression. As governor, Roosevelt set up the Temporary Emergency Relief Administration (TERA), which provided relief assistance to the unemployed, instituted old-age pensions, and established the State Power Authority. Roosevelt was re-elected as governor in 1930.[4]
Roosevelt was selected as the 1932 Democratic nominee for president at the Democratic National Convention on July 2, 1932. At the convention, Roosevelt promised "a new deal for the American people."[5] In the general election, Roosevelt faced Herbert Hoover (R) and five other candidates. He won a majority of both the popular (just over 57 percent) and electoral college vote (472 of 531).
Presidency
By the time that Roosevelt began his first term on March 4, 1933, the Great Depression had reached its peak with some 13 million Americans unemployed.[6] Days after Roosevelt was sworn in, he launched the New Deal with the Emergency Banking Act, which closed all banks temporarily to restore confidence in the financial system.[7] That same month, the Government Economy Act was passed to finance the New Deal and Prohibition was repealed so that taxed alcohol sales could raise revenue. During his first 100 days in office, many New Deal programs were created to provide relief and recovery from the Depression such as the Civilian Conservation Corps, National Recovery Administration, and Tennessee Valley Authority.[8] Other important New Deal legislation passed during Roosevelt's first term included the establishment of the Works Projects Administration and Social Security.[1]
Roosevelt was re-elected to a second term in 1936. In the general election, Roosevelt faced Alfred M. Landon (R) and five other candidates. He won a majority of both the popular (about 60.6 percent) and electoral college vote (523 of 531). During Roosevelt's second term in office, he focused on the supreme court with the purpose of obtaining more favorable rulings regarding the New Deal. From 1935 to 1936, many of Roosevelt's New Deal legislation was ruled unconstitutional by the court. Roosevelt proposed the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937 which would have expanded the court to as many as 15 judges. The bill was voted down in Congress, but by 1942 Roosevelt had appointed all but two of the justices on the court.[9] On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland which started World War II.
Roosevelt was re-elected to a third term in 1940. In the general election, Roosevelt faced Wendell Willkie (R) and four other candidates. He won a majority of both the popular (just over 54 percent) and electoral college vote (449 of 531). Roosevelt signed the Lend-Lease Act in 1941 which provided aid to foreign nations fighting against Germany and Italy. It allowed the U.S. to support its interest while avoiding total involvement in the war.[10] The U.S. officially entered the war on December 8, 1941, one day after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, killing 2,403 people.[11][12] Ten weeks after the attack, Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 which forcibly relocated thousands of Japanese-Americans into internment camps.[13] From 1942 to 1944, the U.S. and its allies invaded North Africa, Italy, and France.
By early 1944, a medical examination revealed that Roosevelt was suffering from high blood pressure and had serious heart problems.[1] Despite his health problems, Roosevelt was re-elected to a fourth term in 1944. In the general election, Roosevelt faced Thomas Dewey (R) and two other candidates. He won a majority of both the popular (just over 53 percent) and electoral college vote (432 of 531). In February 1945, Roosevelt attended the Yalta Conference with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin to discuss the post-war future of Europe. He returned to the United States after the conference severely weakened and returned to his cottage in Warm Springs, Georgia. He suffered a cerebral hemorrhage on April 12, 1945, and died. He was succeeded by Vice President Harry S. Truman.[14]
Personal
Roosevelt was married to Anna Eleanor Roosevelt from 1905 until his death in 1945. Together they had six children, five of whom survived infancy: Anna, James, Elliott, Franklin, and John.[1]
Elections
1944 presidential election
In 1944, Roosevelt defeated Thomas Dewey (R), Norman Thomas (Socialist), and Claude Watson (Prohibition) in the general election for the United States presidency.
| U.S. presidential election, 1944 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic |  Franklin D. Roosevelt/Harry S. Truman Incumbent |
53.4% | 25,612,916 | 432 | |
| Republican | Thomas Dewey/John Bricker | 45.9% | 22,017,929 | 99 | |
| Texas Regulars | No candidate | 0.3% | 135,439 | 0 | |
| Socialist | Norman Thomas/Darlington Hoopes | 0.2% | 79,019 | 0 | |
| Prohibition | Claude Watson/Andrew Johnson | 0.2% | 74,758 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 47,920,061 | 531 | |||
| Election results via: 1944 official election results | |||||
Other candidates that appeared on the ballot received less than 0.1% of the vote. Those candidates included: Edward Teichert, Arla Albaugh, Gerald Smith, and Henry Romer.[15]
1940 presidential election
In 1940, Roosevelt defeated Wendell Willkie (R), Norman Thomas (Socialist), Roger W. Babson (Prohibition), Earl Browder (Communist), and John W. Aiken (Socialist Labor) in the general election for the United States presidency.
| U.S. presidential election, 1940 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Franklin Delano Roosevelt/Henry A. Wallace Incumbent |
54.7% | 27,243,466 | 449 | |
| Republican | Wendell Willkie/Charles L. McNary | 44.8% | 22,304,755 | 82 | |
| Socialist | Norman Thomas/Maynard C. Krueger | 0.2% | 99,557 | 0 | |
| Prohibition | Roger W. Babson/Edgar Moorman | 0.1% | 57,812 | 0 | |
| Communist | Earl Browder/James Ford | 0.1% | 46,251 | 0 | |
| Socialist Labor | John W. Aiken/Aaron M. Orange | 0% | 14,892 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 49,766,733 | 531 | |||
| Election results via: 1940 official election results | |||||
1936 presidential election
In 1936, Roosevelt defeated Alfred M. Landon (R), William Lemke (Union), Norman Thomas (Socialist), Earl Browder (Communist), D. Leigh Colvin (Prohibition), and John W. Aiken (Socialist Labor) in the general election for the United States presidency.
| U.S. presidential election, 1936 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Franklin Delano Roosevelt/John Nance Garner Incumbent |
60.6% | 27,476,673 | 523 | |
| Republican | Alfred M. Landon/Frank Knox | 36.8% | 16,679,583 | 8 | |
| Union | William Lemke/Thomas C. O'Brien | 1.9% | 882,479 | 0 | |
| Socialist | Norman Thomas/George A. Nelson | 0.4% | 187,720 | 0 | |
| Communist | Earl Browder/James W. Ford | 0.2% | 80,159 | 0 | |
| Prohibition | D. Leigh Colvin/Claude A. Watson | 0.1% | 37,677 | 0 | |
| Socialist Labor | John W. Aiken/Emil F. Teichert | 0% | 12,829 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 45,357,120 | 531 | |||
| Election results via: 1936 official election results | |||||
1932 presidential election
In 1932, Roosevelt defeated Herbert Hoover (R), Norman Thomas (Socialist), William Z. Foster (Communist), William D. Upshaw (Prohibition), William H. Harvey (Liberty), and Verne L. Reynolds (Socialist Labor) in the general election for the United States presidency.
| U.S. presidential election, 1932 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Franklin Delano Roosevelt/John Nance Garner |
57.4% | 22,821,857 | 472 | |
| Republican | Herbert Hoover/Charles Curtis Incumbent | 39.7% | 15,761,841 | 59 | |
| Socialist | Norman Thomas/James H. Maurer | 2.2% | 884,781 | 0 | |
| Communist | William Z. Foster/James W. Ford | 0.3% | 102,991 | 0 | |
| Prohibition | William D. Upshaw/Frank S. Regan | 0.2% | 81,869 | 0 | |
| Liberty | William H. Harvey/Frank Hemenway | 0.1% | 53,425 | 0 | |
| Socialist Labor | Verne L. Reynolds/John W. Aiken | 0.1% | 33,276 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 39,740,040 | 531 | |||
| Election results via: 1932 official election results | |||||
1920 presidential election
In 1920, Roosevelt ran for vice president of the United States and lost to the Republican ticket made up of Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge. James Cox ran on the Democratic ticket with Roosevelt.
| U.S. presidential election, 1920 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Republican | Warren Harding/Calvin Coolidge |
60.4% | 16,166,126 | 404 | |
| Democratic | James Cox/Franklin Roosevelt | 34.2% | 9,140,256 | 127 | |
| Socialist | Eugene Debs/Seymour Stedman | 3.4% | 914,191 | 0 | |
| Farmer-Labor | Parley Christiansen/Maximilian Hayes | 1% | 265,395 | 0 | |
| Prohibition | Aaron Watkins/David Colvin | 0.7% | 188,709 | 0 | |
| American | James Ferguson/William Hough | 0.2% | 47,968 | 0 | |
| American | William Cox/August Gillhaus | 0.1% | 31,084 | 0 | |
| Single Tax | Robert Macauley/Richard Barnum | 0% | 5,750 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 26,759,479 | 531 | |||
| Election results via: 1920 official election results | |||||
State of the Union addresses
Every year in office, the president of the United States addresses Congress on the present state of affairs as well as the administration's goals for the coming year.[16] Following are pages with information on Roosevelt's State of the Union addresses.
See also
External links
- Presidential Library and Museum website
- Official White House biography
- C-Span video on the Roosevelt presidency
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 FDR Presidential Library & Museum, "FDR Biography," accessed July 9, 2018
- ↑ Independent, "Franklin D Roosevelt: The man who conquered fear," January 19, 2009
- ↑ Miller Center, "Franklin D. Roosevelt: Life Before the Presidency," accessed July 10, 2018
- ↑ Google Books, "FDR and Harry: Unparalleled Lives," accessed July 10, 2018
- ↑ The American Presidency Project, "Address Accepting the Presidential Nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago," accessed July 10, 2018
- ↑ History, "Franklin D. Roosevelt," accessed July 10, 2018
- ↑ Federal Reserve History, "Emergency Banking Act of 1933," accessed July 10, 2018
- ↑ Presidential-Power, "Franklin Roosevelt Timeline," accessed July 10, 2018
- ↑ History.com, "Roosevelt announces 'court-packing' plan," accessed July 10, 2018
- ↑ History, "LEND-LEASE ACT," accessed July 10, 2018
- ↑ Pearl Harbor, "How many people died at Pearl Harbor during the attack?," accessed July 10, 2018
- ↑ History, "The United States declares war on Japan," accessed July 10, 2018
- ↑ History, "Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066," accessed July 10, 2018
- ↑ Biography, "Franklin D. Roosevelt," accessed July 10, 2018
- ↑ U.S. Election Atlas, "1944 Presidential Election Results," accessed May 29, 2018
- ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The President’s State of the Union Address: Tradition, Function, and Policy Implications," January 24, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Herbert Hoover (R) |
President of the United States 1933 - 1945 |
Succeeded by Harry S. Truman (D) |
| |||||||
