UNIT THREE

The Election of Franklin D. Roosevelt

Though Franklin Delano Roosevelt was originally successful in politics due to the status held by
his name, he would eventually evolve to become one of the greatest leaders in American history. Born in
Hyde Park, New York in 1882, Roosevelt became the president of the United States in 1932, and would
go on to become the only president to serve four consecutive terms. Roosevelt would prove to be the right
leader for the American people due to the political climate of the time, his personality, and his policies, as
he would ultimately see America through one of the toughest economic situations in recent human
history.
As there was no foreseeable end to unemployment in the United States in 1932, then at the hands
of Herbert Hoover, American citizens were desperate for a solution. The political climate along with the
competition during election created by President Hoover allowed for Roosevelt to captivate American
voters. Hoover, who was not a good public speaker, blamed the Great Depression on foreign bankers, but
still tried to enforce a laissez-faire style of economics. As a result of this, he quickly became associated
with the devastating effects of the Great Depression, and was subsequently ridiculed. As many of the
Americans lost all they had once the economy dissipated, they soon became homeless; many were forced
to use newspapers as "Hoover blankets" while living in cardboard cities known as "Hoovervilles" which
the president created in a feeble attempt to combat homelessness. The economic situation in the United
States had only worsened under Hoover's leadership, leaving the American public with little confidence in
his abilities. During the election, Roosevelt portrayed a confidence in America which the population had
not seen from Hoover, and desperately needed. These considerable differences between Roosevelt and
Hoover were a key factor for the American people in the election of Roosevelt. Upon election, Roosevelt
even mentioned a "New Deal for the American people," which would prove to be a pivotal policy in his
role as President.
The New Deal would prove to be Roosevelt's largest response to the Great Depression, which
included goals and policies such as economic recovery, job creation, investment in public works, and an
overall civic uplift. Roosevelt's policies would have a substantial impact on the American people, as the
New Deal seemed to incite positive change in every state and city of the United States. The New Deal
stabilized banks after the devastating Stock Market Crash in 1929, and attempted to aid municipal and
state governments which had declared bankruptcy. Roosevelt rejected the idea of laissez-faire economics,
and became extremely involved in the economy by injecting large amounts of federal spending. The New
Deal created a number of specialized organizations, such as the National Industrial Recovery Act and the
Works Progress Administrations. Programs and policies such as these not only created jobs, but saw the
building of countless bridges, schools, theatres, parks and homes. In only one hundred days in office,
Roosevelt earned passage of 15 different laws, which attests to the success of his administrative decisions.
Roosevelt's achievements as President are due largely in part to his policies as he demanded, much to the
appreciation of Americans, that the government begin once again to intervene in the economy. This
gained immense support from the population, as they grew more pleased with the performance of their
president.

Roosevelt's personality undoubtedly played an important role in the way he was perceived by
Americans, and it would prove to be a key factor of his success while in office. Roosevelt was extremely
dedicated and genuinely cared for the population, which was exemplified as he rode the rails to deliver
speeches. As Roosevelt was crippled with Polio at the age of thirty-nine, such journeys across the
countries were ectremely difficult and painful. Nonetheless, Roosevelt made fifteen speeches a day,
determined not to let his disease effect him and displaying his dedication. While exploring the USA,
Roosevelt also received a realistic picture of the poverty that the Great Depression caused. Roosevelt took
these experiences to heart, and expressed his desire for the people of America to be equally as fortunate as
him in their lives. Roosevelt was a strong orator, and made powerful connections with his audience as he
spoke; he was always sure to say what he thought the people wanted to hear. Personality traits such as
these attracted American voters, who continually supported him for four terms.
While political climate, policies, or personality alone may not solely make a great leader, a
perfect combination of the three allowed Franklin Roosevelt to become extremely successful as an
American president even in the toughest of times. From the time he came into power until his death in
1945, Franklin Roosevelt continually proved he was the right leader for the American people.