Franklin D. Roosevelt – 32

Franklin D. Roosevelt was the 32nd President of the United States of America. He served as the President from 1933 to 1945. He was the only person in the history of USA who was elected President four times. World War II took place during his Presidency and he led the American war effort during the war.

When and where was he born?

Franklin D. Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882 in Hyde Park, New York.

Early Life

Franklin D. Roosevelt was born to a wealthy family. He gained proper formal education at an early age and then went on to study at the Harvard University. He graduated in 1904 and then decided to study law at the Columbia Law School. After passing the bar exam, he started his own practice and began his career as a lawyer.

In 1921 when Roosevelt was about 40 years old, he was diagnosed with polio. The disease severely affected his legs and he couldn’t walk properly for the rest of his life. However, he continued his legal practice with his wife’s help and also continued to be active in politics.

Life in Politics

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first major political achievement came when he was elected as a member of the New York State Senate. He was later elected to the position of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

In 1929, Roosevelt was elected as the Governor of New York. He proved to be an effective and popular governor, and was elected for another term. After completing his second term as the governor, Roosevelt decided to run for the office of President in 1932.

Life as the President

Franklin D. Roosevelt won the 1932 Presidential elections and became President at a time when USA was still reeling from the Great Depression. Roosevelt took many important measures to immediately tackle the economic crisis and help the people.

To this end, he passed many news laws which proved to be quite important. One of these laws created the Security and Exchange Commission in order to monitor the stock market and avoid any future crash.

He also created a Social Security program for the retirees and helped out the farmers while building new power plants and improving the security of people’s bank deposits. These measures helped in improving the economy and allowed the USA to recover from the Great Depression.

Thanks to his effective economic reforms, Roosevelt proved quite popular. He was elected to the office a third time and during his third term, World War II began.

When Japan attacked USA, Roosevelt proved a strong leader and coordinated with the Allied leaders in defeating both Japan and Germany. He was then elected for a fourth term in office, being the only person who has ever been elected so many times to the position of US President.

Later Life and Death

By 1945, Roosevelt’s health had begun to suffer. He was already quite weak by the time he won his fourth term. He was still the serving President when he died on April 12, 1945 in Warm Springs, Georgia.

Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life Hardcover – November 7, 2017

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