Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Franklin Delano RooseveltAmerican HeroesBy: Nathan Asher Katzin

Chapter 1 Early YEarsFranklin Delano Roosevelt was President of the United States longer than any other President. He led the country through some of its most difficult times. Yet Roosevelt was such a hard-working, active President that many people did not know that he could not walk after age 39.

How did Roosevelt achieve so much? The answer is in the story of his life. From an early age, Roosevelt believed that the most important work he could do was public service, or working for the good of others.

Franklin was born in Hyde Park, New York, in 1882. His family was very wealthy. Franklin was an only child.Franklin grew up in a big house with lots of land. He had dogs and ponies as pets. When he and his family traveled they rode in a special train car that belonged to their family. During the summer, the Roosevelts went to their summer home on Campobello Island in Canada.

Franklins childhood home in Hyde Park, NY

The Roosevelts on Campobello Island

Roosevelt summer homeFor more info, visit:http://www.dlmark.net/PPfdroosevelt.htm and http://www.fdr.net

Franklin went to boarding school when he was fourteen. Boarding school students live at the school where they study.Franklins school had programs that sent students to help people in the community. For the first time, Franklin met people who had trouble making enough money to live. He began to understand that not everybody had a comfortable life like his. The idea that it was his duty to help others began to grow in him.During his last year in boarding school, in 1900, Franklin ran his schools summer camp for boys whose parents did not have money to pay for camp or vacation. During the school year, he also visited an elderly woman who lived alone. He and another classmate made sure she had the coal, water, and food that she needed.

Franklins older cousin, Theodore Roosevelt, was one of his heroes. He had been governor of New York and Vice President of the United States. He was a leader who had a lot of energy and enthusiasm. In 1901, while Franklin was in college, Theodore became President of the United States. Franklin wanted to follow in his footsteps.After college, Franklin went to law school. While still in law school, Franklin married Eleanor Roosevelt, Theodores niece. Like Franklin, Eleanor believed it was her duty to help others. Eleanors serious ways and the work she had already done to help people impressed Franklin. From then on, Franklin and Eleanor worked together.

Chapter 2 Personal ChallengesIn 1910, Roosevelt ran for the New York State Senate. Cars were a new invention then, and they were almost always black. Roosevelt drove a bright red car on his campaign. He drove at high speed 22 miles per hour sometimes scaring the horses that shared the road. Roosevelt stopped and talked with people along the way. He sometimes made ten speeches a day. No one had ever seen such a hardworking campaigner!People felt Roosevelt would work hard in the Senate, too. They voted for him and he won the election.

In 1921, Roosevelt got a serious disease that affected his ability to walk. Doctors thought he had polio. At that time, there was no cure for polio. Many people died of it, and others were disabled. Roosevelt was unable to walk. He needed help doing many everyday tasks.Roosevelt wondered if he would be able to continue his career in politics. Eleanor told him to keep doing the work he loved.Roosevelt exercised diligently, hoping he would be able to walk again. While he worked to get better, Eleanor went to meetings and made speeches so people wouldnt forget about Franklin.

In 1924, Roosevelt visited Warm Springs, Georgia, for the first time. The warm water there was thought to help people with polio. Roosevelt exercised in the water every day. His legs got stronger. He met others with polio there. Roosevelt told them to believe they could get better, and to keep doing the things they loved.Roosevelt returned to Warm Springs many times. He liked it so much he built a house there.After a lot of hard work, Roosevelt could walk a few steps with crutches or by leaning on other people. He never walked on his own again. He used a wheelchair to get around.

In 1928, Roosevelt ran for governor of New York. Some voters wondered if someone who could not walk could be the leader of a state. One of Roosevelts friends said, A governor doesnt need to do back-flips. He just needs a good brain. Roosevelt won the election.The next year, 1929, was the start of a long period of hard times called the Depression. Businesses closed. Millions of people lost their jobs and homes.Roosevelt believed the government could help. As governor, Roosevelt started programs to get people back to work. He gave people in New York state jobs building parks and roads. He started programs to give food, clothing, and housing to people in need.

Chapter 3 The New DealIn 1932, Roosevelt ran for President of the United States. He promised to help the millions of people hurt by hard times. He said, I pledge myself to a new deal for the American people.Roosevelt rode across the country on a campaign train called The Roosevelt Special. People knew he had created jobs when he was governor of New York. Times were tough, but Roosevelt wore a big smile. He looked confident and hopeful, while his opponent looked tired. Roosevelt won the election by many votes.

Roosevelt became President in 1933. From the start, he tried to give people courage. He said something many Americans never forgot. He told people not to be afraid to try things that could help solve their problems. He said, The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.In radio speeches called fireside chats, Roosevelt explained how the government planned to help people get through the Depression. Roosevelts hopeful way of talking kept the people of the United States going.

Roosevelt kept his New Deal promise to get Americans back to work. The government started programs that gave people jobs and hope. One program, the Civilian Conservation Corps, or CCC, put people to work in national parks, forests, beaches, and campgrounds. The CCC gave its workers a sense of pride. They had jobs and were helping their country.The Works Progress Administration, or WPA, was another New Deal program. Some WPA workers built buildings, roads, parks and airports. Others sewed clothes or looked after children.Artists got jobs, too. Some made paintings for public buildings such as libraries and post offices. Writers were paid to write books about the history of their states. Musicians were paid to write and play music. The WPA let people use their skills to earn a living.Their feeling that they had a duty to help others had brought Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt together when they were younger. Now they cooperated to help the country.

Eleanor traveled around the United States. She talked to people about the problems that faced the United States. She thought about ways to help. Eleanor told Franklin what she had seen and heard, so people called her the Presidents eyes and ears.Many Americans loved Roosevelt for the help the New Deal gave them. In 1936, Roosevelt ran for President again and was reelected.He had helped people face hard times and keep hope alive. Few people knew that even harder times lay ahead.

Chapter 4 World War IIDictators had come to power in Germany and Italy. In 1939, Great Britain and France went to war against these dictatorships. Soon other nations joined the fighting. Many Americans did not want the United States to get involved. They felt that the war was not their problem. Roosevelt was elected President for a third time in 1940. He became the first President to be elected three times.Roosevelt told voters that he did not want to enter the war, but he thought the United States should help Great Britain and France fight for democracy in Europe.

On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Japan was on the side of Germany and Italy. The United States could no longer stay out of the war. It entered on the side of Great Britain and France. By the time the war known as World War II ended in 1945, nations from every part of the world were involved.Roosevelt told Americans that they had to work together. He asked everyone to cooperate. Men and women joined the armed forces. Women took over many factory jobs that had been done by men.The war changed the way people lived. Meat, sugar, gasoline, and even shoes were hard to buy, because supplies were short. People grew their own food, so that food grown on farms could be sent to soldiers. Children collected scrap metal that could be turned into equipment for fighting the war.

Roosevelt used his radio speeches to explain how the United States could win the war. He reminded people they were fighting for democracy and liberty. He said hard work and cooperation would bring victory.In 1944, Roosevelt won a fourth term as President. He was very tired, but he did not want to quit until the war was over. Early in 1945, it finally seemed the war would end soon. Roosevelt met with other world leaders to plan ways to prevent future wars. These leaders formed the United Nations, or UN.Just before the war ended in Europe, Roosevelt died. Vice President Harry Truman became President. In August 1945, Japan surrendered. The United States and its allies won the long war. Roosevelts leadership helped protect democracy in Europe, Japan, and the United States.

Chapter 5 Roosevelts LegacyMany people think that Franklin Roosevelt was one of our nations greatest Presidents. Programs he started still help people today. The Tennessee Valley Authority, for example, brought electricity to farms and homes in the South. TVA dams prevent floods, and trees planted by the TVA keep soil from washing away.Roosevelt is a hero for another reason, too. From age 39, he was unable to walk and used a wheelchair to get around. Roosevelt did not let his disability prevent him from achieving his goals.The Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C., is the first Presidential memorial with no steps, so people who use wheelchairs can visit it easily.

Franklin Roosevelt never gave up. He had the courage and confidence to lead the country. No matter what the challenge, he made people believe things would get better.As President during World War II, Roosevelt led the fight for freedom and liberty around the world. He cooperated with other world leaders and brought out the best in people. He taught people to work together when the going was tough.