Franklin D. Roosevelt
 

The Great Depression
 The Dust Bowl
 Franklin Delano Roosevelt
 Karen Hesse
 Children's Lives
Vocabulary
 Quizzes
 Bibliography
 Activities
 Links

                                        Franklin Delano Roosevelt
                                                                       
                                                        Introduction
    Franklin Roosevelt was a wonderful president whose term lasted between 1932-1945.  It was believed that “no president was so deeply loved, or so bitterly hated since Abraham Lincoln.”   This was said by a reporter.  Franklin Roosevelt was president during the Great Depression and World War II.
His Childhood
    As a child, Franklin grew up in Hyde Park, New York.  He was born January 30, 1882.  His parents were James and Sarah Roosevelt.  Franklin was their only child.  When he was born, his father was 53 and his mother was 26.  He always had specific times for eating, studying, and playing.  From the time he was three years old, his parents took him on yearly trips to Europe.  He learned how to speak and write both French and German.  He only went to a public school once for six weeks’, the rest of the time he went to a private school.
 presidentR

His Family
    Franklin married his distant cousin, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt. She was Theodore Roosevelt's niece.  They had six children, but only five survived.  The children’s names were James Roosevelt (1884-1962), Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (1906-1975), Elliot Roosevelt (1910-1990), Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr. (1914-1988), and John Aspinwall Roosevelt (1916-1981).
                                                                              
 His Education
    Franklin went to Harvard College and Columbia Law School.  In Harvard he majored in history and for a year he edited the college newspaper.  He began at Harvard in 1900 and graduated in 1904.  After he graduated Harvard, he went to Columbia Law School where he attended until 1907.

Polio and the Warm Springs Foundation
    Polio is a disease that cripples your legs.  Sometimes if you have a minor case you can recover.  Unfortunately Franklin Roosevelt had a major case so he could only walk with a brace or ride in a wheel chair.  Franklin did not lose the use of his legs immediately, but first his left leg began to lag and then the other.  Franklin went to the hospital to try and recover.  The doctor said he looked fine but Franklin believed that he was just saying that to make him feel better. This was a big disadvantage for Franklin because he and his family enjoyed swimming.  This led Franklin to a foundation he called the Warm Springs Foundation.  The Warm Springs Foundation was a place in Georgia that helped people with polio swim. Franklin bought the surrounding land and provided money to find a cure for polio.  Today, polio is rare because there is an effective polio vaccine.

His Career
    The first time Franklin ran for president in 1932, he won every vote from every state but six.  He also won by seven million votes.  After that, he was elected three more times.   This let him be in office for twelve years.  Franklin did not expect to win, but he was obviously proven wrong.  He died 83 days after being in office for the fourth time.

His Acts

    While Franklin Roosevelt was president, he created many acts.  The acts were usually known by their initials, such as the WPA and the CCC.  That was the way that Franklin became known as FDR.  One act was the WPA.  The WPA was the Works Project Administration (WPA) that gave jobs to many people such as artists, writers, musicians, and authors.  The CCC, Civilian Conservation Corps, helped unemployed men find jobs.   The AAA was the Agricultural Adjustment, which supported farmers.  This helped farmers from going into debt.  The Social Security act was an act that allowed people over 65 to retire.  This meant that every month you would get a social security check.  This money is the tax that you had to pay when you worked.  I think this was a good idea because before Franklin Roosevelt after you retired you would not have any money unless you saved your money.   The New Deal was an act provided clothes, food, and jobs to people during the Great Depression.
Conclusion
    “The only thing we have to fear is fear its self.” These encouraging words were spoken by Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  They helped during the Dust Bowl.   I wonder if Billy Jo ever used these words during her depressing times.  I think all people young and old should read Out of the Dust.