Premium Essay

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's National Recovery

Submitted By
Words 1303
Pages 6
Faced with the Great Depression and World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, lead America through some of the most devastating crises the nation had ever faced. FDR’s presidency—which was twelve years long—was not only unique in time period, but in the effects that it had on the story of the country. FDR began his presidency with a Nation facing a horrific and weakening fiscal depression that not only drained its resources, wealth, and emotional strength, but it flung a sense of uncertainty over the future of America. FDR’s combination of confidence, joy, and political sharpness—all of which came together in the experimental and highly-criticized economic plan called the "New Deal"—helped bring about the beginnings of a national recovery. …show more content…
Roosevelt's program that was designed to bring an end to the crisis, called, “The New Deal,” was enacted with the hopes of bringing an end to suffering of Americans and to spur the economy onward by use of federal expenditures and initiatives. Among the programs founded, the creation of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration. The implementation of a social security program for the unemployed and elderly were also established. All which were established to rescue the Nation from the comic disaster that was slowly killing …show more content…
president and a world leader has never been debated, the evaluation that has taken place since his death in has produced a more balanced view of Roosevelt and his accomplishments. In terms of his domestic policies, historians have observed that New Deal legislation as largely a failure to improve the U.S. economy, which did not strengthen until 1941 because of the shift to wartime production. As a defender of democracy, it has been noted that Roosevelt properly recognized the vileness and evil that laid within Hitler's Fascist expansionism, but was blindsided by similar threat of Soviet totalitarianism. Further investigations and studies of Roosevelt have depicted FDR as elusive and dissembling, All which he used to his advantage in diplomatic negotiations, but which called into question previously held notions of his impeccable moral character. Some have believed that Roosevelt often avoided in or delayed his decisions. Despite his faults, however, scholars generally agree in their studies of Roosevelt as a genuinely good man in world history whose profound commitment to justice and the traditions of American democracy are

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

World Leaders

...Leaders During the 1930’s, America was in a state of fear. Fear of the depression that was going on, and fear of the war that was taking place in Europe. People needed someone to calm their anxiety. They turned to their president, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. If anyone was going to get the American people out of a jam, it would be the President. It was the way President Franklin D. Roosevelt lead America to become one of the most prosperous countries that put him on the list of America’s most admired leader. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was born on January 30, 1882 to a wealthy family. FDR was a distant cousin of former President Theodore Roosevelt. Like his cousin, Franklin Roosevelt took interest in politics but as a democrat. He based his educational career to help him enter the world of politics. He attended the Groton School and Harvard University before attending Columbia Law School. In 1905, Franklin married his cousin Eleanor Roosevelt. Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece of Theodore Roosevelt. After that, Franklin Roosevelt climbed the political ladder. “In 1910 Roosevelt was elected to the New York Senate” (www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.). From there he was appointed the assistant secretary of the Navy and then the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 1920. “In the summer of 1921, Roosevelt became seriously ill. He was eventually diagnosed as suffering from poliomyelitis (polio). He was almost totally paralyzed and he was never again to recover full use of his...

Words: 1337 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

How Did William Leuchtenburg's Greatest Influence Today

...1943 and his Ph.D from Columbia University in 1951. Luechtenburg was previously president of the American Historical Association, the Organization of American Historians, and the Society of American Historians. William devoted his career educating himself and other about the life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The significance of Roosevelt’s policies sparked William Leuchtenburg’s desire to educate others about one of the United States of America’s greatest presidents and how they are influence today’s society. William Leuchtenburg’s Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal consists of a comprehensive history of events during Roosevelt’s first two presidential terms from 1932-1940. Franklin Roosevelt became the president at a time when the Great Depression began and the stock market had crashed, millions were out of work, and banks everywhere were failing. The Great Depression was a production consisting of humungous hardships, thus developed a national atmosphere of melancholy. The American people and government employees expected Roosevelt to establish contemporary economic dogma, which promoted balanced budgets and economy in the government. Upon taking office, Roosevelt moved quickly to cut $400,000,000 from veterans’ pensions and $100,000,000 from federal employees’ pay. Roosevelt introduced a host of new programs that had positive effects within the first 100 days of being in office. Franklin Roosevelt introduced The...

Words: 892 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Assess the View That the New Deal Promised so Much but Achieved Little of Real Substance.

...Alex Jones Assess the view that the New Deal promised so much but achieved little of real substance. Franklin D. Roosevelt took over as President during a difficult time, not helped by the failings of the previous incumbent, President Hoover. In his inaugural address he revealed his aims as to what he hoped to achieve with the New Deal. FDR’s aim was to achieve an economic recovery in order to stabilise the nation once again, hopefully returning to the economic prosperity of the 1920’s. However, historians often debate whether he achieved what he set out to do with his reforms, as unemployment was still present throughout his tenure, and social and economic development across all the states remained unequal. Despite the first one hundred days of the New Deal supposedly creating “an organised nation confident of their power to provide for their own”, criticism has been aimed at it claiming, “The New Deal, rather than helping to cure the Depression, actually helped to prolong it.” Despite these claims, others have praised the program saying that the reforms brought “structural stability and social security” to the nation. To evaluate these conflicting opinions, one must analyse the different areas that FDR focussed on which were: unemployment, redistribution of wealth, economic recovery and development of the Nation itself. 405 405 In the opening of FDR’s inaugural address he says that the “primary task is to put people to work”. In 1933 FDR quickly introduced three key...

Words: 2643 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

New Deal Dbq Analysis

...Hunger, poverty, and unemployment were the realities of the Great Depression, a hard-hitting worldwide economic collapse that affected the lives of Americans and took place mostly in the 1930s. Influential people such as President Herbert Hoover had tried to mend the situation, however, due to his previous laissez-fair or hands-off policies he made the depression worse. In 1932, hope was restored as the charismatic Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected into office and with his New Deal plan to provide relief, reform, and recovery he led the country back into economic prosperity. The Franklin D. Roosevelt administration was efficient in solving problems of the Great Depression and expanding the role of the federal government in the sense that...

Words: 1175 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Awesome

... Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal was successful. The New Deal was used to refer to the united states president Franklin D. Roosevelt's program to solve the economic problems created by the Great Depression of the 1930's. However, the new deal didn't end the Depression, but it did relieve much economic hardships and gave Americans faith in the democratic system at the time when the other nations hit by the depression turned to the dictators. The New Deal programs were admired by some people and rejected by other people. The reason to why it was successful was because of the many relief policies. These policies focused on three general goals hope for the needy, economic recovery, and financial reform. During the great fall of the economy in other words the great depression president Roosevelt tried to save the national banking system by closing the Nations bank and declaring it as a bank holiday. During the time citizens of America couldn't withdraw any of their money of deposit or make any transaction due to suspension of all accounts across the nation. That acted as a required over look of da banks to make sure their investors or accounts holders had enough funds to meet their depositors demand. That dramatically increased the trust in the banks from the public for once they are up and running again. The bank holiday relief act made the government recognize and reopen those banks. As stated from president Roosevelt...

Words: 848 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Franklin D. Roosevelt's Legacy

...Franklin D. Roosevelt was one the most influential world leaders of his time. He led the United States through the Great Depression and kept the nation together during World War II, the greatest war ever fought on Earth. FDR’s domestic policies were very significant in saving lives and securing American futures, and he also played a key role in establishing the United Nations, leaving a legacy many have tried to emulate to this day. According to whitehouse.gov, Franklin D. Roosevelt began life in Hyde Park New York. Born as the only child of an aristocratic family, FDR was spoiled by his parents and attended the most prestigious youth academies, including the Groton School for boys in New York. Biography.com states that he lived a priviliged...

Words: 1476 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

The New Deal

...and physically for the country. Roosevelt was elected in 1932 and began to bring relief with his New Deal. In his first 100 days as President, sixteen pieces of legislation were passed by Congress, He was re-elected twice, and quickly gained the trust of the American people. The New Deal policies helped the United States economy greatly, but some hurt the country . One particularly was the Agricultural Adjustment Act, which was later declared unconstitutional by Congress. Lots things also stayed very consistent in the New Deal. For example, the Civilian Conservation Corps, and Social Security, since Americans were looking for any help they could get, these acts weren't seen as a detrimental at first. Overall, Roosevelt's New Deal was a success, but it also had lots of stumbling points. Roosevelt proposed to pay farmers for cutting back on production producing. It was supposed to help increase farm prices by decreasing the supply. The government had to deal with the existing surplus .There were a total of six million pigs slaughtered, ten million acres of cotton were burnt. The government wanted to create a shortage to drive the prices up for the farmers. It back fired. The farmers’ income would have been at least as high, if not higher even without Roosevelt's AAA. The farmers found themselves worse off because the National Recovery Administration had been very successful in forcing up prices. The massive government intervention in agriculture never went away....

Words: 654 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Roaring Twenties In The United States During The 1920's

...wars that spawned the Scopes Trial, immigration restriction, labor disputes, and equal rights and civil liberties topics that were revisited for the first time since the post-Civil War Reconstruction years. By 1929, the United States was a very different place—economically and socially. “The nation asks for action and action is now” (Foner). When Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) assumed the presidency on March 4, 1933, America’s banking...

Words: 1243 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Historical Analysis Paper

...[pic] Nikki ham HISTORICAL ANALYSIS PAPER OCTOBER 2, 2014 Abstract The New Deal was a series of domestic programs geared to help the unemployed, the poor, and African American citizens during President D Roosevelt’s tenure. The New Deal was described by many as the relief, recovery, and reform act. The New Deal prevented many Americans from going hungry doing the great depression. While some say that the New Deal was the stepping stone for reform in America, many African Americans, could argue against this. The New Deal in its early formation did nothing to impact the racial barriers in the African American community however as it developed it did share light on the racial tensions that African Americans suffered during this era. It not only showed that the racial tension existed it showed that they existed on a higher level than just a county level. That it was now an issue bigger than county it was now an as a global issue. The New Deal prevented most citizens in America during the Great Depression from starving…“It reformed national institutional structures to meet the massive needs of millions of Americans in poverty (Marx, J.D., Broussard, C.A., Hopper, F.A., & Worster, D. 2010. Social Work and Social Welfare: An Introduction).” Although the New Deal met the needs of several Americans, it had little impact on the African- American community. It did not bring to an end the tremendous injustices that African ...

Words: 690 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

The New Deal And The Great Depression

...The ending of the Great Depression is most commonly attributed to the programs implemented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, or the demand generated by the United States’ involvement in World War II. The New Deal aided the United States on its road to economic recovery, restoring public confidence and creating new programs that brought relief to many Americans. The successes of the New Deal are generalizations as many of the benefits did not apply to minority groups such as African Americans, women, and Native Americans. Many historical analyses such as Aaron D. Purcell’s “The New Deal and the Great Depression” do not include minority groups in their scope. So although the programs of the New Deal played a significant role in economic...

Words: 397 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Ex 21

...plunged. · Black Tuesday - October 29, 1929 - the bottom fell out as millions of investors ordered their brokers to sell, when there were no buyers to be found. · From then on the stock market continued to decline. B. Uneven Distribution of Income · Wages were barely rising compared to the rise in production and corporate profits. · The top 5% richest people received a third of the income. C. Excessive Use of Credit · Brought on by the increased desire for material things. D. Overproduction of Consumer Goods E. Weak Farm Economy · Farmers suffered from high debts and low cost for their products. · Severe weather and long drought. F. Government Policies · Government had high faith in businesses and did little to control them. · High tariffs protected U.S. industries, but severely hurt farmers. G. Global Economic Problems · Resulting in high debts from World War I. · Worldwide depression. II. Effects of the Depression · The U.S. Gross National Product - the value of all goods and the nation’s economy - dropped from $104 billion to $56 billion. · 20% of banks close, wiping out 10 million savings accounts. · People lost their trust in the banks. · 25% of the workforce became unemployed. · The power of the federal government...

Words: 2655 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Fdr's New Deal

...President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal was an intensely politically active time, and in addition, American society was tremendously impacted by New Deal legislation. It can be justified to call the New Deal a revolutionary break with the past, rather than to say the New Deal was primarily conservative, pursuing to make only those new additions to legislation in order to prevent revolutionary changes. The New Deal increased the power of the Federal Government and brought about change to the citizens of the United States. Furthermore, the main goals of the relief programs created during the New Deal were to increase employment, and to stabilize the economy. Nevertheless, there were other important factors concerning relief policies such as voting, and the influence it had on retail sales. Although President Roosevelt thought that the New Deal would benefit Americans by increasing employment nationwide, the fact is the plan actually slowed the United States’ recovery from the Great Depression. On July 24, 1933, President Roosevelt stated to the public on the radio: To the men and women whose lives have been darkened by the fact of the fear of unemployment, I am justified in saying a word of encouragement because the codes and the agreements already approved, or about to be passed upon, prove that the plan does raise wages, and that it does put people back to work.1 President Roosevelt wanted to use government power in order to return the people and their...

Words: 2252 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

History

...The war was not started by one thing in particular. Many events happened preceding the war. It all began with the Wilson-Gorman Tariff of 1894, which put restrictions on sugar imports to the United States. This hurt Cuba’s economy since it was based on producing and selling their sugar. At the time, Cuba was a Spanish colony. Angry citizens known as “insurrectos” began revolting. Spain then sent General Weyler to stabilize the situation in Cuba and put a lot of people in concentration camps. The United States became concerned having many businessmen with investment interests in Cuba. The American public was stirred into an anti-Spain frenzy by the yellow journalism of men like Hearst and Pulitzer. President Grover Cleveland did not declare war. Not long after President McKinley came into office, he was criticizing Spain’s “uncivilized and inhuman” conduct. By this time, Weyler had left Cuba. McKinley sent the USS Maine on a “friendly” mission to Cuba. The ship was to wait, ready to rescue any U.S. citizens endangered by the conflict in Cuba. On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine mysteriously blew up, killing 266 sailors and sinking the ship. McKinley gave the OK for war and by April, both the US and Spain had declared war. The Spanish-American War was called “a splendid little war” because the war only lasted 10 weeks and only 460 soldiers were killed. It was a complete victory for the United States, and we made considerable territorial gains at Spanish expense. ...

Words: 1400 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Compare And Contrast The New Deal And The Great Society

...introduced by a president. Both policies were useful in boosting the economy, cleaning the environment, and in providing equality among the American people. The Great depression was nothing less than a tragedy; the nation was desperately searching for brighter days. During a period of economic crisis, where unemployment rates were at an all time high and thousands of families were left homeless, the nation demanded a radical change and for someone to take charge and save the country. Franklin Delano Roosevelt seemed to be the man with all the answers and the change desired by the American population. Roosevelt was born into a wealthy family in 1882. He was well educated and attended top schools such as Harvard College and Columbia Law School. He was fascinated with politics and therefore, decided early on to follow the political footsteps of his distant cousin President Theodore Roosevelt. His first political adventure was the New York legislature in 1910, where he ran as a Democratic progressive (Schaller 885) Roosevelt wedded his fifth cousin Eleanor, and together they had six children. In 1918, Eleanor discovered that her significant other was engaging in extramarital relations with her social secretary....

Words: 1337 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

To What Extent Did The New Deal Strengthen Or Weaken The Usa Capitalism

...economy came to a near standstill. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president in 1933. He was president for three terms. During his presidency, he did everything in his power to end the depression and put Americans back to work. He is best known for a series of programs commonly called the New Deal. The New Deal was significant because it helped put America back on track. The New Deal created jobs, a better economy and, most of all, it created hope. Significance and key objectives of the New Deal: The real significance of the New Deal was that it increased both the size and the power of the federal government. The federal government grew after the Civil War, but the New Deal sped up the growth rate. Americans were looking to the national government for assistance in all areas of their lives. FDR was the man for the job. The New Deal had three objectives. They were relief, recovery and reform. The 3 R’s The administration knew that they needed to take immediate action or relief to stop the panic and downward spiral of the economy. To do this, FDR closed the...

Words: 638 - Pages: 3