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Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945), commonly known by his initials FDR, was an American politician who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. The longest serving U.S. president, he is the only president to have served more than two terms.
- Overview
- Roosevelt's life and long career
- Roosevelt and the New Deal
- What do you think?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected president in 1932. He immediately embarked on an ambitious plan to get the country out of the Great Depression.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, fifth cousin of former President Teddy Roosevelt, was raised amid privilege in Hyde Park, New York. He attended Harvard University, was elected to the New York State Senate in 1910, and served as assistant secretary of the Navy during the First World War. From 1929 to 1932 he served as governor of New York.1
Known as FDR, Roosevelt was elected President of the United States in 1932, 1936, 1940 and 1944. He served as the nation’s 32nd president from March 4, 1933 to his death in 1945.
In his 1932 run for the presidency, Roosevelt asserted that he would help “the forgotten man at the bottom of the economic pyramid,” and pledged himself to “a new deal for the American people.” In his First Inaugural Address, saying “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” he sought to reassure the public amid the anxieties of the Great Depression.3
As president he championed the series of federal legislative initiatives known as the New Deal. The New Deal was not a blueprint for action, but was instead animated by a spirit, as Roosevelt said, of “bold, persistent experimentation,” in which he would “take a method and try it: if it fails, admit it frankly and try another.”4
On March 12, 1933, Roosevelt delivered the first of his live-radio “fireside chats.” In the first chat he spoke about the banking crisis and explained the actions he and Congress had taken to address it. During his presidency he delivered thirty “fireside chats,” explaining to the public in reassuring tones and plain-spoken language his New Deal policies and the Second World War through the medium of radio.5
In an ill-fated move in 1937, President Roosevelt sought to pack the US Supreme Court, which had ruled against many of his programs, with justices who would be more favorable to the New Deal. His “court packing” plan called for adding an additional justice to the Court for every justice over the age of 70. The measure was widely denounced by the public and failed in Congress.6
Do you think Roosevelt's experience with polio changed his personality and politics? If so, how?
How would you characterize Roosevelt's approach to the Great Depression?
Why do you think the "fireside chats" were so effective as a tool for spreading public awareness of Roosevelt's policies?
Why did Roosevelt attempt to "pack" the Supreme Court? How might American politics be different if he had succeeded?
FDR stands for Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States who served four terms from 1933 to 1945. Learn about his life, achievements, opponents, cabinet, fireside chats, and more on this official website.
Assuming the Presidency at the depth of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt helped the American people regain faith in themselves. He brought hope as he promised prompt, vigorous...
General Facts & Figures. When was FDR born? Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882, at the family home, "Springwood," in Hyde Park, New York. How did the Roosevelt and Delano families make their money?
Jul 17, 2024 · Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the 32nd American president. FDR, as he was often called, led the United States through the Great Depression and World War II, and greatly expanding the powers...
Franklin D. Roosevelt, (born Jan. 30, 1882, Hyde Park, N.Y., U.S.—died April 12, 1945, Warm Springs, Ga.), 32nd president of the U.S. (1933–45). Attracted to politics by the example of his cousin Theodore Roosevelt, he became active in the Democratic Party.
