Franklin Delano Roosevelt
President Franklin D. Roosevelt can be considered as one of the best presidents to serve in the White House during the 20th century. His extraordinary performance led to his four-time election from 1932 to 1945. Roosevelt’s reign was during the great depression that had placed the United States of America in a critical economic state. As the 32nd president, he was not only able to drive the nation out of the economic turmoil, but also led America to victory during World War II. These achievements came progressively throughout his term with the help of his great determination to get America out of its darkest hours. Roosevelt’s rule transformation contributed to his extended reign as the head of state.
Following the great depression in 1929, the United States faced the highest level of unemployment of up to 25% of the entire workforce. Consequently, over two million people were forced to be homeless while farmers panicked over the deteriorating prices of crops (Frisch 375). Industrial production had also fallen by more than half as of the day of his inauguration. There was great uncertainty among residents of the United States, forcing them to withdraw huge sums of money from their bank accounts. As a result, 32 of the 48 states had closed their banks which also included the Federal State Bank. Roosevelt developed a strategy to encourage citizens to develop a resilient attitude by addressing the nation frequently over the radio (Frisch 375). He offered reassuring speeches that were aimed at motivating Americans in eliminating the prevailing economic problems.
Within the first hundred days of appointment, Roosevelt focused on reform, recovery and relief. Relief was of utmost importance and urgency needed by tens of millions that faced the unemployment struggle. Recovery referred to the process of reinstating the initial state of the economy, while reform meant long-term fixes, especially with the banking and financial systems (Frisch 376). He passed the Emergency Banking Act to restore confidence in the banks in 1933 (Patel & Goodman 431). Nevertheless, many on Wallstreet still referred to him as a ‘traitor to his class which did not deter him from continuing to make reforms to improve the country. This was evidenced by the Civilian Conservation Corps that led to the employment of over 250,000 unemployed young workers to work on rural projects. The National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 allowed the increment in wages as well as cutting down on competition in order to improve production levels (Patel & Goodman 431).
In 1937, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was able to create three million new jobs over the next year (Patel & Goodman 449). Projects under WPA were focused on the construction of new offices, bridges, courthouses and other infrastructure. In 1938, Roosevelt passed the minimum wage law serving as the last significant reform act passed during his presidency (Patel & Goodman 452). However, his efforts shifted to the international scene following his re-election in 1940 (Frisch 378). This was the World War II era, and the world greatly suffered under the aggressive foreign policies of Nazi Germany. The Neutrality Act did not allow the United States to participate in the conflict rapidly spreading throughout Europe and Asia (Patel & Goodman 478). But, the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 by Japan quickly changed the American stand, officially inviting the United States into the World War (Best 28). It led to the collaboration between Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill, also known as the ‘Big Three’. Together the three leaders were able to cushion their territories against Nazi Germany and fascist Italy (Best 30). Fortunately, the military build-up led to economic growth since unemployment had dropped by half from 7.7 million in 1940 to 3.4 million by 1941 and further dropped by 1.5 million by 1942 (Frisch 380). The labour shortage in the Northern factories greatly contributed to the Second Great Migration of African Americans, leading to a massive influx of women in the workplace. However, when Italy, Germany and Japan declared war on the United States, Roosevelt deported their citizens as well as forced them into concentration camps built hastily in the desert regions (Frisch 386). It was one of the greatest moral failures by Roosevelt during his rule as president, but, still managed to win a fourth term during the 1945 elections.
In summation, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a fitting leader for the United States, especially during the darkest hours of the country. He was able to fast track the healing process as a result of the devastating economic repercussions brought about by the Great Depression as well as the Second World War. It was achieved by the numerous laws that he passed throughout his presidency term. They include the National Industrial Recovery Act, the Works Progress Act, Emergency Banking Act and the Neutrality Act. Consequently, Roosevelt was able to solve the issue of unemployment as well as protect the citizens from aggressive foreigners through a coalition with Churchill and Stalin. However, his temperament led him to deport Japanese, Italian and German nationalities and force them into concentration camps. Regardless of his moral failure, Roosevelt was a perfect president for the United States of America.
Work Cited
Best, Gary Dean. “3. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the New Deal, and Japan.” Pearl Harbor reexamined. University of Hawaii Press, 2021. 27-36.
Frisch, Morton J. “Franklin Delano Roosevelt.” American Political Thought. Routledge, 2017. 375-392.
Patel, Raj, and Jim Goodman. “The long new deal.” The Journal of Peasant Studies 47.3 (2020): 431-463.
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