Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Polio, the Great Depression, and World War II couldn’t stop Franklin Roosevelt from mounting the political chain and continuing in his presidency. Franklin Roosevelt was the first, and most likely last, president to have four terms, holding his office from 1933 until his death in 1945. Born in New York in 1882, Franklin grew up under the care of his parents and a governess. At fourteen he entered the Groton school, from which he went on to Harvard. After attending law school he married Eleanor Roosevelt, a distant cousin. He helped Woodrow Wilson gain his presidency and was appointed assistant secretary of the navy. In 1920 he was vice-president for the James Cox election, but it failed.

Leaving politics for a while, he started a private business. Then in the summer of 1921, he was vacationing in Canada when he was suddenly stricken down with polio, paralyzing him from the waist down. Being urged on by his wife, he reentered politics by running for governor of New York. During his 1932 election campaign, the Great Depression overshadowed the land. Promising to help them out of their trouble, he won in a stunning election. True to his word he helped them out of their crisis. During his second term, World War II turned Europe into turmoil and during his third term he declared war on the Axis powers. Unfortunately, during his fourth term he died from exhaustion, and only a month after peace had been declared.

Franklin is a hero to me because he stood against those trials that would have thrown most healthy men down. He is an example to all Americans. He proved that with strong determination and some prudence we can use the gifts that God has given us. If we have trouble in our life, we need to remember Roosevelt. He had to face many different presidential opponents, bear polio, help his country out of the Great Depression, and decide if his country really needed to go to war. He really is a great influence on my life.