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From the time I was little, I have heard of the great accomplishments George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt did to make our nation the one it is today. One hero that isn’t recognized as much is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Franklin held the presidential office longer than any other president has or will. During this time he fished our nation out of debt and lead us through World War Two. Franklin Delano Roosevelt changed the way America was by instituting the New Deal, and being a major war leader during WWII. Franklin was born to James and Sara Roosevelt on the night of January 30, 1882. His family was wealthy, living in a mansion with acres of land to explore. His home was named Springwood. They also had a vacation home that they hid away in during the summers. Here is where he learned to enjoy nature and sailing (Shebar 1-6). His mother was very protective of him, home schooling Franklin until the age of 14. He then attended a prestigious school called Groton Academy. After moving to Groton, Franklin was ridiculed and taunted for being “too grown”, up so they nicknamed him “Uncle Frank”. This was a shock to Franklin because he had always been liked by people. Feeling depressed, he started the debate team and really excelled at this (Shebar 13-21). After his years at the preparatory school, Franklin was accepted to attend the honorable Harvard University where he studied law. Here he was inducted in the Harvard newspaper called the Crimson, which was considered an honor. During this great time in his life, Franklin learned that his father was very ill so he went home. Three days later James Roosevelt passed away from a heart attack. That Christmas was a hard one but he busied himself in the Crimson and taking care of his grief stricken mother. F.D.R. also occupied his time by applying to the Porcellian, the club his father and his cousin, Theodore Roosevelt, had attended. Success and acceptance was what he was striving for, but in the end he did not make it. He once described his rejection from the Porcellian “the greatest disappointment of my life.” From this negative response Franklin formed his own club named the Harvard Union, which accepted everyone. Franklin then met his fifth cousin, Eleanor (Shebar 23-30). Eleanor Roosevelt grew up in a well-established New York family. Her parents died when she was eight years old. She then moved in with her grandmother who sent her to boarding school. At boarding school, she traveled around Europe with her head mistress, who showed her that women could be independent. When she returned home, she met Franklin and decided her role in life was to become a house wife (American 2-4). Franklin fell head-over-heels in love with Eleanor. Franklin had the feeling that his mother did not approve of the relationship, but he ignored her opinion. They decided to tie the knot on Saint Patrick’s Day of the year 1905. This was a big event, every politically prominent individual attended the wedding, including the president of the United States and Franklin’s cousin, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. His “I do” was said at around 3:30 in the afternoon, the pastor pronouncing them husband and wife (Shebar 37). After their matrimony, Franklin passed his board exams to become a law clerk after graduating from Columbia Law School (Sullivan 379). He then began work at Carter, Ledyard, and Milburn, a New York based law firm. They also began settling into married life. Having their first child, Anna, in 1906. Following a year later came James and then in 1909 their second son was named Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr. He died at seven months old due to pneumonia. Eleanor gave birth to six children in all. With all these changes happening at once, another popped up. For a Christmas present, FDR’s mother built two houses side by side. The planning occurred without Eleanor and she began to feel left out. She felt as if the home was not hers because she didn’t like the house. This is when Franklin and Eleanor started growing apart, taking on their own lives (Shebar 45-46). Franklin was bored with his job at the law firm. Franklin began campaigning after learning of an open state senator position. He campaigned as a Progressive- meaning he would fight for the common man. His opponent was predicted to win but FDR beat him and became the New York State Senator. This jumpstarted Franklin’s political career (Shebar 45-58). While in the senate, he decreased the working hours for women and children, agreed with worker’s compensation, but he dedicated his senate career to conservation.
Approximate Word count = 3025
Approximate Pages = 12.1
(250 words per page double spaced)
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