Franklin D Roosevelt Character Analysis

In November, 1936, FDR was given a second chance at presidency by an overwhelmingly large majority vote. After he experienced the disapproval by the Supreme Court, Roosevelt took matters into his own hands, and created a “court-packing” plan, which stated that for every justice above the age of 70, he was allowed one new justice – of his approval, meaning that he (female justices were not present in the Supreme Court just yet) would pass all acts that Roosevelt created. After this act, he placed 5 new justices on the Supreme Court, bringing the overall make up of justices in his favor3. Many citizens thought this was Roosevelt’s way of increasing the executive power, and portraying a dictatorship-like government, claiming that “Stalin had governed his country for 17 exacting years, Roosevelt his for 12 years nearly as exacting” (168)5. Franklin Delano Roosevelt finished 3 terms as president, and died of a cerebral hemorrhage during his 4th, putting Harry Truman, his Vice President at the time, in charge.

Clearly, FDR is a historical visionary who possessed the charisma to connect with his followers. His strength of character was solidified as he was challenged with adversity in the form of polio, which he overcame and persevered. He was a leader of the people, and listened to his followers with a sense of patrician duty or responsibility toward others.

One of his substantial traits was that he was fair. Theodore Roosevelt was fair on the democratic side of labor, where he thought that ethnicity should not interfere the chance of getting a job in a company. During the 1900s, the South was the racist part in the country, which had made Roosevelt focused on fixing this. Fairness helped Theodore as a president because “he helped the Republican Party”(Donald 141), which helped settle personal issues among many people. Another tremendous trait of Theodore Roosevelt is that he was a strategic thinker. TR had used this thinking in the 1901 situation in the Caribbean and the Pacific. “Told the Congress in his first annual message in December 1901 that the nation had rights in the world and duties to perform”(Donald 151.) His strategic thinking led Cuba to be free and protected by the United States from foreign interference. European countries would not be able to coincide with Latin America, which was now U.S. territory. Theodore Roosevelt’s final positive trait about him was that he was determined. For example, President Roosevelt built the Panama Canal, but before it was completed there was a problem. In the late nineteenth century, a French company had tried to build the canal, but were not able to accomplish it. When the American engineers had found that the Panama route was open, even though the French were defeated by it, Roosevelt determined to

As Roosevelt’s second term was coming to an end, he picked William Howard Taft as his successor. Taft preached his ideas to the public, criticizing Roosevelt in his speeches.

Polio changed franklins life for ever, but he remained strong. Franklin was strong when he ran for governor only 9 years after contracting polio. Intelligence is also one of Franklin’s best leadership qualities. He demonstrated he had the brains to be president when he got the United States of America out of the great depression. From being a risk taker to making quick answers in the U.S.’s darkest hour franklin has proven that he is very courageous. Franklin was courageous when he decided to run for governor even though he had polio. Leaders rose to power, for many different reasons, to become very

president to be elected four times, Franklin D. Roosevelt led a strong presidency and overcame multiple challenges throughout his terms. The banking crisis in which the banking sector had undergone a meltdown leading up to the closure of approximately 11,000 banks was the immediate challenge Roosevelt encountered after his inauguration on March 4, 1933. Widespread fear and panic was caused among the people who had lost their life savings overnight. Another large challenge that Roosevelt faced was the lost faith of the people. The American population had lost total faith in government and were faced with questions based on its capacity to make sound economic and financial decisions. At this point he had to create a means of installing the lost confidence of the people that was caused mainly by the depression. Through President Roosevelt's New Deal, the people were reassured that everything was going to be okay and even though the political, social, and economic situation was desperate, he was going to continue to protect them in all means necessary. Prior to his election, Roosevelt was vacationing in Canada and was diagnosed as having contracted polio. Originally it was difficult for him to accept that he was permanently paralyzed, so he tried multiple therapies to enhance his performance and did almost anything to find a cure. Despite all of his hard work and dedication, he never regained the use of his legs. Over the next several years, he worked to improve his physical and political image. He did this by only using a wheelchair when he was not in public and by walking short distances with braces on his legs. He worked through his illness and never let it affect the way he ran the country; always putting his people before himself. Despite all of the roadblocks that Franklin D. Roosevelt may have encountered, he forged through and accomplished many amazing

Franklin D. Roosevelt was a man who besides his intelligence, charm and strong confidence, he was able to sustain the nation through the most overbearing crisis know as the Great Depression as well as World War II. While managing to stay optimistic, Franklin Roosevelt helped people regain faith in themselves. Despite all the chaos going on at the time, “he was met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory (pg. 90).” He was praised for pushing the government to help those who were underprivileged. This was a new beginning in time for Americans known as the New Deal. He told the country to live by; “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself (pg 90).” Franklin Roosevelt made a very

Roosevelt grew up in a wealthy New York family, and was offered every opportunity of success. He took advantage of this and became educated at Harvard College and Columbia Law School; from here, he became an accomplished a successful career as a lawyer and politician. In August of 1921, he contracted Polio and became paralyzed from the waist down. Due to his extreme optimism that he gained throughout his privileged life, he used his Polio to this to his advantage when he ran for President by showing that he was part of a minority, the disabled, he became more relatable to the general public. He was seen as a man of action and without fear. This mentality was demonstrated during his inaugural address when he stated that “The

The primary source that I chose to document was on Professor Karl’s suggested list of primary sources. The article was titled Theodore Roosevelt on Conservation and can be found on the website http://www.sageamericanhistory.net/progressive/docs/TRonConserv.htm . It is President Theodore Roosevelt’s address to the Seventh Annual Message to Congress which took place on December 3, 1907.

Mister Theodore Roosevelt, a man of reputation and influence, dominion and power, superiority and supremacy. No man embodied Manifest Destiny so exactly: winning a war, becoming a hero and taking our country’s powers to international borders. From Governor of New York, the Presidential Seat, and beyond, Mister Theodore Roosevelt changed from an average American to the President of the United States of America, and finally to a status of legendary inspiration. His actions paved a path for aspirants and nobodies alike, to do something and become phenomenal beings in their own right!

Throughout his 12-year presidency, Franklin Delano Roosevelt showed himself to be a politician of the highest caliber.  He displayed a positive spirit, a widespread concern for the people, and an unmatched willpower in pushing through his most important policies and making them historic successes. To conclude, FDR was a remarkable and extremely successful president who is one of the most worthy to receive such an honor as being referred to as our best president

          President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s program of relief, recovery, and reform that aimed at solving the economic problems created by the Depression of the 1930’s, was referred to as the New Deal. The Great Society was the name given to the domestic program of the U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson. Both programs had similar yet opposing points.

During his life he followed after his distant cousin, Theodore Roosevelt, and entered into the political and economic scene. He won a Senate seat for the New York Senate in 1910 and was reelected again in 1912. During his second term as a senator he Woodrow Wilson named Roosevelt Assistant Secretary of the Navy, under Josephus Daniels. “Roosevelt worked to expand the Navy and founded the United States Navy Reserve.” (Roosevelt, Franklin Delano). He served in that position for seven years and it prepared him for what he would face in his later years. Contrary to his cousin, Roosevelt chose to be a Democrat. In this democratic position he was chosen to be the nominee for Vice President with James Cox in 1920 going against Harding. He was defeated by a long shot, but like other trials in his life he persevered. In 1928 Governor Alfred E. Smith arranged Roosevelt to get his governor position. Almost thirteen years later Franklin Roosevelt was named the 32nd president of the United States of America. After 63 years, on April 12, 1945 Franklin Delano Roosevelt left his full, content life.

Another President who validates the ideals of Neustadt was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt’s fifth cousin (Presidents). Franklin Delano Roosevelt made the presidency a symbol of leadership and purpose in a time of depression and war. He established the role of the president to be chief legislator and has been labeled the “manipulative leader.” His charm was remarkable. He relied on his persuasion skills as a political tool. It was written that “In his geniality was a kind of frictionless command.” His success during the depression and New Deal programs, and the leadership he displayed during World War II is partially due to his presidential personality of unity. President Roosevelt was described as an artist of interpersonal relations; he knew how to combine diverse advice in unified solutions and strike chords of support through affirmation. He truly strived to gain the trust of the

Although Franklin Roosevelt was a great President nobody is perfect and due to that Roosevelt did have some traits that made him a weaker president these included being dominant and unethical. On February 5, 1937, Franklin Roosevelt Revealed his controversial plan to allow the president to appoint an additional Supreme Court justice to any current Supreme Court Justice Member that was over the age of seventy. With six new Supreme Court Justices picked by Roosevelt, he would be able to control the Supreme Court to pass his New Deal Legislations. Jean Smith writes about this issue in his biography FDR when he says, “FDR overplayed his hand. To attack the court was wrongheaded to persist after the cause was won was petulant. Roosevelt paid dearly. Not only did he squander public support, but the Court fracas ruptured the Democratic party” (Smith 390). Roosevelt's fight against the Supreme Court ended badly not