The Roosevelts: Sources of Inspiration

By, Alyssa WilsonFYS-POL199

18/11/14

Franklin’s Life

• Born 1882

• Married Eleanor in 1905

• Diagnosed with Polio in 1921

• New York Governor, 1929-1932

• President of the United States, 1933-1945

• Died 1945

A Brief Bit of History

• The US Stock Market crashed in 1929

• President Hoover created “Hoovervilles” (US shanty towns)

• Over 25% unemployed

• The whole world collapsed after the dollar did

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nSgMWW-808.

• “I am certain that my fellow Americans expect that on my induction into the Presidency I will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our people impel. This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself…”1

Results: The New Deal

• “I pledge to you, I pledge to myself, a New Deal for the American People.”

• Put 4 million people to work through the CWA2

• CCC- employed people to pave roads and trails3

• FHA- designed to combat the Housing crisis

• NRA- designed to get employers and employees to collaborate

• SSA- provided income to retired workers

Roosevelt and the War

• “We have learned that we cannot live alone, at peace; that our well-being is dependent on the well-being of other nations far away. We have learned that we must live as men, not as ostriches, nor as dogs in the manger. We have learned to be citizens of the world, members of the human community. We have learned the simple truth, as Emerson said, that, “The only way to have a friend is to be one.”4

Behind every great man, is an even greater woman.

• Eleanor Roosevelt:• Born in 1884• Married in 1905• “First Lady of the World”• Died 1964

Eleanor in the White House: The First “First Lady”

• “The house was full of young people, my husband had a cold and was in bed having milk-toast for his supper, so I said a polite good-night to everyone and at seven-thirty closed my door, lit my fire, and settled down to a nice long evening by myself. I read things which I have had in my brief case for weeks—a report on educational work in the CCC Camps; a copy of "Progressive Education," dealing with the problems of youth; the first copy of a magazine edited by a group of young people; a chapter in manuscript, and I went to sleep at ten thirty.”5

- “My Day,” December 31, 1935

First Lady of the World

• Symbol in the war:6

• Refugee advocacy and relief • Mother of four servicemen

• Symbol in International Policy:• Human Rights Act

Commemoration of a Leader

Human Memory

• “We can gain no lasting peace if we approach it with suspicion and mistrust or with fear. We can gain it only if we proceed with the understanding, the confidence, and the courage to follow through with conviction.”7

• “Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescence. These dark days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men.”8

Quotes continued…

• “Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.”9

• “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”10

• “True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.”11

Eleanor Remembered

• “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”12

• “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”13

• “A woman is like a tea bag- you can’t tell her how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”14

• “… having learned to stare down fear, I long ago reached the point where there is no living person whom I fear, and few challenges that I am not wiling to face.”15

Work Cited:

• About education. “Top 10 New Deal Programs.” Accessed November 17, 2014. http://americanhistory.about.com/od/greatdepression/tp/new_deal_programs.htm.

• Bartleby.com “Franklin D. Roosevelt, Fourth Inaugural Address.” Accessed November 17, 2014.http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres52.html.

• BrainyQuote. “Eleanor Roosevelt Quotes.” Accessed November 17, 2014. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/eleanor_roosevelt.html.

Work Cited Cont’d:

• BrainyQuote. “Franklin D. Roosevelt Quotes.” Accessed November 17, 2014. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/f/franklin_d_roosevelt.html.

• BrainyQuote. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Accessed November 17, 2014.http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/eleanorroo161321.html.

• Chatterbox. Peters, Charles and Noah, Timothy. “Wrong Harry: Four million jobs in two years? FDR did it in two months.” Accessed November 17, 2014. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/chatterbox/2009/01/wrong_harry.html.

Work Cited Cont’d:

• Cordon, Roberto and Wilson, Alyssa. “Franklin Delano and Eleanor Roosevelt,” in POL 199 Exploring Leadership: Managerial and Political Perspectives Reading Pack- Fall 2014. 30 p.

• “Franklin D. Roosevelt Inaugural Address 1933.” YouTube video, 18:55. Posted by “Jewish Confederate,” December 29, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nSgMWW-808.

• George Washington University. “My Day.” Accessed November 17, 2014. http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/myday/.

Work Cited Cont’d:

• Google images. “Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.” Accessed November 17, 2014.

• History Matters. ”The only thing we have to fear is fear itself: FDR’s First inaugural address.” Accessed November 16, 2014. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5057/.

• National First Ladies Library. “First Lady Biography: Eleanor Roosevelt.” Accessed November 17, 2014. http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=33.

Thank you! Thank you