Franklin Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the 32nd American president. FDR, as he was often called, led the United States through the Great Depression and World War II, and greatly expanding the powers of the federal government through a series of wars and reforms known as the New Deal. Stricken with polio in 1921, Roosevelt spent much of his adult life in a wheelchair. A whole generation of Americans grew up knowing no other president, as FDR served an unprecedented four terms in office. Roosevelt’s social programs reinvented the role of government in Americans' lives, while his presidency during World War II established the United States' leadership on the world stage.

There have been well-liked presidents during America's history, but FDR is the only president to be elected to four terms. He served as President for an unprecedented twelve years, dying during his fourth term before victory was secured in Japan. Not many presidents tried to seek out more than two terms before FDR. George Washington famously declined a third term, and many attribute this to creating a trend of two term presidencies. Ulysses S. Grant did attempt a third, but lost his party's nomination. After FDR served four terms, an amendment was proposed and subsequently ratified, that set a limit to the presidency at two terms. People felt that having a president serve so many terms could lead to political corruption, with too much power given to one person for too long. There have been a few attempts to repeal this amendment, but none of them have been successful. It is foreseeable that FDR will remain the only president to serve more than two terms as the President of the United States.

Most people know that FDR was paralyzed after becoming afflicted with polio in 1921. He was traveling in Canada and got ill, and his doctors diagnosed him with the disease. He didn’t let his disability stop him from working in politics. He worked hard at trying to find a cure for his illness. He did learn how to use braces and walk a short distance using a cane, mostly to keep up public appearances for public office. He used a wheelchair privately, but worked hard to not let it be known in public that he had a disability. He especially wanted to keep it from the press, and only three photos that show FDR in a wheelchair exist.He was able to continue his career, and in 1928 he was elected governor of New York. However, some modern researchers believe his illness was not polio, but actually Guillain-Barre Syndrome, according to a study from the Journal of Medical Biography. "However, there would not have been any difference in the treatment, so he still probably would have ended up paralyzed. The one benefit to him having polio was that he brought so much public attention to it".

Not only was FDR related to Teddy Roosevelt and other famous people, he was also related to his own wife. Although not close blood to FDR, Eleanor Roosevelt was Theodore Roosevelt's niece through his brother. This makes FDR and Eleanor distant cousins. The reason Teddy Roosevelt walked Eleanor down the aisle at their 1905 wedding was because her father was dead, and as her uncle, he felt he should take on the responsibility. Eleanor Roosevelt was a smart and well-educated woman for her time. She attended Allenswood, a prestigious preparatory school for women in England.Eleanor influenced many of the New Deal policies, and she worked hard to aid in the reformations that were necessary during The Depression. She never looked to run for public office, but Harry Truman allegedly said he would not have minded her running as his vice president. She wrote an article "My Day”, that was a public diary she used as a pedagogical device, a political tool, and a way to communicate her ideals to the public. She and FDR's marriage was not entirely happy, and she lived apart from him for much of it, although remaining a powerful political partner.