Franklin D. Roosevelt guided America through its greatest domestic and foreign crisis after taking on both the Great Depression and World War II. He took office during the time the country was amidst economic depression. This depression not only drained the country’s material wealth and spirituality, but it also put a dark cloud over the country. Roosevelt is the only president to have served more than two terms. Despite facing both political and personal challenges, Roosevelt managed to emerge on top as one of the nation’s most esteemed presidents.
Roosevelt was born into a wealthy New York family and was a distant cousin of former president Theodore Roosevelt, who he greatly admired. Roosevelt studied law at Columbia University Law School and passed the bar exam, but he found law practice quite boring. So he set his eyes on much greater achievements. In 1920 he received a nomination for vice president as James M. Cox’s running mate. The pair was …show more content…
Although the economy was rising, it was way below its level before the stock market crash. In 1935 Roosevelt asked Congress to pass an additional New Deal legislation- called the “Second New Deal”. The key measures of the Second New Deal were the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Wagner Act, and Social Security Act. The WPA aimed to provide the unemployed with work that would help them to maintain their skills. The Wagner Act restored labor’s right to bargain collectively and it created the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which resolved labor disputes. The Social Security Act provided unemployment and disability insurance and old- age pensions. In addition to these measures, Congress also passed a tax revision that raised tax rates for large corporations and people with large incomes. By 1936, the economy showed signs of improvement. Unemployment had dropped from 25 percent to 14 percent and the gross national product was up by 34
Roosevelt was born into a wealthy New York family and was a distant cousin of former president Theodore Roosevelt, who he greatly admired. Roosevelt studied law at Columbia University Law School and passed the bar exam, but he found law practice quite boring. So he set his eyes on much greater achievements. In 1920 he received a nomination for vice president as James M. Cox’s running mate. The pair was …show more content…
Although the economy was rising, it was way below its level before the stock market crash. In 1935 Roosevelt asked Congress to pass an additional New Deal legislation- called the “Second New Deal”. The key measures of the Second New Deal were the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Wagner Act, and Social Security Act. The WPA aimed to provide the unemployed with work that would help them to maintain their skills. The Wagner Act restored labor’s right to bargain collectively and it created the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which resolved labor disputes. The Social Security Act provided unemployment and disability insurance and old- age pensions. In addition to these measures, Congress also passed a tax revision that raised tax rates for large corporations and people with large incomes. By 1936, the economy showed signs of improvement. Unemployment had dropped from 25 percent to 14 percent and the gross national product was up by 34