the roosevelt reporter son born to james roosevelt family, cousin to teddy vol.1 no. 1 january 30,...

The Roosevelt Reporter

SON BORN TO JAMES ROOSEVELT FAMILY, COUSIN TO TEDDY

Vol.1 No. 1 January 30, 1882-1906

EARLY YEARS 1882-1896

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born in Hyde Park, New York. His father, James was a successful business man, His father died of a heart attack when Franklin was 18. His mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt was a very devoted mother who was overprotective and did not allow Franklin to attend school until he was 14 years of age. Franklin grew up in a family of wealth and privilege. His early life included trips to Europe, summers on an island off the Coast of Maine and private tutors.

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Franklin as a young boy.

SCHOOL YEARS 1896-1906

Franklin Roosevelt began attending school when he was 14 years old. He went to Groton which was a fashionable preparatory school in Massachusetts. He spent four years there. After Groton he entered Harvard in 1900. He graduated from Harvard in 1903. He then went to Columbia Law School in 1904. He would remain there for two years. He did not complete his third year of law school but elected to take the bar examination. He passed and went to work.

MARRIAGE TO TEDDY’S NIECE

In 1903, Franklin Roosevelt met Eleanor Roosevelt. They married in 1905 and lived in New York near Sara Roosevelt.



Edited by Yvette Edwards


FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT BEGINS POLITICAL CAREER

Vol.1 No. 1 1910-1928

STATE SENATOR

1910-1912

Franklin Roosevelt began his political career with a narrow victory for the senate seat in Duchess County. As a senator, he began developing his philosophy of conservation of natural resources and protection of the general welfare. To this end, he supported a bill establishing a fifty-four hour work week for women and children. He was re-elected in 1912 but left for a post in the Navy.

GOVERNOR OF NY

1928-1932

As governor of New York, FDR created new programs to combat the Great Depression which began in the fall of 1929. In 1931, he creates the Temporary Emergency Relief Agency to provide food, clothing, and housing to the unemployed and help them find jobs. He elaborated on his philosophy of social interests taking precedence over individual liberties.



NAVAL CAREER 1913-1920Roosevelt accepted the post of under-secretary of the Navy under Woodrow Wilson. He was in charge of Navy procurement, supply and civilian personnel policies. He continued this post until 1920.

ILLNESS STRIKES 1921FDR while vacationing with his family in Maine,was diagnosed with polio. His legs are paralyzed and he is only able to walk withheavy steel braces and crutches. Roosevelt will undergo three years of physical therapy and treatment before he is ready to enter the political arena once again.

FDR as Under-Secretary of the Navy


THE GREAT DEPRESSION HITS

Vol.1 No. 3 1929-1932

DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH UNFAIR

One cause of the collapse of the American economy was the unequal distribution of wealth. The top 25% of the population made 55% of the national income. That left 75% of the American population with 45% of the national income. The Coolidge administration had provided business with corporate profits that rose 62% in the years 1923-1929. In that same period, average wages rose 8%. This disparity left the average American with enough money to buy the essential items such as food and clothing.

CREDIT PURCHASES CAUSE ARTIFICIAL DEMAND FOR PRODUCTS

When production of goods exceeded the demand, businesses began allowing people to purchase their products on credit. Installment contracts created an artificial demand for products people could not ordinarily afford. As the economic unbalance worsened, payments that should have been made on the installment contracts were missed. People could no longer afford the payments and continue to pay for the necessities of life. Production fell and thousands of jobs were lost.

FARMS LOSE SUBSIDIESPRICES FALLDuring World War I, farming was an essential part of the economy. Farms were encouraged to modernize and increase the amount of food produced during this time. After the War was over, farmers were no longer needed to grow enough food for the U.S. and Europe. Subsidies were suspended and the prices for food fell. The artificially high prices could no longer be justified. Debts could not be paid. Many farms failed.

BANKS INVESTUNWISELYBanks were not regulated at this time.They made speculativeinvestments in high risk ventures. Many banks failed that weretied to the agriculturaleconomy. As banks failed people lost their money because theirdeposits were not insured. The trust that people had in banks evaporated and manybanks experienced arun on the bank that wiped out their reserves.


ROOSEVELT ELECTED PRESIDENT, NEW DEAL BEGINS

Vol.1 No.4 1932-1936

NATIONAL RECOVERY ADMINISTRATION (NRA)

The NRA was created as part of the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) which was passed in 1933. The purpose of the NRA was to form a partnership between government and business to aid in economic recovery. However, business took advantage of the “partnership” by controlling the market and keeping production low and prices high. The provisions that actually benefit the average worker were the elimination of child labor, a shortened work day and the establishment of a minimum wage. In May of 1935, the NIRA was declared unconstitutional.

AGRICULTURAL ADJUSTMENT ACT (AAA)

The AAA was another early New Deal program that limited farm production. This plan affected the major food commodities. Farmers would reduce their output in exchange for government subsidies. This worked well for farmers who owned their own land, but displaced many farm workers and tenant farmers. This act was also declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.

NEW DEAL PROVIDES RELIEF

In keeping with his philosophy of social welfare, FDR instituted a number of programs to provide relief to the destitute. His

programs provided millions of Americans with the necessities of life. He did this through the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA). During the 1930s, 46 million people or 35% of the American population received public aid. FDR said, “Government has a final responsibility for the well-being of its citizenship.”


CONSERVATION PROGRAMS

AID ECONOMIC RECOVERY

Vol.1 No.5 1932-1936

CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS (CCC)

FDR had always been a big supporter of conservation efforts. So as part of his New Deal programs, he instituted the CCC. This program enrolled single men between the ages of 18-25 to work on projects. This combined the concepts of relief with the rebuilding infrastructure in the forestry regions of the country. Volunteers built roads, camping facilities, water-storage basins, wildlife refuges and animal shelters. They also fought forest fires and reseeded grazing lands.

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TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY (TVA)

Another program initiated by the Roosevelt



Administration was TVA. The TVA covered a 40,000 square mile region of the country. It was based on managing and conserving the natural resources of the Tennessee River. The projects that were implemented resulted in cheap electric power, controlled floods and helped prevent soil erosion. It is a federally owned corporation that was created by a congressional charter. The Supreme Court ruled the TVA constitutional in 1936.


ROOSEVELT RE-ELECTED, VOWS

FIGHT FOR FURTHER REFORM

Vol.1 No.6 1937-1940

FDR UNVEILS NEW PLAN OF REFORMS

Roosevelt unveiled a new plan of administrative reforms. The purpose of the plan was to provide order over government administration which FDR had been unable to do in his first administration. The priority, at that time, had been on alleviating the effects of The Depression. Roosevelt had many successes which had lead to the creation of the welfare state. He believed that the reorganization of the executive department of the government would benefit everyone in American society.

FDR INTRODUCES PLAN TO “PACK” COURT

FDR in his frustration with the U.S. Supreme Court over their action on many of his New Deal programs, introduced a plan to “pack” the Court. His plan was to add a justice for each sitting justice who after serving at least 10 years and reaching the age of seventy, did not retire. The plan would add a maximum of six additional justices. Although he was not successful, FDR would later get state minimum wage laws, the Social Security Act and the National Labor Relations Act would be declared constitutional.



ROOSEVELT ENCOUNTERS RESISTANCE

FDR met his match with the Southern

Democrats in Congress. His Fair Labor Standards Act which was introduced in May of 1937 did not pass until a year later with major revisions. The legislation proposed to outlaw child labor and establish minimum wage and maximum hour levels. The law as passed exempted domestic workers and farm laborers. It also called for the gradual implementation of the minimum wage over three years.FDR attempted to overcome the resistance by opposing the re-election of the Southern Democrats He was unsuccessful. The votes that he needed to oust these politicians were the disenfranchised such as African Americans.


RECESSION BRINGS INTO QUESTION NEW DEAL PROGRAMS

Vol.1 No.7 1937-1940

ROOSEVELT RECESSION

1937-1938

An economic collapse occurred in the fall of 1937. The rate of decline was more severe than that of 1929. Industrial production fell by 33%, industrial stock prices by 50% and national income by 12%. The unemployment rate reached over 11 million. The administration had attempted to balance the budget by making sharp cuts in expenditures. Roosevelt resisted new spending programs for several months. In April of 1938, FDR asked Congress for a $3.75 billion relief appropriation.

DEMOCRATS SUFFER DEFEAT IN 1938 MIDTERM ELECTIONS

The Recession caused many people to turn away from the Democrats in the midterm elections of 1938. Roosevelt could no longer expect a warm reception for his New Deal policies. The best he could hope for was that the programs would continue in their present form. However, the Congress had different ideas. Legislation was passed that cut off funds for the Federal Theater Project which provided help for unemployed creative artists. Congress found other ways to show FDR their displeasure over the New Deal. Ultimately, FDR did not press for further reforms. He became preoccupied with issues of foreign policy because of the hostilities that were occurring in Europe.


ELEANOR ROOSEVELT CHANGED

THE ROLE OF FIRST LADY

Vol.1 No. 8 1932-1940

ARTHURDALE

When Eleanor Roosevelt heard about the conditions in Scott’s Run, West Virginia, she traveled there and saw for herself the ravages of the Depression. Eleanor used her influence with the Secretary of the Interior to establish a homestead community near Scott’s Run. They called it Arthurdale. Although it was criticized by the press, Eleanor was confident that resettlement communities like Arthurdale were an important part of the relief effort to those who were severely affected by the Depression.

ELEANOR’S ROLE IN THE NEW DEAL

Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt had similar philosophies when it came to the government’s responsibility to assist those who are in need. During 1933, Eleanor traveled more than forty thousand miles. She would report on her observations and experiences to FDR. She became his eyes and ears. The President and the First Lady would often meet and discuss the issues that faced the country. He respected her opinion on important political matters.



ELEANOR BECOMES ADVOCATE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS

During her time as First Lady, Eleanor began to understand racial injustice in America. She tried to get FDR to support an anti-lynching law but he could not risk it politically. Eleanor resigned from the DAR because of their racial prejudices. Eleanor brought many black voters into the Democratic party.

the roosevelt reporter son born to james roosevelt family, cousin to teddy vol.1 no. 1 january 30,...

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