Roosevelt's political career in years to 1932

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Roosevelt’s political career in years to 1932

Roosevelt was a member of the Democratic Party and he first entered politics
in 1910.
This happened when the leaders of the Democratic Party in New York asked him
to be their candidate for the State Senator.
Roosevelt accepted the application and set off on a huge campaign which
included touring the area in a red hire car named "The Red Peril".
He was very dedicated and often did up to 20 speeches in one day.
For many years the election in which he was running had been won by the
Republicans, but to the surprise of both his opponents and his supporters he
won the election.
In 1911 Roosevelt took his place in the New York Senate.
He definitely knew what he wanted to do as was very strong willed. Within
weeks of being elected he was rebelling against the leaders of the
Democratic Party in New York, which was controlled by a group of
professional politicians who were known as "The men on Tammany Hall". These
men chose who they would have running. The bosses helped the poor and in return got them to vote for whomever the bosses told them to.
Roosevelt challenged the bosses and this arose over the election of a
Senator to represent New York State in Washington.
Each state could send only two Senators to Washington.
A vote of members of the assembly chose them and the leaders in New York had
chosen a wealthy business man called Sheelan as Senator and if the bosses
had their way he was sure to win the election.
Roosevelt did not agree with their choice because Sheelan had too many
connections with big businesses and would not pay any attention to the poor
people in the state.
So he and some fellow party members decided to block Sheelan's election by
refusing to vote for him.
Roosevelt's house was the headquarters for the small rebel group. They held
out for 10 weeks during which they were but threatened and persuaded.
Eventually when both failed the party dropped Sheelan as their candidate and
elected a new one who had more progressive views.
This was Roosevelt's first political victory.
It was important mostly because it made the country's constitution more
democratic. In future US Senators would be elected by the direct vote of the
people instead of state assemblies.

The fight over the Sheelan affair made Roosevelt a well-known person in
New York State, but he was not very popular with the party bosses, as he was
too independent.
In his speeches, Roosevelt continued to attack Tammany Hall, saying that
they needed to be "plucked out".
The bosses realised that Roosevelt was not just a rich man playing at
politics but a fighter who was willing to go to any length to stand up for
what he thought was right.

When the national convention of the Democratic Party met to choose
candidates for the presidential election, James M. Cox was chosen as the
presidential candidate and Roosevelt was chosen as vice-president.
They both wanted to the USA to be part of League of Nations.
They were, however defeated, and the USA membership in the League of Nations
was now just a dream.
In 1921 he was struck down by polio.

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Before becoming ill he was very active and he swam, rode and played golf, but when he was ill he could no longer do anything other than lie in bed and think.

Lying there he “grew bigger day by day”.

His illness helped teach him understanding, patience and persistence.

His recovery gained him great respect and admiration. A comment made about him was that “the guy never knows when he’s been licked.”

In 1928 Roosevelt suggest to the Democratic National Convention that Al Smith should run for president.

Smith was accepted, but he had been the governor of New York ...

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