Roosevelt’s education also played an important part in getting him ready to face presidency and to help the American citizens. His education started with him being taught at home. Firstly, by a Governess and then a private Tutor, then he was sent to an all boys boarding school named Groton, this separates Roosevelt of from the average American as they were not given the advantage of experiencing Roosevelt’s education and therefore could not have that good head start in life. Here he studied for four years and was heavily influenced by his headmaster Endicott Peabody, who encouraged him to learn about Christianity and learn Christian teachings, to help people less fortunate. This was a very good step for Franklin Roosevelt as it meant that he could incorporate Christian values into being a President and helping the country. This is because most of the Christian values are about treating people as you would like to be treated etc which would make Roosevelt want to be fair to all and help them have a better life. After finishing Groton, Roosevelt moved to Harvard University. This was one of the top academic universities in the USA and it was here that Franklin achieved a BA (Bachelors Award) in 1903. After this impressing turn Roosevelt finally moved to the Columbian University Law School. Here he passed the all important Bar examination in 1907 and spent three years with a New York law firm. This was also a very important move for Roosevelt as it meant that through his law career he could work with the less fortunate and incorporate peoples rights and how they should be treated into his work as a President for helping the American citizens out. But on the other hand some American citizens say that it left him ‘Arrogant’ as a source says from a history site (which provides valid information), like he was destined for presidency therefore they did not like him for this. Finally his education had developed his politics and drove him away from his internationalism ideas, which meant that he was now more democratic and cared for the social problems at home, which would be much more needed when he became President, do regain and rebuild the American Empire back up to its form of glory.
Furthermore, while Franklin Roosevelt was away on holiday in 1921, he was stuck with what was thought to be back pains. He later found out that he had contracted Poliomyelitis (Polio), a crippling viral disease that left him paralysed from the waist down for life. However many good things came about from his illness, as it allowed Roosevelt to look at the world from different angles. He refused to accept that he was paralysed and stood up at public speeches. This was very good as it showed the American people how much they meant to him and that he was not all weak and could fight off anything that threatened him and therefore with the help of the nation Roosevelt and the citizens could fight off poverty together. He showed his will to come over this as he trained every day for the next seven years to walk again, which reflects to the Americans, how he would do all he could no matter how much effort it took to help them out and make their lives better in as many ways as he could. He showed his enthusiasm and kind side by using family money to help others and his own money to establish foundations to help other Polio victims. This was a good reason as it showed Roosevelt out to be thoughtful which lead him onto trying to help out all the American people. Also allowing himself for once in his life to be able to associate and emphasise with other sufferers, so that he knows how it feels and how important it is to fit in, therefore it would lead him on to tour around the USA and see other Americans points of view and try to help them also. This determination and will that he had to succeed again, reflected on other people, so that they could feel that they would make a difference to the American depression and try and help out and make their country better again. It also showed Roosevelt’s optimise of overcoming obstacles for example finding cures for his disease: electric currents, ultraviolet light, massage, mineral baths and whatever might improve his legs. This showed that he could do whatever he wanted if he put his mind to it. This gave the Americans hope and faith in Roosevelt to regain their economy and help their social lives greatly. Franklin also pitied many people with other diseases, after suffering his own. Therefore he sought out many cures for people. This helped the Americans greatly as they had no money whatsoever and therefore Roosevelt would pay to help some of them very ill ones, so that they could have a new start in life and be equal. It also saw him slightly in a meaner light and did not help him as it reflected to the Americans that he was only really interested in his disease and therefore slightly self-centred. But on the other hand he was serving bad health and disappointment because of his health and illness therefore he turned to the public and helped them which made him feel better by putting a smile back on the ordinary Americans faces.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s married life was also a great plus for him. He married Eleanor Roosevelt who influenced his role in his political career and pushed him to do more, helping him every time things got bad. She also took him into the slums in American to witness first hand what was happening to his country, so that it would convey horror to his eyes and shock him so much, that he wanted to change the slums with all the power he could and he was determined to do so. It also reflected to the Americans that he was very down to earth and real to take the time to come and see them, for example broadcasting on the radio every week to speak to the public and talk to them and console them.
Franklin Roosevelt’s political career was also a major part of helping him to regain the economy and American power. He was always interested in politics and abandoned law in 1910 to take up politics and run for New York Senator. He won the election and served as New York Senator for three years, having being good and impressive enough to will the re-election. His time as Senator proved a good move as it allowed Roosevelt to witness social hardship, which encouraged him to want to do more and therefore was the first Senator/Governor to give tax revenue to the poor.
His excellent and worthy work as New York State Senator finished in 1913, when Franklin was rewarded for his support of the Woodrow Wilson’s Presidential candidacy at the Democratic National Convection in 1912 and was then appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Roosevelt was thrilled as the Navy was one of the largest and most important government agencies and offered him a great opportunity, where he could expand and be given and set challenges to for fill, which put him in a much greater position. Here he could mix with the sailors from many different backgrounds and find out their aspects and points of view, which could be taken into account for when he became President and needed to improve and boost the USA’s moral etc.
Then something bad struck in 1920. The Democrats including Franklin Roosevelt hit a major setback when Republican Presidential candidate Warren Harding swept to power. Therefore Roosevelt lost some of his confidence and returned to law for most of the twenties, struggling to come to terms with his disability. This hit a nerve with Roosevelt and it took him a while to come to terms with the loss and get back on his feet. He also struggled a lot with his disability, which meant that even when he was president he always in the back of his mind felt unconfident and stupid, which lowered his self esteem and mad him feel bad. In 1928, he was then persuaded to run for Governor of New York, which he won. His reputation and confidence grew greatly through his efforts to provide relief for New York’s unemployed during the early years of depression. He used his brain, to use tax payers money ($20 million) to help the unemployed, sick and farmers during the depression, who had lost lots of money because they had made so many crops and after the war they were not needed so they lost out on money. Roosevelt also helped out with soup kitchens so that the homeless and starving would at least have a place to go. He therefore saw this as a challenge, to do as much as he could to minimize suffering.
Overall, I feel that although in many ways his background, character and upbringing did not help him at times, as he was never allowed to see and understand what it was like to be an ordinary American citizen. Alternatively, it helped him in many other ways and pushed him into the right direction, until he was able to reach his goal. This is because at the time of the American depression, all of the public lost their money to banks etc., therefore unexpectedly being put into poverty. It was then Franklin Roosevelt’s job to turn this around and we can see that he did this greatly, as the USA again became the most powerful and richest country. This in turn showed Roosevelt’s popularity as he was elected to be President three times, which was never achieved before! He also brought the Americans pride back, as their money and power had gone leaving them defenceless and vulnerable therefore taking their two most precious commodities away. This resulted in Roosevelt acting instantly to restore in building up the country again and brought back a good standard of living for the ordinary American civilians.
