Did Roosevelts upbringing, background and character make it easy for him to understand the concerns and fears of ordinary Americans?

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History Coursework #1

Did Roosevelt's upbringing, background and character make it easy for him to understand the concerns and fears of ordinary Americans?

During the Depression in the 1930s, there were a number of concerns and fears faced by ordinary Americans. The Depression was caused by the Wall Street Crash in 1929, and it had brought many negative effects. In the cities, the unemployment rate rapidly increased and the average hourly wage in manufacturing industries fell from 59 cents in 1926 to 44 cents in 1933. This resulted in people becoming homeless, as they failed to repay their mortgage payments after losing their jobs. In the rural areas, there was a serious drought in the South and the Midwest between 1930 and 1936 - known as the Dust Bowl. This forced many farmers to migrate into the cities in search of work and better land to farm. Roosevelt's upbringing, background and character would have helped him understand the concerns and fears of these people to a certain extent; however, this was limited.

To a certain extent, Roosevelt's upbringing helped him understand the concerns and fears of ordinary Americans. The fact that he was pampered by