- FDR was born into a wealthy, well connected family

- His future wife, Eleanor, introduced him to the life of slum dwellers in the early 1900s

- In 1932 he accepted the Democratic nomination for president

I ask you to judge me by the enemies I

have made.

Franklin Roosevelt is no crusader. He is no tribune of the people. He is no enemy of the entrenched privilege. He is a pleasant man who, without any important qualifications for the office, would very much like to be President.

- Walter Lippmann, 1932

A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has

never learned how to walk forward.

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the

abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide

enough for those who have little.

True individual freedom cannot exist without economic

security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of

which dictatorships are made.

I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a

new deal for the American people

Not to mention a repeal of

prohibition…

- In 1921, FDR had contracted polio and lost the use of his legs. He would hide the disability throughout his presidential campaign.

- Roosevelt promised the “Three R’s”: relief, recovery, and reform, during his campaign.

- Roosevelt won handily.

It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all,

try something.

A nation that destroys it's soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to

our people.

If you have spent two years in bed trying to wiggle your big toe,

everything else seems easy.

Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our

democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and

government officials, but the voters of this country.

- During the “First 100 Days” Congress passed 15 pieces of legislation Roosevelt designed to aid the Depression stricken country.

- To convey his plans to the public he began a series of “Fireside Chats” during which he addressed the nation informally over radio.

- Roosevelt’s presidency marks a major theoretical shift in the office of president and a major theoretical shift in the way the United States would operate.