Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a very important man in American history. He was the 32d president of the United States. He helped the country during difficult times and led the nation to a progressive future. He was a man with strength and iniciative. But the one thing that outstanded in the life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt was that he was an ordinary man that showed that with courage and persistence one may achieve their greatest goals.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born January 30, 1882. He was born at Hyde Park, New York. His father was James Roosevelt. He was a man that came from a wealthy family. Franklin's mother was Sara Delano Roosevelt, his father's second wife.
Franklin spent most of his youth educated by governesses. He lived in the Hyde Park family estate in Dutchess County. He had a very active youth. One of his favorite hobbies were stamp and bird collecting. Franklin also traveled a lot to Europe. He would go for study exchanges, or to compete in the varies sports he practiced. He was very good at swimming and boating. He was a tall, handsome and very outgoing young man. He was very popular at Groton School (Groton, Mass.), the school he attended.
After finishing school, Franklin went to Harvard University. He was very successful there. He studied very hard and got involved in various extracurricular activities. He was the captain of the rowing team and traveled many times to Europe in order to represent the Harvard University. He was an outstanding student. In his senior year he edited the Harvard Crimson. He graduated in the year 1903.
After his graduation at Harvard, he attended Columbia Law School. But after three years he was offered a place in a Wall Street law firm. He decided to drop out of the law school and begin working.
On March 17, 1905, Franklin married Anna Eleanor Roosevelt. She was a distant cousin. Her uncle was the president Theodore Roosevelt. She was a shy young woman. Together they had six children. The eldest was Anna Eleanor. Then came James, Elliott, Franklin Delano, jr., and John. The sixth child died in infancy. As a family, the Roosevelts were in the highest social circles of New York City. But they also spent much of their time helping the poor.
Franklin decided that he wanted to work in politics. In 1912, at a Democratic Convention he backed up Woodrow Wilson. In return he was offered the post of assistant secretary of the Navy. There is when his political career began. By 1920 he won the vice-president nomination of the Democratic party.
Unfortunately things changed in the summer of 1921. While Franklin was spending his vacation on Campobello Island (New Brunswick, Canada), he got poliomyelitis. It was very hard for to pass this stage, but he got a lot of support from his family. After the disease, Franklin lost the use of his both legs. Luckily he had the wealth of his family to take a slow and appropriate recovery. He spent about three years at his estate at Hyde Park. He had doctors and nurses attending him at every moment. His wife and his children never left him a moment. He followed an intensive therapy that included even swimming. Franklin was a strong man and believed in the virtues of life. He saw his a disability not as an obstacle but a reason to try harder.
Franklin's mother wanted him to leave politics and live peacefully at the Hyde Park estate. But Franklin could not live like that. He needed more. Encouraged by his wife and advisor, Franklin went back to politics. It was not easy. He worked hard and showed that there is more to a man than a pair of legs. Franklin had something more valuable, his mind. By 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt became the 32d president of the United States of America.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt showed that what makes an ordinary man an extraordinary one is their courage and persistence. Franklin is a man that will always be remembered not only as the 32d president of the United States, but as a man that pursued his goals with bravery and hope.
