Editorial

FDR reshaped America

Posted 11/3/22

A milestone event in U.S. - and Hudson Valley - history is observed next week.

On November 8, 1932, 90 years ago, Franklin Delano Roosevelt of Hyde Park was elected the 32nd President of the …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in
Editorial

FDR reshaped America

Posted

A milestone event in U.S. - and Hudson Valley - history is observed next week.

On November 8, 1932, 90 years ago, Franklin Delano Roosevelt of Hyde Park was elected the 32nd President of the United States. Americans, in the throes of the Great Depression, were hungry for change, literally and figuratively. He put many Americans back to work and guided a nation through the Second World War. He served 12 years in the White House - longer than any other president - and was elected four times. He died early into his fourth term and sadly didn’t live long enough to see the end of brutal wars in Europe and the Pacific.

In a tribute written for University of Virginia’s Miller Center, historian William E. Leuchtenburg wrote:

 “Under Roosevelt’s leadership, the United States emerged from World War II as the world’s foremost economic, political, and military power. FDR’s contributions to domestic life during his presidency were just as vital. While his ‘New Deal’ did not end the Great Depression, Roosevelt’s leadership gave Americans hope and confidence in their darkest hours and fundamentally reshaped the relationship between the federal government and the American people....During his tenure, FDR also lifted both the standing and power of the American presidency to unprecedented heights.”

His New Deal and his Works Progress Administration (WPA) built many parks, schools, bridges and roads and put many Americans back to work. His programs were felt close to home. Newburgh’s Delano-Hitch Stadium - which also owes its existence to his family’s philanthropy - and Bear Mountain State Park are part of that legacy. The New Deal also led to the creation of the U.S. Social Security System, established a minimum wage and led to the 40-hour work week.

There’s another side to the 32nd President that received little attention during his time in office. He contracted polio in 1921 at the age of 39 and was paralyzed from the waist down for the remainder of his life.

There are few photographs of him in a wheelchair, but they do exist. He reminds us that people can overcome disabilities to lead productive lives.

The FDR Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park is a National Historic Site. If you haven’t made the trip, plan a visit. It’s worth the time.