FDR

While I was reading my book on FDR one morning, my eleven-year-old son came down the stairs with a book and he said he wanted to join me and read together. That made my heart melt.

With everything on in today's world, I find facts and more important history is forgotten. People want to believe what they want to believe regardless of what history says. Hopefully my blog will inspire you to read, doesn't have to be about an intense topic, just read.

Another issue going on today is the entire us versus them. You see it everywhere. Sports, politics, entertainment, music, movies, etc... For example:

• Sports: Rivalries in sports are too many to list. I went to college at Mississippi State. The hatred between Ole Miss and State cannot be described in this blog. It is intense, and it ends up being an entire us versus them. Bama/Auburn, Red Sox/Yankees, Saints/Falcons and Cowboys versus anybody.
• Politics today; The environment today is toxic. Democrats vs. Republicans. Build a wall don't build a wall, Medicare for all versus to the hell with you, get you own damn health insurance.

If I haven't lost you yet, you’re probably asking yourself, what the heck does this have to do with FDR being President. FDR was elected in November 1932. he was sworn in March 1933. (The switch to January inaugurations would occur a few years later.) FDR was voted in overwhelming over Herbert Hoover as the depression sunk the country to financial despair and ruin. After the election, FDR worked on forming his cabinet and knew he had to hit the ground running. His cabinet was a mix of Democrats and Republicans. There was no straight party line cabinet that you tend to see with modern day Presidents. He was willing to work with Republicans.

FDR inauguration speech lasted 15 minutes. It was a memorable speech

• The only thing we have to fear is fear itself
• This is a day of nation consecration
• This great nation will endures it has it endured

Five days after that famous speech, legislation was introduced to get the nation’s banks back open and running. From the time the bill was introduced to the house on March 9th, until FDR signed the bill took six hours. Could you even image that today. Our country just ended a thirty-five-day partial shutdown of the federal government. President Trump signed the same bill he had thirty-five days ago. This is to keep the government open for three weeks. FDR and Congress took six hours to pass legislation to get banks back open and get our country back on its feet.

Need to rewind a bit and talk about FDR's life and how he got to be President. As I have mentioned previously, my opinion has changed of all the Presidents after reading the books. Some for the better, some for the worse. I had no idea that FDR was from a wealthy family. The Roosevelts were very well off, but FDR's mother Sara Delano had more money that the Roosevelts. This combined to give FDR a very privileged upbringing. FDR had a trust fund and was educated at an exclusive boarding school Groton and eventually Harvard. He made some lifelong friendships at Harvard that helped him personally and professionally.

FDR and Eleanor (ER) were fifth cousins once removed. Not sure if I could figure out on my family tree (made need some help from my Uncle Joe) on who my fifth cousin once removed is, but I'm confident it's not my wife. In reading the book, I learned a lot of FDR and ER personal life that I was unaware of. I knew of the paralysis that left FDR in a wheel chair for good portion of his adult life. I was unaware of the affairs that both FDR and ER had. I truly believe they loved each other early as they had five children. Their wealth allowed them to travel extensively, send the children to boarding schools and live significant time apart. When FDR was trying to find a cure for paralysis, he spent a lot of time in Warm Springs, GA while ER was back at their Hyde Park home in New York.

In 1910, FDR ran for his first political office as State Senator in New York and won. Some of closet relationships were formed in his early political days. He served as state senator until 1913.

From 1913 to 1919, FDR was assistant Secretary of the Navy. WWI took place during this time. FDR spent time in Washington, D.C. away from his family. This is when he had his affair. The family knew, social circles in D.C. knew and the press knew. It was not reported by the press. Could you image that happening with today's media? I think that would be a big fat no. ER had her own affair with her bodyguard. My conclusion was in the 1920s, FDR and ER basically formed a business partnership and they each had their own career goals. FDR wanted to be President. He had an amazing cast of characters to help him achieve this goal. ER worked with some close female friends on advancing women's rights. ER was not a big fan of FDR becoming President as she had to give up some of her career goals.

FDR and ER had five children. Their children did not have the best track record when it comes to marriage. 

• Anna- married three times
• James - four
• Elliott - five
• Franklin, Jr. - five
• John - twice

It's safe to say, with their parents being apart and not having the perfect home life may have contributed to the multiple marriages. As a parent of two children, I understand parenting and being a husband can be difficult. I'm not judging but it's worth noting.

1920, FDR ran as the VP on the Democratic ticket for President and lost.

In the 1920s FDR used his connections from Harvard and his law degree from Columbia to form some business relationships in New York City. His business career took a turn on July 27, 1921 when he visited a boy scout camp in New York where he contracted Polio. In the FDR book by Jean Edward Smith that I read, there is a picture from that day which is the last photograph of FDR walking unassisted. For the next few years he spent significant time trying to improve his condition and walk.

In November 1928, FDR was elected Governor of New York and served until winning the Presidency in 1932.

Presidential campaigns were different in 1932 than they are today. There was no TV, internet and social media. No PACs and Super PACs spending tons of money on advertisements. The campaigning consisted of speeches, mainly traveling by car and train. FDR had an advantage due his family money and connections he made at Harvard and through the New York social scene. FDR continued to use radio with his fireside chats. He started this when governor, continued while he campaigned and famously used them while President.

To secure the Democratic nomination, FDR team used some great negotiation tactics at the national Democratic convention. The delegates from the states controlled the power and would switch votes based on the back-room deals made. FDR never forgave some of the Democratic powers who were against him. These individuals were left out of key cabinet positions when he won the election over Hoover.

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First 100 days

Now back to FDR presidency. When you read what was accomplished in FDR's first 100 days in office, you can only be amazed. Fifteen historic pieces of legislation was passed. Fifteen. Let that sink. The Democrats overwhelming controlled both the House and Senate. On quite a few of these bills, some Democrats voted against the bills, but enough Republicans voted yes. Think about that for a minute and see if that would happen in 2019. Many of these bills we take for granted today and were ultimately challenged in court and upheld by the Supreme Court.

Some of the bills passed were:

• Emergency Banking Act - March 9, 1933
• Civilian Conservation Corps - March 31
• Tennessee Valley Authority - May 18 
• Glass-Steagall Banking Act - June 15

You can spend a significant amount time discussing the economic decisions made by FDR. Less reliance on gold was hotly debated. I don't claim to be an economy expert, but these decisions were well thought out, made quickly to have an immediate impact on stopping foreclosure on homes, creating jobs, establishing FDIC insurance on banking deposits. Eighty-six years after these bills have been passed, there is still an impact felt today. The TVA alone had an impact on at least seven states and help generate electricity for homes and create jobs.

1935 saw two significant bills passed: Social Security and Works Progress Administration - WPA.

Social Security was an interesting concept at the time. How do you fund it? At the time the federal government had no money to contribute. Social Security works on a combination of employee and employer contributions. It was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1937 by a vote of 7-2.

As I kid growing up in New Orleans, I used to hear stories about all the construction that took place after WPA was created. In the first year alone, 3 million people were put to work pumping $11 Million into the economy. Schools, parks, playgrounds, hospitals and highways were just some of the construction that took place.

In 1936 FDR won an unprecedented 60.79% of the vote and winning the electoral college 523 to 8 by winning 46 of the 48 states. Democrats increased control of the House to 331-89 and 76-16 in the Senate. LBJ would have a similar victory over Goldwater in 1964.

His second term did not get off to a great start in 1937. He secretly worked on a plan by trying to stack the Supreme Court with two justices. He wanted to introduce legislation to add two justices to the highest court in the land. This bill was defeated soundly and left a bad taste in the mouth of a lot of members of Congress. 1937 was much different from 1933 as not much significant legislation was passed.

When George Washington finished his second term, he decided he did not want to run for a third term. That precedent was followed for over a hundred years. There is some debate among historians if Grant technically ran for a third term (teaser for the Grant blog). Campaigning in 1940 was quite different than it is today. As I type this in January 2019, there are a handful of Democrat candidates actively campaigning for an election twenty-one month from now. In 1940, the conventions controlled who was going to be the party nominee.

FDR held off a challenge from his VP John Nance Garner to win the Democratic nomination. Garner had served as VP for the first eight years of FDRs presidency. FDR went on to defeat Republican Wendell Wilkie to win a third term.

In the spring of 1941 the United States had not entered WWII. The British were having financial trouble in addition to having inadequate guns, tanks and planes to fight the Germans. The Lend Lease Act was passed which was a combination of money and equipment loaned to our Allies.

December 7, 1941. A date which will live in infamy. A lot has been written about Pearl Harbor. Movies have been made. I won't go into detail about the horrific events that occurred and change the course of the war. One of the things I learned in the book was that the Army and Navy commanders in Hawaii had a warning an attack could possibly occur in Hawaii. In 1941, the United States and Japan spent significant amount of time negotiating. The negotiations were unsuccessful. Many warning signs were missed. The Roberts commission investigated the events of Pearl Harbor and led to the demotion of the Navy and Army commanders in Hawaii.

One of the unintended effects of reading the presidential books are the references to other books written. In the FDR book, Jean Edward Smith mentions a Jon Meacham book about Winston and Churchill. I really enjoyed Meacham's book on Andrew Jackson (future blog post) and will also read his book on Bush 41. After Pearl Harbor, Churchill came to Washington and addressed a joint session of congress on December 26, 1941. Churchill was the first foreign leader to address a joint session of congress since Lafayette in 1824. The relationship between WC and FDR would prove pivotal in defeating the Germans and Japanese.

On February 19, 1942, FDR signed an executive order called for forcible evacuation of persons of Japanese ancestry from the Pacific Coast. A lot of these individuals were US citizens. This order was not one of FDRs better decisions. Some say it's like Andrew Jackson's decision to move the Indians during the Trail of Tears.

D Day. June 6, 1944. In the next four months a lot will be written and discussed about this day as the 75th anniversary is this year. D Day was called Project Overlord. Dwight Eisenhower was chosen to lead the invasion of the Allied troops (more to come in future blog post on Ike).

1944: FDR decided to run for a fourth term. His health was declining rapidly. His doctor misdiagnosed his heart condition and ultimately destroyed his medical records after he died. FDR was able to secure the Democratic nomination. The biggest intrigue would be who would be his running mate. His current VP Henry Wallace was dumped in favor of Harry S. Truman. Not that Truman was qualified, he was the VP candidate who would hurt FDR the least.

FDR defeated the Republican nominee Thomas Dewey to win his fourth term. It won't be the last time we hear of Dewey as he will resurface in 1948 when the newspapers famously claimed Dewy Wins. His fourth term would only last eighty-two days when he died at his cottage in Warm Springs, Georgia.

FDR led a very complicated life. He made some mistakes. We all make mistakes. He was man who led a privilege life but was considered a common man. He devoted most of his adult life to public service. He led the country out of the depression and was able to successfully pass legislation that helps this country almost eighty years later.

This is the ninth presidential book I have finished. A total of 5,093 pages. Thirty-five books to go.