Roosevelt becomes president (AQA GCSE History): Revision Notes
Roosevelt becomes president
Franklin Delano Roosevelt's background
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, commonly known as FDR, was born in 1888 and would become one of America's most significant presidents. He received his legal education at the prestigious Harvard University, where he trained as a lawyer. During World War I, Roosevelt served in the Navy, gaining valuable experience in government service.
In 1921, Roosevelt faced a major personal challenge when he contracted polio, a disease that affected his spine and left him unable to walk without assistance. Despite this setback, he had to use a wheelchair for the remainder of his life. Rather than ending his career, this experience may have given him greater understanding of struggle and hardship that many Americans faced.
Roosevelt's experience with polio was kept largely hidden from the American public during his political career. The media of the time rarely photographed him in his wheelchair, and he developed techniques to appear to be walking by using leg braces and holding onto his son's arm or a podium.
Roosevelt entered politics in 1928 as a member of the Democratic Party and successfully became Governor of New York, a position that prepared him for national leadership during one of America's most difficult periods.
The 1932 presidential election
By 1932, America was deep in the Great Depression, and President Herbert Hoover faced a challenging re-election campaign. The American people were looking for new leadership and fresh approaches to tackle the economic crisis that had devastated their lives.
Roosevelt emerged as the Democratic challenger, promising to take America in a completely different direction from Hoover's policies. The election became a clear choice between two very different philosophies of government and economic management.
The Great Depression had begun in 1929 with the stock market crash and had continued for three years by the time of the 1932 election. Unemployment had reached approximately 25%, and many banks had failed, leaving millions of Americans without savings or jobs.
Comparing approaches: Laissez-faire vs the New Deal
The fundamental difference between the two candidates lay in their approach to government intervention in the economy.
Hoover's laissez-faire approach
Herbert Hoover believed in minimal government intervention in the economy. The electorate had become familiar with Hoover's hands-off methods of dealing with the Depression, but these policies had proved very unpopular with voters. After the Depression had continued for several years, Hoover eventually began lending money to businesses and farms, and made some funding available for states to help unemployed people. However, this assistance was widely seen as too little and too late to make a meaningful difference.
Laissez-faire is a French term meaning "let it be" or "leave it alone." This economic philosophy argues that the government should not interfere with business and that the free market will naturally correct economic problems without government intervention.
Roosevelt's New Deal
Roosevelt offered the American people what he called a "New Deal" - a complete change from the laissez-faire approach that Hoover had taken. The New Deal focused on directly meeting the needs of people who had been affected by the Depression through what Roosevelt called the "three Rs":
Relief - This meant providing immediate help for the unemployed, homeless, elderly and sick by giving them money and creating temporary work opportunities.
Recovery - This involved creating jobs by having the government spend money on large-scale projects such as building schools and roads, which would employ many people and stimulate economic activity.
Reform - This meant establishing permanent programmes to prevent another depression from occurring and protect people from future economic disasters, such as protecting people's bank accounts from bank failures.
The "Three Rs" of Roosevelt's New Deal represented a fundamental shift from traditional American government policy. This marked the beginning of the modern welfare state in America, where the federal government took direct responsibility for citizens' economic welfare.
Reasons for Roosevelt's victory
Several factors combined to give Roosevelt a decisive victory in the 1932 election:
Hoover's unpopularity
President Hoover had become very unpopular due to his laissez-faire approach to the Depression. Many Americans felt he was out of touch and uncaring about their suffering, which made them eager for change.
Roosevelt's campaign skills
Roosevelt proved to be a very gifted public speaker whom audiences found appealing and inspiring. In contrast, Hoover was not comfortable with public speaking and struggled to connect with voters. Roosevelt ran an extremely strong and effective campaign, travelling extensively across the USA and delivering up to 15 speeches per day. His campaign theme tune became recognisable everywhere, helping to build enthusiasm for his candidacy.
Roosevelt's campaign was one of the first to make extensive use of radio broadcasting, which was still a relatively new technology. His warm, confident voice on the radio helped him connect with millions of American families in their homes, earning him the nickname "The Great Communicator."
The New Deal's appeal
Roosevelt's New Deal was popular with voters because many people felt that Hoover was out of touch or uncaring about their struggles. The promise of direct government help and job creation resonated strongly with Americans who had been suffering through the Depression.
The prohibition issue
Hoover had increased enforcement of prohibition, which was unpopular with many Americans. In contrast, Roosevelt promised to end prohibition, which was a popular promise that gained him additional support.
Roosevelt's personal story
Some historians believe that Roosevelt's experience of reaching high office while managing a severe disability demonstrated that he had the personality and determination to persevere through challenges, which appealed to voters facing their own difficulties.
Election results
Roosevelt's victory was overwhelming - he won the election by a landslide. In 1932, there were 48 states in the Union, and Roosevelt won an impressive 42 of them. This decisive victory gave him a strong mandate to implement his New Deal policies and represented a clear rejection of Hoover's approach to handling the Depression.
Roosevelt's victory margin was one of the most decisive in American presidential history. He won over 57% of the popular vote and 472 electoral votes compared to Hoover's 59 electoral votes, demonstrating the American people's overwhelming desire for change.
Timeline of key events
- 1888 - Franklin Delano Roosevelt born
- Early 1900s - Roosevelt studies law at Harvard University
- World War I - Roosevelt serves in the Navy
- 1921 - Roosevelt contracts polio
- 1928 - Roosevelt becomes Governor of New York
- 1932 - Roosevelt defeats Hoover in presidential election, winning 42 out of 48 states
Key Points to Remember:
- Roosevelt (FDR) defeated Herbert Hoover in the 1932 presidential election during the Great Depression
- The election was a choice between Hoover's laissez-faire approach and Roosevelt's interventionist New Deal
- Roosevelt's New Deal was based on the "three Rs": Relief, Recovery, and Reform
- Roosevelt won by a landslide, taking 42 out of 48 states, showing Americans wanted change
- Roosevelt's personal experience with polio and his excellent campaigning skills helped him connect with voters who were suffering during the Depression