Franklin Delano Roosevelt History Essay Research Coursework (Essay Sample)

Name
Professor
Course
Date
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) is widely considered as among the best presidents ever to lead the United States of America. The 32nd president of the US managed to rule through a record four times, a process which has seen him ranked alongside great US presidents like Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. His exceptional leadership qualities were instrumental in leading the country during one of the most tumultuous periods in US history. World wars characterized the 20th century and economic crises yet, FDR's charisma, confidence, strong personality, among other qualities, helped him establish the United States as a great nation. Throughout his rule, he managed to cement a great legacy. This is despite some choices he made, especially in his private life that has made some to question his stature as a man.
The 20th-Century Context
FDR ruled during the 1930’s Great Depression. The Great Depression, which lasted over a decade, is the longest and arguably the severest since the advent of industrialization. Although this situation affected every nation at different times and in different magnitudes, the US was affected the most (Albers and Uebele). There were numerous causes of the Great Depression. The discarding of the gold standard and the consequent monetary expansion was the leading cause of the Depression which ended up causing a lot of human suffering and resulting changes in economic policies. Other causes of Depression were the fall of consumer demand as well as ill-thought-out government policies, especially by the US government that led to a decline in economic output CITATION Thi15 \l 2057 (Albers and Uebele). The financial panic by various governments across the world only accelerated the situation.