What you’ll learn to do: describe Franklin Roosevelt’s rise to the presidency and the election of 1932

Figure 1. A portrait of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt with two of their children.

Franklin Roosevelt was a wealthy, well-educated, and popular politician whose struggles with illness made him a more sympathetic figure to the public. While he did not share any specifics of his plan to bring the country out of the Great Depression, his attitude of optimism and possibility contrasted strongly with Hoover’s defeated misery. The outcome of the 1932 election was never really in question; Roosevelt won in a landslide. However, during the four-month interregnum, Americans continued to endure President Hoover’s failed policies. The following winter of 1932–1933 was the worst of the Depression, with unemployment rising to record levels.

When Roosevelt finally took office in March 1933, he infused the country with a sense of optimism. He still did not have a formal plan but rather invited the American people to join him in the spirit of experimentation. Roosevelt brought certain beliefs to office: the belief in an active government that would take direct action on federal relief, public works, social services, and direct aid to farmers. In addition to his policies, Roosevelt’s personality and engaging manner helped the country feel that they would get back on track.