| An Overview of Franklin Roosevelt's
Administration Franklin Delano Roosevelt served
as President for just over 12 years, longer than any
other President before or since. He died just 83 days
after being inaugurated for his fourth term.
Taking office at the depth of the Great Depression,
Roosevelt's inaugural address called for faith in
America's future and declared that "The only thing
we have to fear is fear itself." He called his
program the New Deal, and for the first time in
American history the federal government took strong
action to make the United States prosperous.
The start of World
War II in 1939 divided Roosevelt's presidency into
two parts. Until the German invasion of Poland that year,
the government worked to end the depression. After the
invasion, the government's focus shifted to helping its
European allies without getting directly involved in the
war. The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941,
however, forced Roosevelt's hand and the United States
entered the bloodiest war the world has ever seen.
White House portrait by Frank O. Salisbury
His Vice-President and Cabinet
| Vice-President |
John N. Garner
Henry A. Wallace (1941)
Harry S.
Truman (1945) |
| Secretary of State |
Cordell
Hull
Edward R. Stettinius, Jr. (1944) |
| Secretary of the
Treasury |
William H. Woodin
Henry Morgenthau, Jr. (1934) |
| Secretary of War |
George H. Dern
Harry H.
Woodring (1937)
Henry L. Stimson (1940) |
| Attorney General |
Homer S. Cummings
Frank Murphy (1939)
Robert H. Jackson (1940)
Francis Biddle (1941) |
| Postmaster General |
James A. Farley
Frank C. Walker (1940) |
| Secretary of the Navy |
Claude A. Swanson
Charles Edison (1940)
Frank Knox (1940)
James Forrestal (1944) |
| Secretary of the
Interior |
Harold L. Ickes |
| Secretary of Agriculture |
Henry A. Wallace
Claude R. Wickard (1940) |
| Secretary of Commerce |
Daniel C. Roper
Harry L. Hopkins (1938)
Jesse H. Jones (1940)
Henry A. Wallace (1945) |
| Secretary of Labor |
Frances
Perkins |
Major Domestic Events of His
Administration
| 1933 |
The United States and Russia
exchaged diplomatic representatives for the first
time since 1917. |
| 1933, March 6 |
Roosevelt declared a "bank
holiday." |
| 1933, March 12 |
Roosevelt gave the first of his
"fireside chats." |
| 1933, December |
The 21st Amendment officially
ended Prohibition. |
| 1934, May 31 |
Congress repealed the Platt
Amendment. |
| 1934, July |
Roosevelt became the first U.S.
President to visit South America. |
| 1935 |
The Social Security Act was
enacted. |
| 1935 |
The National Labor Relations Act
gave workers the right to bargain collectively. |
| 1935 |
The Supreme Court ruled the National
Industrial Recovery Act unconstitutional. |
| 1940 |
The Two-Ocean Navy Act was
enacted. |
| 1940 |
The Selective Service and
Training Act was enacted. |
| 1941 |
Congress passed the Lend-Lease
Law, providing arms for Great Britain. |
| 1941, December 7 |
Japanese planes bombed Pearl
Harbor, Hawaii. |
| 1941, December 8 |
The United States declared war
on Japan. |
| 1941, December 11 |
Germany and Italy declared war
on the United States. |
Major World Events of His
Administration
| 1933 |
Adolf Hitler became Chancelor of
Germany. |
| 1936 |
Edward
VIII abdicated the British throne to marry
American divorcée Mrs. Wallis Simpson. |
| 1936-1939 |
Rebels led by General Francisco
Franco defeated the Loyalists in the Spanish
Civil War. |
| 1939 |
The German invasion of Poland
marked the start of World War II. |
| 1942, December |
The world's first controlled
nuclear chain reaction was achieved at the
University of Chicago. |
Source
The American President millercenter.org
See Also
World
War II
Harry S. Truman
Cordell Hull
Harry H. Woodring
Frances
Perkins
National
Industrial Recovery Act
Edward
VIII
Spanish
Civil War
Questions
or comments about this page?
|
