A GENERATION OF LEADERSHIP - FIRST TERM

It Was a Time of Suffering, Fear, and Dim Hope for the American People

Do you ever worry that life as you know it will cease to exist? Throughout the 12 years Franklin Roosevelt was president, most Americans worried about their lives and well-being on a regular basis. During these 12 years, the American people went through two periods of extreme adversity, the Great Depression and World War II. Passing through the FDR memorial, you catch sight of the years between 1933 and 1945 and identify how FDR gave strength to the American people during these trying times.

In 1933 FDR began his first term while the United States was in the midst of the Great Depression. Approximately 30 percent of Americans were unemployed, and thousands of people lost their jobs each day. People in rural areas moved to the cities in search of jobs, which led to unemployment rates of 50 percent in some cities. In the Middle and Western parts of the country, there was a lack of rain for several years. Due to this drought, the land dried up, which made it impossible for farmers to harvest, eat, or sell crops. Throughout the country, without a source of income, thousands of families were forced to leave their homes and live without adequate shelter, food or clothing. These inadequate living conditions led to thousands of malnourished, diseased children and adults across the nation. Because bank insurance did not yet exist, Americans also worried about their money saved in banks. Around the country people were withdrawing their money in panic, worried that they would lose their savings along with their income.

Imagine losing your job and all your savings. Imagine you cannot afford to pay your mortgage, and your family must leave your home to live in a slum. Imagine you cannot feed your family meat or vegetables, and your children are sick and starving to death. You search for a job, but there are none. You wonder if you and your family will survive. You wonder how this could happen, and why no one cares. You live in constant fear and worry. When the new president is elected, you want to hear what he has to say. You hope that he has a plan. You hope that he will help, somehow.