Franklin Delano Roosevelt
WW2 Leader
Early life
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882, into a wealthy family. The Roosevelts had been prominent for several generations, having made their fortune in real estate and trade. Franklin was the only child of James Roosevelt and Sara Ann Delano Roosevelt. The family lived at Springwood, their estate in the Hudson River Valley in New York State. While growing up, Franklin Roosevelt was surrounded by privilege and a sense of self-importance. He was educated by tutors and governesses until age 14, and the entire household revolved around him, with his mother being the dominant figure in his life, even into adulthood. His upbringing was so unlike the common people who he would later champion.
His leadership
Political Career
In 1910, at age 28, Roosevelt was invited to run for the New York state senate. He ran as a Democrat in a district that had voted Republican for the past 32 years. He campaigned hard and won the election with the help of his name and a Democratic landslide. As a state senator, Roosevelt opposed elements of the Democratic political machine in New York. This won him the ire of party leaders, but gained him national notoriety and valuable experience in political tactics and intrigue. During this time, he formed an alliance with Louis Howe, who would shape his political career for the next 25 years. Roosevelt was reelected in 1912 and served as chair of the agricultural committee, passing farm and labor bills and social welfare programs.
His speech
His speech reached out to the people of America by making them see Japan as enemies. But this United the American people against a visible enemy. His infamy speech cemented the ideas that would spread across America for the rest of the war but sadly left them ignorant to the true reason for the attacks on Pearl Harbor. This speech United the country on a course for the destruction of the axis powers.