FDR

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882, in Hyde Park New York.  He was a New York Senator, Governor and President of the United States of America. Among many New York historical figures I choose Roosevelt because of the actions or policies he took during his presidency. I often drive on the FDR Drive on the East River, or go to Roosevelt Island,  or drive on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens but rarely do I think about the name of the person the highway, the avenue, or the Island were named after.  When he was president the country and the world were facing unprecedented challenges. The economic depression and the instability around the world, particularly in Europe, were the greatest challenges of the time. Today we are facing similar challenges, economic recession with all its consequences (high unemployment) and unstable world. The crisis in Ukraine is an example.

Roosevelt was well known for the policies called “the New Deal” he put in place to stabilize the economy, create employment and restore the American Dream. Some of these programs like the “Social Security Act, the Federal Security Act of May 1933, Security and Exchange Commission” (New Deal Achievement, fdrheritage.org) have gradually and enormously impacted the American People life style. What have these program accomplished so far? According to Paul Starr, Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs, and Stuart Professor of Communication and Public Affairs at Princeton University, “Social Security has radically reduced poverty in old age. It protects the middle class against inflation and the ups and down of the market” (Starr).

  While studying geography and history of the United States when I was in high school, I came across the “New Deal” programs that were put in place to remedy the Great Depression but I never really understood how significant they were until I learnt that they deserved lot of credits in reducing the “unemployment rate of more than 15% from 1933-1937” (US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census).

                                                                             Worked cited

N/A.  “New Deal Achievements”, American Heritage Center, Inc.fdrheritage.org/new deal. htlm web. ND. March16, 2014

Paul Starr, “Why We Need Social Security”, American Prospect, Inc, princeton.edu/…/Starr-SocSe web, February 2005.  March 16, 2014.