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2:17

Welcome to History that doesn't

2:19

suck. I'm your professor Greg

2:21

Jackson and as in the

2:24

classroom. My goal here is

2:26

to make rigorously researched history

2:28

come to life as you

2:30

learn. If you'd like to

2:32

help support this work, receive

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other exclusive perks, I invite

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you to join the HGDS

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membership program. Sign up for

2:42

a seven-day free trial today

2:44

at HGES podcast.com/membership, or click

2:46

the link in the episode

2:48

notes. And Franklin Delano Roosevelt

2:51

is at, well, his favorite

2:53

place on earth. Campobello Island.

2:55

It's a small Canadian island,

2:57

no more than a quarter

2:59

mile from the coastal American

3:01

town of Lubeck, Maine. And

3:03

Franklin has been vacationing here

3:05

virtually his entire life. Now

3:07

39 years old, the former

3:09

New York State Senator. former

3:11

Assistant Secretary of the Navy,

3:13

and recent U.S. Vice-Presidential candidate

3:15

turned VP of fidelity and

3:18

deposit company, is happy to

3:20

get some needed R&R with

3:22

his family. Not that Franklin,

3:24

who only joined his family

3:26

on the island yesterday, is

3:28

doing much resting. So far,

3:30

the days included sailing, putting

3:32

out a wildfire, and a

3:34

two-mile run from the house

3:36

to Lake Glen Severn, which

3:38

is where he and his

3:40

five kids are swimming and

3:42

otherwise goofing around right this

3:45

minute. So a day of

3:47

strenuous activity. His fifth cousin

3:49

and hero, the recently past

3:51

former president Theodore Roosevelt, would

3:53

be proud. Prouder still that...

3:55

After the swim, Franklin will

3:57

jump into the nearby open

3:59

waters of the Bay of

4:01

Fundy. Then run the two

4:03

miles back home. Yeah. If

4:05

TR were still with us.

4:07

I think he would describe

4:09

FDR's day as bully. Finishing

4:12

his run home from the

4:14

bay. Franklin enters his family's

4:16

stunning, two and a half

4:18

story, 32 room, and Cedar

4:20

shingled cottage. As they call

4:22

it. It seems there's a

4:24

sizable stack of mail. Still

4:26

in his swimsuit, Franklin scoops

4:28

it all up, collapses in

4:30

a chair, and tries to

4:32

overcome the fatigue of the

4:34

day as he sorts through

4:37

letters. But as his blue

4:39

eyes scan the seemingly endless

4:41

envelopes, Franklin isn't rebounding. He

4:43

also has some serious lower

4:45

back pain and is feeling

4:47

nauseous. The well-exercised Roosevelt wonders,

4:49

is he getting sick? Telling

4:51

his wife Eleanor that he

4:53

has a chill and is

4:55

going to skip dinner. Franklin

4:57

stands his full six feet

4:59

and two inches and heads

5:01

to bed. It's the next

5:04

morning. Thursday, August 11th. Franklin

5:06

wakes to find eggs running

5:08

from his legs up his

5:10

back and into his neck.

5:12

Rising from the bed, one

5:14

of his legs kind of

5:16

lags. It must be sore

5:18

muscles. Franklin figures, he'll walk

5:20

it off. But it's all

5:22

he can do to stumble

5:24

into the bathroom. He grips

5:26

the sink and manages to

5:28

suffer through his morning shave.

5:31

But, oh, his legs! He

5:33

stumbles back to the bedroom.

5:35

Franklin knows the kids will

5:37

be disappointed. How can he

5:39

take them camping if he's

5:41

this sick? He's running a

5:43

fever of 102. Eleanor sends

5:45

the kids with their friend,

5:47

Grace Howe, the wife of

5:49

Franklin's loyal political advisor and

5:51

employee Louis Howe. then calls

5:53

their local family practitioner in

5:55

Lubbock, Dr. Bennet. The doctor

5:58

is baffled. He diagnoses Franklin

6:00

with a bad cold, which

6:02

his fevered patient knows can't

6:04

be right. Things are only

6:06

worse when Dr. Bennet returns

6:08

the next day. Franklin can't

6:10

even stand on his wretched,

6:12

aching legs without help. Urinating

6:14

is difficult. It's now Saturday,

6:16

August 13th. The Roosevelt kids

6:18

return from camping while Franklin

6:20

is paralyzed from the chest

6:22

down. Even his arms have

6:25

lost their strength. It's hard

6:27

to believe that this is

6:29

the same large and towering

6:31

man who vigorously sailed, swam,

6:33

and ran just days before.

6:35

Now Dr. William Keene arrives.

6:37

On vacation himself, just a

6:39

little farther down the main

6:41

coast at Bar Harbor, the

6:43

retired but renowned doctor diagnosis

6:45

Franklin with a blood clot

6:47

in his spine. One that

6:49

must be dissolving, given that

6:52

Franklin can move one of

6:54

his toes. Days pass. Eleanor

6:56

sleeps on the couch in

6:58

Franklin's room. loyal to a

7:00

fault, Louis Howe has arrived.

7:02

He sleeps on a cot

7:04

just outside the bedroom. He

7:06

doesn't know it yet, but

7:08

from this moment on, Louis

7:10

will effectively be his boss's

7:12

constant companion until his own

7:14

dying day. Eleanor massages Franklin's

7:16

powerless limbs. It's torture, but

7:19

Doctor's orders. She administers a

7:21

catheter and otherwise wears herself

7:23

ragged, caring for the husband,

7:25

who so thoroughly shattered her

7:27

mended but deeply scarred heart

7:29

just a few years ago.

7:31

Louis attends to Franklin's bed

7:33

pan. They move him about

7:35

to avoid bed source. Dr.

7:37

Kane changes his diagnosis to

7:39

a lesion of the spinal

7:41

cord and through it all,

7:43

Franklin, this handsome charismatic New

7:46

York elite who but days

7:48

ago had the world on

7:50

a string. wonders if God

7:52

has simply forsaken his fevered,

7:54

incontinent, paralytic, and pain-ridden body.

7:56

Urged by Louis, who knows

7:58

a thing or two about

8:00

physical misery brought on by

8:02

misdiagnosing doctors, Franklin's... uncle Frederick

8:04

Delano calls some of the

8:06

finest medical minds in the

8:08

nation. A consensus builds. It

8:10

sounds like infantile paralysis. A

8:13

specialist in it, Dr. Robert

8:15

Lovett, makes the trek from

8:17

Boston to Campobello Island, where,

8:19

on August 25th, he does

8:21

indeed confirm the diagnosis for

8:23

his atrophine partially paralyzed patient.

8:25

Franklin Roosevelt has contracted polio.

8:27

Dr. Lovett praises Eleanor's care,

8:29

but instructs her to stop

8:31

the massages, which have only

8:33

caused severe pain and made

8:35

things worse. The Roosevelt's will

8:37

never forgive Dr. Keene, for

8:40

the heightened hell his misdiagnosis

8:42

has caused. On September 13th,

8:44

a full month after his

8:46

symptoms first began, the Roosevelt

8:48

children largely kept in the

8:50

dark about their father's condition.

8:52

Watch and horror as six

8:54

men carry him on a

8:56

Jerry rig, Pinewood and sailcloth

8:58

stretcher to make the painful

9:00

trip from his beloved island

9:02

to New York Presbyterian Hospital.

9:04

As they do, Franklin stoically

9:07

assures the children. I will

9:09

be all right! Welcome

9:25

to History That Doesn't Suck.

9:27

I'm your professor, Greg Jackson,

9:29

and I'd like to tell

9:31

you a story. That's how

9:33

Eleanor Roosevelt describes the horrific

9:35

days and weeks in which

9:38

she attended to Franklin as

9:40

they suffered through her husband's

9:42

sudden loss of health and

9:44

mobility and adjusted to life

9:46

after polio. Or was it

9:48

polio? In the 21st century,

9:50

Dr. Arman Goldman and his

9:52

colleagues have contended in the

9:54

Journal of Medical Biography that

9:56

FTR wasn't afflicted with polio,

9:58

but rather Guillambei syndrome. This

10:00

theory has gained traction. Nonetheless,

10:02

it remains contended, and historians

10:05

have thus far stood by

10:07

the polio diagnosis. As such,

10:09

we'll note this debate here,

10:11

but in this and future

10:13

episodes, stick with the diagnosis

10:15

that Franklin understood to be

10:17

the cause of his paralysis.

10:19

polio. That said, there's a

10:21

lot more to Franklin than

10:23

polio. Nicholas Roosevelt, a relative

10:25

of FDR, once wrote, to

10:27

be a Roosevelt, was to

10:29

be something distinctive, usually vital

10:32

and energetic, often brilliant, generally

10:34

intolerant and always highly vocal.

10:36

they were openly and even

10:38

zealously critical of each other."

10:40

Close quote. Yes, whether we're

10:42

talking about the Roosevelt of

10:44

Long Island's Oyster Bay, like

10:46

former President Theodore Roosevelt, or

10:48

their distant upstate cousins of

10:50

Hyde Park, like soon-to-become President

10:52

Franklin D. Roosevelt, that feels

10:54

like a fair characterization of

10:56

both branches of the Empire

10:58

State's storied Roosevelt family. And

11:01

today, we'll see how Franklin

11:03

lives up to those expectations

11:05

in his early life, as

11:07

we follow his story from

11:09

his childhood to his first

11:11

bold, brave, and braced step

11:13

into the White House amid

11:15

the Great Depression. To that

11:17

end, we'll start by following

11:19

Young Franklin from his Hyde

11:21

Park home to an elite

11:23

New England boarding school at

11:25

Groton, where he watches with

11:28

admiration as his personal hero

11:30

and fifth cousin, rough riding

11:32

Theodore Roosevelt, speaks. We'll then

11:34

observe his courtship and marriage

11:36

to Teddy's niece and fellow

11:38

Oyster Bay Roosevelt, Eleanor, who

11:40

has quite the date with

11:42

destiny of her own. We'll

11:44

see their relationship endure the

11:46

damage of infidelity and change

11:48

as a result, while also

11:50

see Franklin grow profane. professionally

11:52

and personally, perhaps particularly after

11:55

his diagnosis. And finally, we'll

11:57

see him become the President

11:59

of the United States with

12:01

bold talk of a new

12:03

deal for the Great Depression-stricken

12:05

American people. It's a lot

12:07

to cover, so let's get

12:09

started. And you know what

12:11

that means. Rewind. On January

12:13

30th, 1882. Loving parents, James,

12:15

and Sarah Roosevelt, welcome, as

12:17

James puts it, a splendid

12:19

large baby boy at their

12:21

family estate of Springwood in

12:24

Hyde Park, New York. Given

12:26

that his only sibling, his

12:28

half-brother, is a grown 27-year-old

12:30

man, this fair, sweet, cunning,

12:32

little bright, darling boy, to

12:34

quote one relative, will grow

12:36

up effectively as an only

12:38

child whose parents, and the

12:40

hired help, of course, will

12:42

see to his every need.

12:44

That child's name is Franklin

12:46

Delano Roosevelt. Unique for her

12:48

elite New York class, Sarah

12:51

takes a keen interest in

12:53

the day-to-day aspects for her

12:55

son's upbringing. Honestly, she's a

12:57

micromanager. Sarah puts the future

12:59

president in skirts with his

13:01

shoulder length curls until he's

13:03

old enough to protest, at

13:05

which point he's forced to

13:07

dawn kilts for family photos.

13:09

Franklin and his father, whom

13:11

he affectionately calls, popsy, are

13:13

quite close. Popsie and Franklin

13:15

play sports, sale, go to

13:17

bargaining, you know, all the

13:20

usual things one would expect

13:22

an upper-class father to do

13:24

with his young son in

13:26

upstate New York. The curly-haired

13:28

child is curious about the

13:30

world. He's interested in collections.

13:32

At age 10, Franklin receives

13:34

the family stamp collection, and

13:36

over the course of his

13:38

life, he'll amass over 1

13:40

million stamps kept in 150

13:42

albums. But that's in the

13:44

future. Right now, in September

13:47

of 1896, the 5-foot-3, 105-pound

13:49

14. year old is embarking

13:51

on his first extended period

13:53

of time away from his

13:55

playful popsy and helicopter parent

13:57

mummy. Yes, mummy, because high

13:59

society gilded age New Yorkers

14:01

love to feign a little

14:03

Britishness. Like so many other

14:05

wealthy Northeastern boys, Franklin is

14:07

getting shipped off to boarding

14:09

school. In his case, this

14:11

means heading to a relatively

14:14

new but nonetheless elite institution

14:16

in Groton, Massachusetts. Led by

14:18

its founder, the Reverend Indicabody,

14:20

the Groton School has a

14:22

rigid structure and offers little

14:24

privacy. To make matters worse,

14:26

Franklin is a late arrival

14:28

and struggles to make friends

14:30

with classmates, already bonded by

14:32

two years of living and

14:34

studying together. The young, sheltered

14:36

Hyde Park Roosevelt also finds

14:38

that he doesn't quite fit

14:40

in with boys who, well,

14:43

know how to be boys.

14:45

He compensates by overstating his

14:47

accomplishments in letters home to

14:49

popsy and mummy. It's an

14:51

immature display of Franklin's still

14:53

refining charm, deviousness, and ambition.

14:55

That said, as historian Conrad

14:57

Black writes, All in all,

14:59

he got on. Franklin performs

15:01

not perfectly but respectably in

15:03

his studies and in his

15:05

senior year of 1899 to

15:07

1900, serves as a dormitory

15:10

prefect and role model for

15:12

many younger students. Yet, despite

15:14

the challenges, Franklin will one

15:16

day look back fondly on

15:18

Groton, which is quickly becoming

15:20

a tradition for the Roosevelt's.

15:22

In fact, Theodore Roosevelt, that

15:24

is, Teddy, or T.R. to

15:26

us, will eventually send all

15:28

four of his sons there.

15:30

See, T.R. is an old

15:32

buddy of the Reverend, or

15:34

Cottie, as the man of

15:37

cloth is known to his

15:39

friends. And when he's in

15:41

town, Teddy never misses an

15:43

opportunity to visit the school

15:45

and his young fifth cousin.

15:50

It's just after supper, June 4th,

15:53

1897. We're on a softly rolling

15:55

hill in central Massachusetts at the

15:57

semi-secuted boarding school that has fast

16:00

become one of the most prestigious

16:02

educational institutions in all of New

16:04

England, the Groton School. And somewhere

16:07

on this young yet quaint campus

16:09

sits the nation's newly appointed Assistant

16:12

Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt.

16:14

The 38-year-old bespectacled and mustachioed Assistant

16:16

Secretary is wordsmithing some remarks, which

16:19

he'll soon share with the boarding

16:21

school's entire student population of 150.

16:23

But that's not the only reason

16:26

T.R. is at Groton. At some

16:28

point, Teddy makes it a point

16:31

to visit with the Reverend and

16:33

to Cott Peabody, or Cottie, as

16:35

T.R. knows him. The two friends

16:38

catch up, but as they do,

16:40

T.R. makes sure to fix up

16:42

matters for his small second son,

16:45

Kermit, who will be attending the

16:47

school shortly. likely in awe of

16:50

the neatly trimmed lawn so snugly

16:52

encircled by the school's mix of

16:54

classical and English revival structures. The

16:57

most impressive is a deep red

16:59

brick building with a curving facade,

17:01

multiple chimneys, and calmed porches, known

17:04

as the Hundred House. This is

17:06

the school's central location at the

17:09

time of TR's visit. We don't

17:11

know how much time TR does

17:13

or doesn't spend today with Franklin.

17:16

But it's certainly possible that he

17:18

spent a fair share with the

17:20

lad, and as he addresses the

17:23

students, likely in the spacious, well-stocked

17:25

library of his dear friend, the

17:28

headmaster, Cottie, we know that Franklin

17:30

loves it. He'll write home to

17:32

his parents tonight, praising this distant

17:35

cousin from the family's Oyster Bay

17:37

branch, particularly the stories that TR

17:39

tells about his previous position as

17:42

a New York City police commissioner.

17:44

To quote him. Cousin Theodore gave

17:47

us a splendid talk on his

17:49

adventures on the police board. He

17:51

kept the whole room in an

17:54

uproar for over an hour by

17:56

telling us killing stories about policemen

17:58

and their doings in New York.

18:01

As for Teddy, he'll describe today

18:03

in one of his signature ways,

18:06

calling his visit to Groton a

18:08

delightful time. Teenage Franklin is

18:10

filled with admiration for Teddy,

18:12

and he follows in cousin

18:15

Theodore's footsteps by enrolling at

18:17

Harvard College in September 1900.

18:19

But in a sad twist,

18:22

Franklin also follows in

18:24

Teddy's footsteps by losing his

18:27

father as a Harvard student.

18:29

Before that very same year's

18:31

end, Franklin's dear Popsie, James

18:34

Roosevelt, dies. As for his studies,

18:36

the future U.S. president adheres

18:38

to that timeless college

18:40

student slogan, Seas Get Degrees.

18:43

Meanwhile, Franklin becomes one

18:45

of the five editors of

18:47

The Crimson, publishing a series

18:49

of editorials that are fairly

18:52

uninspiring. Yet, he graduates in

18:54

1903, and after Harvard, heads

18:56

to Columbia Law. Just like his

18:58

hero Teddy did. Perhaps more exciting

19:00

still, Franklin gets to cast a vote

19:03

for TR in the 1904 election. Doing

19:05

so as a Democrat does mean

19:07

crossing party lines, but this is

19:09

family and such a move falls

19:11

within the tradition of Roosevelt's never

19:13

being hard ideal logs. Besides, Franklin

19:16

sees nothing inconsistent in voting

19:18

for his Republican cousin. To

19:20

quote him, the Republican candidate,

19:22

I felt, was a better

19:25

Democrat than the Democratic candidate.

19:27

But during these years, there's

19:29

actually another distantly

19:31

related Oyster Bay

19:33

Roosevelt catching Franklin's

19:35

attention even more than Teddy.

19:37

I am, of course, referring to

19:40

Eleanor Roosevelt. Born Anna

19:42

Eleanor Roosevelt on October 11th,

19:44

1884, the future flotus is two

19:46

years younger than the future poetus.

19:49

Eleanor, as she comes to be

19:51

known, is no stranger to tragedy.

19:53

Her mother died when she was

19:56

8 and her father followed when

19:58

she was 10. She As

29:03

a parent you want to give your

29:05

child every opportunity to succeed. But

29:07

let's be honest. Sometimes homework questions

29:09

leave us stumped. Or we wish

29:11

they had it a bit more

29:14

challenging when they're ahead in class.

29:16

That's where I Excel Learning can

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a parent you want to give your

30:16

child every opportunity to succeed. But

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let's be honest. Sometimes homework questions

30:21

leave us stumped. Or we wish

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they had it a bit more

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challenging when they're ahead in class.

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32:34

After going to a boarding school

32:37

where his cousin slash Uncle Ted

32:39

knows the headmaster, attending the same

32:42

college, dropping out the same law

32:44

school, and serving in the same

32:46

state legislature, Franklin once again follows

32:49

in Theodore Roosevelt's footsteps by becoming

32:51

the Assistant Secretary of the Navy,

32:53

he earned the privilege of a

32:56

position in newly elected President Woodrow

32:58

Wilson's administration by supporting the professorial

33:00

Democrat over his beloved Uncle Ted.

33:03

A little cut throat, but Teddy

33:05

ultimately understands. Given the crazy of

33:07

the GOP split in the 1912

33:10

election, a split due to Teddy's

33:12

bold moose ways, as we know

33:14

from episode 124, the election was

33:17

Woodros. Franklin made the smart political

33:19

play then, and TR won't let

33:21

Franklin's ambition kill their relationship. Upon

33:24

the younger Roosevelt's appointment by President

33:26

Woodrow Wilson, the bull moose writes

33:28

to his distant 31-year-old cousin, I

33:31

was very much pleased that you

33:33

were appointed as Assistant Secretary of

33:35

the Navy. It is interesting to

33:38

see that you are at another

33:40

place which I myself once held.

33:42

I am sure you will enjoy

33:45

yourself to the full as Assistant

33:47

Secretary and that you will do

33:49

capital work. Relocating to Washington DC.

33:52

Introverted Eleanor hires hires Lucy Mercer.

33:54

as her socially-vin secretary. As time

33:57

passes, the intelligent witty and somewhat

33:59

younger woman becomes Franklin's personal secretary

34:01

in the Navy. In 1918, while

34:04

Franklin is at his mother's house

34:06

laid up with pneumonia, Eleanor finds

34:08

Lucy's letters to her husband. In

34:11

them is confirmation of what she

34:13

already suspected. Franklin and Lucy are

34:15

having an affair. Swirling conversations between

34:18

the disgruntled Mary couple and Sue.

34:20

Eleanor offers to give Franklin his

34:22

freedom. but he realizes soon enough

34:25

that this can't be. According to

34:27

their son, Elliot Roosevelt's telling of

34:29

the story, Franklin's mother would have

34:32

cut him off financially as punishment

34:34

for his infidelity. Additionally, Louis Howe

34:36

thinks that the up-and-coming Democrat can't

34:39

pursue the presidency as a divorcee.

34:41

Sarah Roosevelt manages to talk the

34:43

two off the ledge of divorce

34:46

while Louis plays the mediator, convincing

34:48

Franklin to agree never to see

34:50

Lucy again. It's a promise he'll

34:53

later break. Franklin's and Eleanor's relationship

34:55

will mend, but not as it

34:57

was, not as a traditional marriage.

35:00

As Elliot so aptly puts it,

35:02

quote, she knew enough of the

35:05

strengths of the husband whom she

35:07

no longer loved, except as a

35:09

sister, to realize that he had

35:12

greatness in him, which she could

35:14

draw on, close quote. Franklin and

35:16

Eleanor have grown up from two

35:19

kids in a naive state of

35:21

love to two people partnered in

35:23

politics. And continuing politics,

35:26

Franklin does. In 1920, as

35:28

the Democrats nominate Ohio Governor

35:30

James M. Cox for the

35:32

presidency, they call on Franklin

35:34

to be his VP. It's

35:36

a political pole vault of

35:38

a move for the Assistant

35:40

Secretary. But they run on

35:42

sticking with outgoing and stroke-stricken

35:44

Woodrow Wilson's plan for the

35:46

U.S. to join the League

35:48

of Nations. And as we

35:50

know from episode 155, that

35:52

is a losing proposition in

35:54

post-war isolationist America. With silent

35:56

Cal at his side, handsome,

35:58

orangey Harding deathly defeats the

36:00

Democratic duo in November. as

36:02

they run on his return

36:04

to normalcy slogan. And as

36:06

we know from this episode's

36:08

opening, it's just after this

36:10

that Franklin accepts a different

36:12

vice-presidency. That a VP at

36:14

Fidelity and deposit company, and

36:16

then, in the summer of

36:18

1921, finds himself overcome with

36:20

aches, fever, and paralysis, that

36:22

only after a series of

36:24

misdiagnoses, is determined to be

36:26

infantile paralysis, or polyomyomyelitis. That

36:28

is, polio. It's soon apparent

36:30

that the 39-year-old New York

36:32

native will have a long

36:34

road to recovery, and the

36:36

two leading ladies in his

36:39

life have a lot to

36:41

say. Returning from a European

36:43

tour, his mother, Sarah, insists

36:45

that her son retreat from

36:47

the public eye, much like

36:49

his father did after his

36:51

own health setbacks. But Eleanor

36:53

and faithful advisor Louis Howe,

36:55

disagree. It's Franklin's body that

36:57

suffered, not his mind, and

36:59

politics is a battle of

37:01

wits. Why shouldn't he continue

37:03

his political career when he

37:05

appears poised to achieve great

37:07

success? The winter of 1921

37:09

to 22 is, as Eleanor

37:11

calls it, the most trying

37:13

winter. Franklin enters a deep

37:15

depression and has a nasty

37:17

temper. He's struggling with how

37:19

to maneuver in his new

37:21

polio-induced paralysis life. On October

37:23

9th, 1922, he makes his

37:25

first big public appearance after

37:27

the diagnosis at his fidelity

37:29

and deposit office. Franklin calls

37:31

it a grand and glorious

37:33

occasion, yet he doesn't go

37:35

back for two more months.

37:37

But after a life of

37:39

privilege, these new physical limitations

37:41

are, in some ways, transforming

37:43

him for the better. Historians

37:45

will argue over how much

37:47

this is the case, but

37:49

be it small or seismic

37:51

seismic. the elite New Yorker

37:53

shifts emerging with a deepened

37:56

character and more empathetic soul.

37:58

Two years later, he's ready

38:00

to emerge from this refiner's

38:02

fire and return to the

38:04

big stage. And that opportunity

38:06

is here. Franklin is asked

38:08

to speak at the Democratic

38:10

National Convention in New York

38:12

City's Madison Square Garden. This

38:14

could be his triumphant comeback,

38:16

but only if he can

38:18

prove to the thousands of

38:20

Democratic power brokers present and

38:22

the millions of potential voters

38:24

following the convention's coverage on

38:26

the radio or in newspapers

38:28

that, despite the polio, he

38:30

is a leader of vigor

38:32

energy and strength. Franklin knows

38:34

he can do that with

38:36

his speech. But here's the

38:38

real question. Can he project

38:40

and maintain that image while

38:42

getting to the rostrum? It's

38:44

just after 12 noon, June

38:46

26th, 1924. We're in New

38:48

York City, inside the second

38:50

iteration of Madison Square Garden.

38:52

It's a gorgeous bosart structure

38:54

with a Moorish flare, and

38:56

right now every single one

38:58

of its 8,000 permanent seats

39:00

and still so many thousands

39:02

of chairs set up on

39:04

the main floor are filled

39:06

with Democratic state delegates, their

39:08

alternates, and spectators. This is

39:10

the third day of the

39:13

Democratic National Convention, and in

39:15

just a few moments, the

39:17

New York delegation's chairman. Franklin

39:19

D. Roosevelt will deliver a

39:21

speech nominating the Empire State's

39:23

Governor Al Smith as the

39:25

party's candidate for president. While

39:27

most speakers would be nervous

39:29

about what they'll say, Franklin's

39:31

biggest concern is traversing the

39:33

distance from his seat on

39:35

the floor to the rostrum.

39:37

In an era where doing

39:39

so in a wheelchair would

39:41

make him appear weak, Franklin's

39:43

practiced this crutches and leg

39:45

brace walk for weeks in

39:47

his home library. He's done

39:49

it successfully there. But can

39:51

he do so now, when

39:53

it matters, with some 20,000

39:55

spectators? Well, ready or not,

39:57

it's time. Let's find out.

39:59

Silence envelopes the banner and

40:01

bunting covered hall as Franklin,

40:03

aided by his 16-year-old son,

40:05

James. rises from his seat

40:07

on the floor. Then, the

40:09

42-year-old Democrat does what seems

40:11

impossible. He begins to walk.

40:13

The audience watches with bated

40:15

breath, yet only Eleanor, the

40:17

five Roosevelt kids, and other

40:19

close friends here, have any

40:21

idea what herculean effort this

40:23

requires. Those watching don't know

40:25

that his suit coat and

40:27

slacks are hiding. 14 pound

40:30

metal braces that tightly sees

40:32

his atrophied legs as they

40:34

run from his waist all

40:36

the way down to his

40:38

heels. They can't fathom the

40:40

practiced and painstakingly acquired skill

40:42

it takes for Franklin to

40:44

use these braces to balance

40:46

on his all but useless

40:48

lower limbs. They can't see

40:50

how his right hand seizes

40:52

the crutch under that arm

40:54

nor how his other cleans

40:56

to James's for dear life.

40:58

As a faithful teenage son

41:00

will later recall, outwardly, father

41:02

was beaming, seemingly confident, and

41:04

unconcerned, but I could sense

41:06

his inner tenseness. His fingers

41:08

dug into my arms like

41:10

pincers. His face was covered

41:12

with perspiration. Indeed, as the

41:14

father and son walk, Franklin

41:16

makes eye contact with those

41:18

in the audience to distract

41:20

them from his robotic movements,

41:22

his whisperings to James, or

41:24

the simple fact that he's

41:26

taking so very long to

41:28

walk such a short distance.

41:30

Things get more serious as

41:32

Franklin and James approach the

41:34

podium, and his introduction begins.

41:36

Franklin whispers to Pennsylvania politician

41:38

Joseph Guffy. Joe, shake the

41:40

rostrum. Joe doesn't understand. Keeping

41:42

his composure though, Franklin repeats

41:44

himself, and thankfully, this time,

41:47

the Pennsylvania gets it. He

41:49

shakes the podium and reports

41:51

back to brave, slightly sweaty

41:53

Franklin that it's firm. It

41:55

will hold his body weight.

41:57

But now comes the moment

41:59

of truth. the final

42:01

15 feet to the rostrum, which

42:03

the New Yorker must do as

42:06

practiced in his library, all by

42:08

himself. Taking a deep breath, Franklin

42:10

grabs the second crutch from his

42:13

son. Slowly, and with careful, precise

42:15

movements, he thrusts his neck out

42:17

and back, moving the crutches forward

42:20

as he does so. It's working.

42:22

FDR's paralytic, embraced legs move as

42:24

he continues to balance. After what

42:27

seems like an eternity. Finally, Franklin

42:29

reaches the American flag-covered rostrum. Grasping

42:31

its sides to stabilize himself, in

42:34

this moment, the audience can't see

42:36

his hands turning white from how

42:39

tightly he holds the rostrum to

42:41

stabilize himself. No. All they see

42:43

is his wide winning smile. The

42:46

garden erupts into cheers and applause

42:48

that last for three minutes before

42:50

Franklin can even speak a single

42:53

word into the four microphones before

42:55

him. Dubbed the Happy Warrior speech

42:57

as he ripped off of William

43:00

Wordsworth's poem by the same name,

43:02

Franklin's address was very well received.

43:04

It didn't result in Alsmith getting

43:07

the nomination, but honestly... The nominating

43:09

part was of little note compared

43:11

to Franklin's triumphant walk and the

43:14

panache with which he spoke. According

43:16

to the New York Herald Tribune,

43:18

from the time Roosevelt made his

43:21

speech, he has easily been the

43:23

foremost figure on the platform. This

43:25

is not because of his name.

43:28

There are many Roosevelt's. It is

43:30

because without the slightest intention or

43:32

desire to do anything of the

43:35

sort, he has done for himself

43:37

what he could not do for

43:39

his candidate. But even as Franklin

43:42

successfully re-enters politics, he isn't ready

43:44

to just accept that his body

43:46

can't recover any further. On October

43:49

3rd, 1924, he visits a place

43:51

that will become central to his

43:53

next two decades. Warm Springs, Georgia.

43:56

This place is a bit run

43:58

down, but Franklin loves it all

44:01

the same. The dilapidated resort has

44:03

an outdoor swimming pool in spring

44:05

with a natural temperature of 89

44:08

degrees, which, according to Eleanor, had

44:10

been known since the days of

44:12

Indians who believed the waters had

44:15

medicinal value. Though there's no proof

44:17

of the so-called medicinal value, Franklin

44:19

enjoys his aquatic exercise in these

44:22

warm waters. I walk around and

44:24

water four feet deep, without braces

44:26

or crutches, almost as well as

44:29

if I had nothing to matter

44:31

with my legs. It's one of

44:33

the few times in which he

44:36

can feel a little like his

44:38

old self. With the help of

44:40

some family money, FDR buys the

44:43

spa in 1926 for $200,000. He

44:45

brings on an orthopedic surgeon, hires

44:47

a physiotherapist, builds a covered pool,

44:50

increases the capacity of the hotel

44:52

to accommodate more patients and constructs

44:54

a cottage for himself. Franklin doesn't

44:57

charge those suffering from polio to

44:59

use the facilities. The health-promoting proprietor

45:01

soon picks up some nicknames. Old

45:04

Dr. Roosevelt and vice president in

45:06

charge of picnics are two of

45:08

my personal favorites. Franklin spends a

45:11

lot of time here hoping to

45:13

rehabilitate as he works remotely, shall

45:16

we say, at fidelity and deposit.

45:18

As for Eleanor, she stays busy

45:20

too, building an independent life for

45:23

herself with a strong network of

45:25

female friends and a good job

45:27

with the Democratic Party in New

45:30

York. While these years are fairly

45:32

unremarkable for the Roosevelt's, 1928 brings

45:34

a quick jolt back to the

45:37

former New York State Assemblyman's political

45:39

life. Not only does he repeat

45:41

his previous performance by once again

45:44

nominating New York Governor Al Smith

45:46

as the Democratic presidential candidate at

45:48

this year's DNC. which this time

45:51

is a successful nomination. But Al

45:53

urges Franklin to run for his

45:55

soon-to-be vacant governorship. Though interested, Franklin

45:58

Hedges. to get the nomination for

46:00

U.S. Senate in 1914 and loss

46:02

for the vice presidency in 1920

46:05

have taught him the value of

46:07

timing. But ultimately, he and Eleanor

46:09

decide he should risk it. And

46:12

so, Al and Franklin begin their

46:14

somewhat overlapping rail and road campaigns.

46:16

The Hyde Park native has regained

46:19

a lot of mobility that doctors

46:21

didn't think possible, but he still

46:23

can't and never will walk unassisted,

46:26

as is now apparent to New

46:28

York voters. Al stands up for

46:31

him, quipping. A governor does not

46:33

have to be an acrobat. We

46:35

do not elect him for his

46:38

ability to do a double back

46:40

flip or a handspring. Al does

46:42

not win the presidency. Republican Herbert

46:45

Hoover crushes him, as we learned

46:47

in episode 170. But Franklin wins

46:49

his electoral battle against Republican Albert

46:52

Audinger, squeaking by with a mere

46:54

25,000 more of the over 4

46:56

million votes cast for governor. Louis

46:59

Howe believes this pretends greater things.

47:01

He immediately remarks, we've got the

47:03

next president. But Al Smith doesn't

47:06

agree. In truth, Al wanted Franklin

47:08

to run as an insurance policy

47:10

against his own White House run,

47:13

assuming that, in the event of

47:15

a loss, he could still run

47:17

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47:20

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47:22

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only in theaters April 11th.

49:05

To say that Louis Howe forecast

49:08

correctly and Al Smith didn't is

49:10

almost an understatement. To Al's dismay,

49:13

his likely disingenuous defense of Franklin

49:15

proves true. That rather than spending

49:17

most of his time at Warm

49:20

Springs, Franklin proves an engaged and

49:22

daring governor. His two terms over

49:24

four years are filled with challenges.

49:27

The reform-minded governor supports hundreds of

49:29

bills that die in the state's

49:31

Republican-dominated legislature. Yet, he proves a

49:34

deft politician who can always twist

49:36

the narrative to one a victory.

49:39

He does this brilliantly on the

49:41

issue of using the St. Lawrence

49:43

River for hydroelectric power, denying the

49:46

Republicans' attempt to take all the

49:48

credit. He also has to balance

49:50

Tammany Hall's power with fighting New

49:53

York City's political corruption, so evident

49:55

in Mayor Jimmy Walker's administration, and

49:58

fending off William Randolph Hearst's attacks

50:00

as a sensational media mogul maligns

50:02

him as a globalist. FDR manages

50:05

all of this with considerable skill.

50:07

Already mindful of the working man

50:09

and farmers, Governor Roosevelt meets the

50:12

Great Depression by aggressively challenging the

50:14

long-held American belief that government should

50:17

stay out of the economic picture.

50:19

While the Depression has led even

50:21

the Republican Hoover administration to experiment

50:24

with an unprecedented degree of government

50:26

intervention, as we know from episode

50:28

172, Franklin goes further with his

50:31

talk of pensions for the elderly

50:33

and most notably his temporary emergency

50:35

relief administration. This straight funds the

50:38

creation of jobs. Yes, jobs, not

50:40

a government doll, which is an

50:43

important distinction for Franklin, and furnishes

50:45

food, clothing and housing in more

50:47

dire situations. Eleanor later writes in

50:50

her autobiography that this seems to

50:52

be when Franklin's political goals solidified.

50:54

Throughout the whole of Franklin's career,

50:57

there never was any deviation from

50:59

his original objective to help make

51:02

life better for the average man,

51:04

woman, and child. This approach is

51:06

successful, and Franklin is reelected in

51:09

1930 by a landslide. During his

51:11

years as governor, Eleanor's husband also

51:13

begins to perfect his ability to

51:16

connect with the average man, woman,

51:18

and child. by speaking directly to

51:21

them via the radio. While radio's

51:23

growth has led to some political

51:25

speeches being broadcast in recent years,

51:28

the at-home listener was never the

51:30

intended audience. But it is for

51:32

Governor Roosevelt. Hmm. Keep that in

51:35

mind, as this isn't the last

51:37

we'll hear of Franklin's soothing voice

51:39

broadcasting into living rooms in a

51:42

friendly way. But let's not get

51:44

ahead of ourselves. The point is

51:47

that Franklin has shown himself to

51:49

be a likable, approachable, empathetic leader

51:51

with a magical gift for navigating

51:54

Republicans and Democrats alike, as well

51:56

as the gumption to tackle the

51:58

nation's dire economic woes. Louis Howe

52:01

was right. This is a president

52:03

in the making and on Saturday

52:06

January 23rd 1932 Governor Roosevelt announces

52:08

his candidacy. In preparing for the

52:10

fight ahead the governor also brings

52:13

on the biggest brains he knows

52:15

to help think through problems and

52:17

solutions. These include faculty from his

52:20

semi alma mater of Columbia University

52:22

like law professors Raymond A. Burle

52:25

and Adolf A. Burle. or agricultural

52:27

economist, Rexford G. Tugwell. By March,

52:29

Franklin's growing club of thinkers is

52:32

dubbed his brains trust, which is

52:34

then shortened to brain trust. They'll

52:36

be crucial to Franklin in the

52:39

White House, or rather, if he

52:41

goes to the White House. And

52:44

if that's going to happen, he

52:46

first needs to gain the Democratic

52:48

nomination at this summer's convention in

52:51

Chicago. This is where James A.

52:53

Farley enters the story. A professional

52:55

politician of sorts, James' strategy is

52:58

to convince the Dems that Franklin's

53:00

the only viable candidate. James pushes

53:02

the idea that former Governor Al

53:05

Smith is yesterday's news, and that

53:07

O&D Young, who he saw help

53:10

stabilize the German mark in the

53:12

last episode, can't be the solution

53:14

to the nation's woes, but he

53:17

himself as a symbol of all

53:19

that is wrong with the economy

53:21

as a bigwig at General Electric.

53:24

Smooth James, smooth. After three rounds

53:26

of balliting. Franklin emerges victoriously on

53:29

the fourth. He will be the

53:31

Democratic candidate for president. Now, this

53:33

is still a time when candidates

53:36

are expected to stay away from

53:38

party conventions. But perhaps due to

53:40

the constant need to prove his

53:43

vitality and vigor despite his legs,

53:45

Franklin decides, upon learning of his

53:48

candidacy, that he needs to break

53:50

precedent and show up in person.

53:52

He, his family and entourage, bored

53:55

a plane. A tri-motor Ford. for

53:57

a turbulent-ridden several hours long ride

53:59

from New York to Chicago. While

54:02

most are reaching for brown bags,

54:04

Franklin spins the whole flight with

54:06

a cigarette holder clenched in his

54:09

teeth and a pen in his

54:11

hand advising his speech. He knows

54:14

how important this moment will be.

54:16

It's just after 6 p.m. July

54:18

2nd 1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt his

54:21

family and some of his political

54:23

advisors have made it to the

54:25

Democratic National Convention now taking place

54:28

at 1,800 West Madison Street, Chicago

54:30

Stadium in You guessed it. Chicago,

54:33

Illinois. The stone and steel stadium

54:35

with a capacity of 25,000 is

54:37

packed. The architectural amplification system is

54:40

such that even a whisper can

54:42

be heard by everyone in the

54:44

building. So it's the perfect place

54:47

for a political convention. Wearing a

54:49

blue suit with a rose lapel

54:52

and battered hat. Brace wearing Franklin

54:54

leans on a cane and clings

54:56

to the arm of his son

54:59

James, while slowly making his way

55:01

to the podium. set up in

55:03

the center of the massive indoor

55:06

arena, cheering delegates around him. He

55:08

clears his throat and delivers one

55:10

of the most famous speeches of

55:13

his career, barring a phrase from

55:15

Mark Twain's, a Connecticut Yankee and

55:18

King Arthur's Court. That phrase is,

55:20

a new deal. Listen for it,

55:22

as Franklin speaks. of

55:25

the Democratic National

55:27

Convention of 1932.

55:29

The appearance before

55:31

a national convention

55:34

of its nominee

55:36

for president to

55:38

be formally notified

55:40

of his selection

55:42

is unprecedented and

55:44

unusual. But these

55:46

are unprecedented and

55:49

unusual times. Never

55:51

before in modern

55:53

history. have the

55:55

essential differences between

55:57

the two major

55:59

American parties. stood

56:02

out in such

56:04

striking contrast as

56:06

they do today.

56:08

Republican leaders, not

56:10

only, have failed

56:12

in material things.

56:15

They have failed

56:17

in national vision.

56:19

Throughout the nation,

56:21

men and women

56:23

forgotten in the

56:25

political philosophy. unprecedented

57:24

indeed. As we know from

57:26

the last episode, the Great

57:28

Depression, this seemingly endless economic

57:31

nightmare that only grows worse

57:33

with every passing year, has

57:35

Americans ready to try a

57:37

new course. As formerly popular

57:39

Herbert Hoover falls from his

57:41

pre-presidency great humanitarian pedestal to

57:43

become the namesake of the

57:45

Hobos Hooverville's, Franklin's talk of

57:47

a quote unquote new deal,

57:49

sounds like just the thing.

57:51

Moreover. The New York State

57:53

Governor's presidential campaign is running

57:55

like a well-oiled machine. He

57:57

travels over 13,000 miles before.

57:59

for election day that November,

58:01

usually with one or more

58:03

of his kids at each

58:05

stop. Franklin's speeches at campaign

58:07

rallies are carefully and delicately

58:09

written, often by members of

58:11

the brain trust. He needs

58:13

to focus on timely issues

58:15

that relate to the local

58:17

population of his stop so

58:19

that he can meaningfully connect

58:21

with the audience. He also

58:23

has to appear to make

58:25

promises about solving the current

58:27

crisis without actually laying out

58:29

a concrete plan. that could

58:31

get attacked by Herbert or

58:33

after he's elected. That is,

58:35

if he's elected. According to

58:37

historian William Luckdenberg, Franklin, quote,

58:39

was so genial and his

58:41

prescriptions for the country so

58:43

bland that some commentators questioned

58:45

his capabilities and grasp of

58:47

the serious challenges confronting the

58:49

United States. Close quote. Yet,

58:51

even though he's not laying

58:53

out concrete, Franklin is succeeding

58:55

at winning the hearts and

58:57

minds of the American public.

58:59

At the state capital in

59:01

Topeka, Kansas on September 14th,

59:03

he sympathizes with farmers angered

59:05

at the increased prices and

59:07

the lack of help as

59:09

they face the dry and

59:11

windy challenges of the dust

59:13

bowl. A few weeks later

59:15

in San Francisco, he gives

59:17

a more philosophical address using

59:19

the Great Depression as a

59:21

method by which he retels

59:23

American history, arguing that the

59:25

government must help fix the

59:27

economy. While some historians have

59:29

critiqued the nature of the

59:31

speech, saying that the Democratic

59:33

candidate appears snobbish and atavistic,

59:35

others call a true telling

59:37

and praise his masterful manner

59:39

of targeting speeches at specific

59:41

audiences' worries, Franklin also continues

59:43

to show his modernity and

59:45

interest in speaking to the

59:47

people directly with a nationwide

59:49

broadcast the night before the

59:52

election, imploring the general public

59:54

that, with your help and

59:56

your patience and your generous

59:58

goodwill, we can mend the

1:00:00

torn fabric of our common

1:00:02

life. FDR is electric. By

1:00:04

contrast, his biographer James Smith

1:00:06

writes of his opponent that

1:00:08

Hoover was pessimistic and bitter.

1:00:10

He exuded defeat, not hang

1:00:12

dog whipped puppy defeat, but

1:00:14

the vanquished of the proud

1:00:16

done in by hubris and

1:00:18

conceit. Close quote. On November

1:00:20

8th, 1932, Franklin goes to

1:00:22

his local town hall in

1:00:24

Hyde Park, New York, to

1:00:26

cast a vote for himself

1:00:28

as the 32nd president of

1:00:30

the United States. With a

1:00:32

popular majority of 22.8 million

1:00:34

and 472 electoral votes, Franklin

1:00:36

destroys President Herbert Hoover's 15.7

1:00:38

million and meagre 59 ballots

1:00:40

in the Electoral College. The

1:00:42

now President-elect calls this the

1:00:44

greatest night of my life.

1:00:46

The night is less great

1:00:48

for the First Lady elect.

1:00:50

I was happy for Franklin,

1:00:52

of course, because I knew

1:00:54

that in many ways it

1:00:56

would make up for the

1:00:58

blow that... fate had dealt

1:01:00

him, but for myself I

1:01:02

was deeply troubled. This met

1:01:04

the end of any personal

1:01:06

life of my own. I

1:01:08

had watched Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt

1:01:10

and had seen what it

1:01:12

meant to be the wife

1:01:14

from the president. As the

1:01:16

weeks and months pass, Franklin

1:01:18

is careful not to make

1:01:20

any joint decisions with the

1:01:22

soon-to-be ex-president during their late

1:01:24

November visit at the White

1:01:26

House or in subsequent communications.

1:01:28

It's a touch ironic, considering

1:01:30

that Franklin was once a

1:01:32

real fan of Bert's. But

1:01:34

that was long ago. And

1:01:36

besides, Bert's real motive in

1:01:38

a joint anything is a

1:01:40

positive spin on his own

1:01:42

legacy and painting his successor

1:01:44

into a not-so-new-deal corner. None

1:01:46

of this works out for

1:01:48

Bert, though. The president elect

1:01:50

artfully dodges. Franklin also dodges

1:01:52

a near brush-with death fired

1:01:54

by a would-be assassin. Just

1:01:56

returned from a cruise and

1:01:58

speaking to a massive crowd

1:02:00

in Miami, Florida's Bayfront Park

1:02:02

on February 15, 1933. Franklin's

1:02:04

words are interrupted as Giuseppe

1:02:06

Zangar opens a rapid fire.

1:02:08

The anarchists' five bolts wound

1:02:10

five people, one being Chicago

1:02:13

mayor Anton Sirmak, who will

1:02:15

succumb to his chest wound

1:02:17

in a few weeks. But

1:02:19

none hit Franklin. Once again,

1:02:21

Franklin's path parallels that of

1:02:23

his beloved, though now long

1:02:25

departed, Uncle Ted. He survived

1:02:27

and attempted presidential assassination. But

1:02:29

of course, the presidency itself

1:02:31

is the way in which

1:02:33

Franklin next mirrors TR. And

1:02:35

perhaps not only in holding

1:02:37

the position, but even in

1:02:39

his approach to it. After

1:02:41

all, Franklin has grand plans

1:02:43

to resuscitate the Great Depression-struck

1:02:45

United States, plans that may

1:02:47

include a so-called New Deal.

1:02:49

Now, it's a different era

1:02:51

with different problems, and we

1:02:53

know there's already some Mark

1:02:55

Twain influence on the term,

1:02:57

but it's hard not to

1:02:59

think of Theodore Roosevelt's square

1:03:01

deal upon hearing his younger

1:03:03

fifth cousin talk about a

1:03:05

New Deal. Might Franklin be

1:03:07

channeling his hero Uncle Ted

1:03:09

with this language? I'll leave

1:03:11

that for you to ponder.

1:03:13

But regardless of any influence

1:03:15

in this linguistic regard, it

1:03:17

is clear that, like the

1:03:19

rough writing Roosevelt before him,

1:03:21

the polio surviving Roosevelt inspires

1:03:23

the American people. It's an

1:03:25

overcast and rainy late morning,

1:03:27

Saturday, March 4th, 1933. We're

1:03:29

in Washington DC for Franklin

1:03:31

Delano Roosevelt's inauguration as the

1:03:33

32nd president. And despite the

1:03:35

cheering crowds on Pennsylvania Avenue,

1:03:37

Franklin is living through what

1:03:39

might be the most awkward

1:03:41

and uncomfortable drive of his

1:03:43

life. He's in an open

1:03:45

car, making the short trip

1:03:47

from the White House to

1:03:49

the Capitol, riding with none

1:03:51

other than the man he's

1:03:53

here to replace. President Herbert

1:03:55

Hoover, who's still mad that

1:03:57

Franklin wouldn't do any joint

1:03:59

anything with him. Bert's also

1:04:01

decided that he doesn't think

1:04:03

much of the bespectacled New

1:04:05

Yorker and right now he's

1:04:07

spurring Franklin's every attempt that's

1:04:09

small talk. It's going to

1:04:11

be a long two miles

1:04:13

to the Capitol building. The

1:04:15

administration of John Nance Garner's

1:04:17

oath as vice president can't

1:04:19

start soon enough. Franklin gives

1:04:21

up on bitter burp, tipping

1:04:23

his hat to the surrounding

1:04:25

crowds instead. The people's enthusiastic

1:04:27

response to Franklin's overtures only

1:04:29

irritates Bert all the more.

1:04:31

It's now a little past

1:04:34

1 p.m. John Garner has

1:04:36

taken his oath. James Roosevelt

1:04:38

has, as usual, as usual,

1:04:40

helped his brace-wearing father walk

1:04:42

from one point to the

1:04:44

next. And now, Chief Justice

1:04:46

Charles Evan Hughes is administering

1:04:48

the oath of office to

1:04:50

Franklin Roosevelt. In a new

1:04:52

twist, Franklin is opting to

1:04:54

repeat every word back to

1:04:56

the Chief Justice, rather than

1:04:58

simply saying, I do. Once

1:05:00

the oath is done, Franklin,

1:05:02

now the President of the

1:05:04

United States, turns toward the

1:05:06

crowd of 100,000 before him.

1:05:08

They appear subdued. Subdude, subdued.

1:05:10

as subdued as the dreary

1:05:12

day's drizzling weather, which Eleanor

1:05:14

will later describe as... Very,

1:05:16

very solemn and a little

1:05:18

terrifying. Is it just the

1:05:20

weather? Or is this the

1:05:22

mood of a nation that's

1:05:24

on its financial back with

1:05:26

no end in sight? Perhaps

1:05:28

the former has amplified the

1:05:30

latter. But Franklin will not

1:05:32

let this destructive pessimism, this

1:05:34

fear endure. Propped up by

1:05:36

his heavy and hidden leg

1:05:38

braces. held in place by

1:05:40

his own tight grip on

1:05:42

the rostrum. This man who

1:05:44

knows what it is to

1:05:46

feel defeated, to feel dead,

1:05:48

yet to finally fight back,

1:05:50

delivers what must be the

1:05:52

most inspiring, hope-giving, and fear-defeating

1:05:54

inaugural address since Lincoln's second,

1:05:56

even if it's later generations

1:05:58

that will truly appreciate his

1:06:00

claim that the only thing

1:06:02

we have to fear is

1:06:04

fear itself. Today, Americans will

1:06:06

be more impressed and pleased

1:06:08

to hear his talk of

1:06:10

decisive action with broad executive

1:06:12

powers. But more on that

1:06:14

another time. Right now, we

1:06:16

need to hear this historic

1:06:18

address. Take it away, Mr.

1:06:20

President. I am certain that

1:06:22

on this day, my fellow

1:06:24

Americans, expect that on my

1:06:26

induction into the presidency, I

1:06:28

will address them with a

1:06:30

candor and a decision which

1:06:32

the present situation of our

1:06:34

people impels. This is preeminently

1:06:36

the time to speak the

1:06:38

truth. The whole truth, frankly,

1:06:40

and boldly. Nor need we

1:06:42

shrink from honestly facing conditions

1:06:44

in our country today. This

1:06:46

great nation will endure, as

1:06:48

it has endured. We'll revive

1:06:50

and we'll prosper. So first

1:06:52

of all, let me assert

1:06:55

my firm belief that the

1:06:57

only thing we have to

1:06:59

fear unreasoning

1:07:04

unjustified terror which paralyzes

1:07:06

needed efforts to convert

1:07:09

retreat into advance in

1:07:11

every dark hour of

1:07:13

our national life a

1:07:15

leadership of frankness and

1:07:18

of vigor has met

1:07:20

with that understanding and

1:07:22

support of the people

1:07:24

themselves which is essential

1:07:27

to victory and I

1:07:29

am convinced that you

1:07:31

will give

1:07:34

that support to leadership

1:07:36

in these critical days.

1:07:38

I am prepared under

1:07:40

my constitutional duty to

1:07:42

recommend the measures that

1:07:44

a stricken nation in

1:07:46

the midst of a

1:07:48

stricken world may require

1:07:50

these measures or such

1:07:52

other measures as the

1:07:54

Congress may build out

1:07:56

of its experience. I

1:08:00

shall seek within my constitutional

1:08:03

authority to bring to speedy

1:08:05

adoption. But in the event

1:08:08

that the Congress shall fail

1:08:10

to take one of these

1:08:12

two causes, in the event

1:08:15

that the national emergency is

1:08:17

still critical, I shall not

1:08:20

evade the clear course of

1:08:22

duty that will then confront

1:08:24

me. I shall ask Congress

1:08:27

for the one remaining instrument

1:08:29

to meet the crisis. Broad

1:08:32

executive power to wage a

1:08:34

war against the emergency, as

1:08:37

great as the power that

1:08:39

would be given to me

1:08:41

if we were in fact

1:08:44

invaded by a foreign foe.

1:08:46

For the trust proposed in

1:08:49

me, I will return the

1:08:51

courage in the devotion that

1:08:53

beset the time I can't

1:08:56

do no less. We

1:08:59

face the arduous days

1:09:01

that lie before us

1:09:04

in the warm courage

1:09:06

of national unity With

1:09:09

the clear consciousness of

1:09:12

seeking old and precious

1:09:14

moral value With the

1:09:17

clean satisfaction that comes

1:09:20

from the stern performance

1:09:22

of duty by old

1:09:25

and young alike We

1:09:27

aim at the assurance

1:09:30

of a rounded a

1:09:33

permanent national life, we

1:09:35

do not distrust this,

1:09:38

the future of essential

1:09:40

democracy. The people of

1:09:43

the United States have

1:09:46

not failed. In their

1:09:48

need they have registered

1:09:51

a mandate that they

1:09:53

want direct vigorous action.

1:09:56

They have asked... for

1:09:59

discipline and direction. under

1:10:01

leadership. They have made

1:10:04

me the present

1:10:06

instrument

1:10:08

of their wishes.

1:10:10

In the spirit of

1:10:13

the gift, I take

1:10:15

it. In this dedication,

1:10:18

of a nation, we

1:10:20

humbly ask the blessing

1:10:22

of God. May he

1:10:25

protect each. and every

1:10:27

one of them may

1:10:29

guide me in the

1:10:32

days to come. History

1:10:34

That Doesn't Suck is

1:10:37

created and hosted

1:10:39

by me. Greg Jackson.

1:10:41

Episode Research and Written

1:10:43

by Greg Jackson and Riley

1:10:46

Newbower. Eleanor Roosevelt read by

1:10:48

Liz McCraw. Our gratitude to

1:10:50

the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential

1:10:53

Library and Museum for its

1:10:55

rich collection of speeches and

1:10:57

other writings. Learn more at

1:11:00

fdrlibrary.org. Production by Airship. Sound Design

1:11:02

by Molly Baugh. The music composed

1:11:04

by Greg Jackson. Arrangement and additional

1:11:06

composition by Lindsay Graham of Airship.

1:11:08

For a bibliography of all primary

1:11:11

and secondary sources consulted in writing

1:11:13

this episode, visit HDDS podcast.com. HTS

1:11:20

is supported by fans at

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Ukind Souls providing funding and

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