Franklin+D.+Roosevelt-stephb

Franklin D. Roosevelt

President Roosevelt was elected into office in 1932; right in the middle of the Great Depression. At that time, there was 13,000,000 people unemployed and almost every single bank was closed. FDR proposed that in his first 100 days in office, he would provide relief to the unemployed and farmers, reform the country, and bring recovery to business and agriculture. By 1935, things were not moving fast enough for Americans. They were upset that they were not seeing any results out of FDR's plan. Roosevelt responded with Social Security, heavier taxes on the wealthy, and a huge work relief program for the unemployed. He was re-elected in 1936 by a landslide. He tried to enlarge the Supreme Court but failed. But this event made it so the government could legally control the economy.