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Character Traits Of Franklin Roosevelt

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Franklin Roosevelt became one of the most successful presidents in U.S. history due to the three character traits of optimism, perseverance, and leadership. Roosevelt's optimistic attitude gave Americans hope to keep fighting through the Great Depression and World War Two, were most Americans were ready to give up. Jean Smith presents this idea when he quotes Roosevelt in his Presidential Biography FDR writing, “This great Nation will endure as it has endured will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that only thing to fear is fear itself… The effect of the speech was electrifying, the praise all but unanimous. No one doubted that a new era had begun” (Smith 302-303). Franklin Roosevelt lit the fire back …show more content…

One of his greatest feats of leadership was when he first became president he started a program called the New Deal were he totally reshaped the economic system in the United States eventually getting America out of the Great Depression. Franklin Roosevelt also joined forces with Britain and the Soviet Union to help stop the axis powers in World War Two. Despite the hardships of his presidency Roosevelt overcame them and became one of the most influential presidents in American history through the character traits of optimism, persistence, and leadership. Although Franklin Roosevelt was a great President nobody is perfect and due to that Roosevelt did have some traits that made him a weaker president these included being dominant and unethical. On February 5, 1937, Franklin Roosevelt Revealed his controversial plan to allow the president to appoint an additional Supreme Court justice to any current Supreme Court Justice Member that was over the age of seventy. With six new Supreme Court Justices picked by Roosevelt, he would be able to control the Supreme Court to pass his New Deal Legislations. Jean Smith writes about this issue in his biography FDR when he says, “FDR overplayed his hand. To attack the court was wrongheaded to persist after the cause was won was petulant. Roosevelt paid dearly. Not only did he squander public support, but the Court fracas ruptured the Democratic party” (Smith 390). Roosevelt's fight against the Supreme Court ended badly not

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