Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the effect of his disability on his presidency

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Authors
Wolfley, Emilee
Advisor
Markle, Larry L.
Issue Date
2013-05-04
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (B.?.)
Department
Honors College
Other Identifiers
Abstract

The presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the most unprecedented in American history partially because he was elected four times and partially because he did it all from a wheelchair. He was afflicted with polio at the age of thirty-nine in the middle of what was becoming an illustrious political career. Most of the American public never fully understood how physically disabled he was because he constantly appeared in front of Americans sitting down or standing with the use of hidden leg braces. During the 1920s and 1930s, physical disabilities were not well understood and many people looked down on someone in a wheelchair. Thus, President Roosevelt went to great lengths to hide his paralyzed legs from the world. He did this successfully, with the help of the media, and managed to lead an emerging first world country during two of its most trying times in its short history: The Great Depression and World War II. This essay analyzes his life before contracting polio, during his fight to "heal" himself, and his life after polio through biographies, audio clips, and histories of the time period. These sources give me the insight into what life was like for the thirty-second president of the United States and how he managed to lead one of the biggest countries in the world through its greatest trials with the confidence and support of the American people.