On our vacation to Washington D.C. in April of 2018, we saw many monuments and memorials. D.C. is rich with architecture and design. It’s a gorgeous city, and a a popular tourist destination. Since it is the capital of the United States, this is no surprise. We all know the famous ones: The Washington Monument, The White House, The Lincoln Memorial, The Jefferson Memorial, etc.
But there are countless more memorials that are lesser known, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t just as important and beautiful. One of the ones that really impressed me was the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, located about midway along the Tidal Basin between The Jefferson Memorial and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
It’s basically a set of 4 South Dakota Granite and bronze rooms with 21 famous quotes and statues telling the story of Roosevelt’s 4 terms in office. It was opened for the first time in 1997, and is a really stunning memorial that deserves as much appreciation as The Washington Monument.
President Roosevelt, in his first term, dealt a lot with the effects of the Great Depression. He is known for the creation of the New Deal, which was a series of acts that created institutions such as Social Security and the “Alphabet Soup” of different government agencies (FERA, PWA, CCC, AAA, NIRA, etc.) which were meant to stimulate and repair the broken economy of America in the 30
During his second term in office, Roosevelt and America were both still feeling the effects of the depression, but everyone could also see that things were getting better. Roosevelt had won re-election by a landslide. Until the end of this term, the US stayed neutral about the German aggression in Europe. America was busy repairing the economy, improving the unemployment rate, and increasing average wages.
His third term was dominated by World War II. The most famous quote from that era is “I hate war.” Plain and simple from a wise president.
In my opinion, this was the most impactful and thought-provoking of the term rooms.
When Roosevelt was re-elected in 1944, it he set the record for the longest reign as United States President. After his presidency, an amendment was passed to limit the terms for president to 2 terms. President Roosevelt suffered from polio, and the presidency took its toll on his health. By 1945, his health was detrimental, but this was a secret to the general public. His death shook a nation. His legacy is written in American history. Today he is considered to be one of the greatest presidents that America has ever had.
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