When Franklin Delano Roosevelt took the oath of office in March 1933, the United States wasn't just "struggling." It was arguably dying. One out of every four workers had no job. The banking system had basically disintegrated, with people literally shoving life savings under mattresses because they didn't trust a single vault in the country. It’s hard for us to wrap our heads around that level of systemic collapse today, but that’s the context you need to understand Franklin D. Roosevelt major accomplishments as president. He didn't just pass laws; he fundamentally rewired the relationship between the average person and the federal government.
He had this crazy energy. Even though he was paralyzed from the waist down due to polio—a fact the press famously helped him keep low-key—he projected a sort of relentless optimism. He promised a "New Deal," and honestly, he spent the next twelve years making sure that wasn't just a campaign slogan.
The First Hundred Days and the Banking Save
Most presidents hope to pass one big bill in their first few months. FDR passed fifteen. It was a blur of activity that historians now call the "First Hundred Days." His first move? He shut down every single bank in the country. It was a "Bank Holiday," but it wasn't for vacation. It was to stop the bleeding.
He didn't just stop there, though. He pushed through the Emergency Banking Act and, more importantly, created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Think about that for a second. Before FDR, if your bank went bust, your money was just... gone. Poof. By guaranteeing deposits, he restored faith in the system almost overnight. People actually started putting their money back into banks. It was a psychological masterstroke.
Then came the "Alphabet Soup" agencies. You've probably heard of the CCC—the Civilian Conservation Corps. This was peak FDR. He took young, unemployed men from the cities, stuck them in the woods, and paid them to plant trees and build state parks. It solved two problems at once: youth unemployment and environmental degradation. They planted over three billion trees. That’s not a typo. Three billion.
The Social Security Act of 1935: The Big One
If you ask a historian about the single most impactful item on the list of Franklin D. Roosevelt major accomplishments as president, they’re going to say Social Security. Period.
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Before 1935, growing old in America was terrifying. If you hadn't saved a fortune or didn't have kids to take care of you, you likely ended up in a "poor house" or living in total destitution. FDR changed the math. The Social Security Act created a safety net that basically said: "If you work your whole life, you won't starve when you're done."
It wasn't perfect at the start. It excluded domestic workers and farm laborers, which disproportionately affected Black Americans—a nuance that historians like Ira Katznelson have pointed out was a concession to Southern Democrats to get the bill passed. But as a foundation? It was revolutionary. It introduced unemployment insurance and aid for the disabled too. It turned the government into a protector of the vulnerable rather than just a silent observer of the market.
Putting America to Work with the WPA
Then there was the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This wasn't just about digging ditches. Roosevelt realized that a nation isn't just made of laborers; it’s made of artists, writers, and engineers.
The WPA built the massive infrastructure we still use. We’re talking 650,000 miles of roads and 125,000 public buildings. But they also hired photographers like Dorothea Lange to document the Great Depression and writers to interview formerly enslaved people to preserve history. It was a massive, sprawling, slightly chaotic effort to keep the American spirit from snapping. It was expensive. Critics at the time called it "boondoggling"—basically saying it was a waste of taxpayer money—but looking back, it's hard to imagine the 20th century without the bridges and dams they left behind.
Leading the World Through Global Conflict
We can't talk about FDR without talking about World War II. He’s the only president to be elected four times, and a huge chunk of that tenure was spent being the "Arsenal of Democracy."
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Long before Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt was playing a dangerous game of chess. He knew the Nazis were a threat, but the American public was deeply isolationist. People didn't want another European war. So, he invented Lend-Lease. Basically, he told the public, "If your neighbor's house is on fire, you lend them your garden hose." He "lent" ships and planes to Britain and the Soviets.
Once the U.S. was actually in the war, FDR’s leadership was about scale. He oversaw the mobilization of the entire American economy. We went from making cars to making tanks at a rate that baffled the Axis powers. He also helped lay the groundwork for the United Nations. He didn't live to see it finished, but the idea that the world needed a place to talk instead of fight was his "Grand Design." He wanted to move away from the failed League of Nations and create something with actual teeth.
The GI Bill: Building the Middle Class
Right before he died in 1945, FDR signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, better known as the GI Bill.
This might be his most underrated accomplishment. It provided veterans with low-interest mortgages and paid for their college tuition. It basically manufactured the American middle class. Suddenly, millions of people who never dreamed of higher education were getting degrees. They were buying homes in the suburbs. It shifted the economic trajectory of the entire country for the next forty years.
Why People Still Argue About Him
Now, was he perfect? Not even close. You can't look at Franklin D. Roosevelt major accomplishments as president without acknowledging the dark spots. The internment of over 120,000 Japanese Americans under Executive Order 9066 is a massive stain on his record. It was a fundamental violation of civil liberties driven by wartime hysteria and racism.
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There was also the "Court Packing" incident. FDR got frustrated that the Supreme Court kept striking down his New Deal laws, so he tried to add more justices to the bench. It was a rare political blunder that even his supporters thought went too far. It showed a streak of "imperial" presidency that still makes constitutional scholars nervous.
Actionable Insights for Today
So, what do we actually do with this history? FDR’s legacy isn't just for textbooks. If you're looking at the modern world, his presidency offers a few "cheat codes" for understanding how change happens:
- Audit your own safety net: Understand how things like the FDIC and Social Security actually function. Most people don't realize their bank deposits are only insured up to $250,000. If you have more than that in one spot, FDR’s legacy says you should diversify.
- Infrastructure isn't just concrete: The WPA showed that supporting the "creative class" is just as vital for a recovery as building roads. When looking at modern stimulus packages, see if they include the "soft" infrastructure of arts and records.
- The Power of Communication: FDR’s "Fireside Chats" were the first time a leader used media to bypass the gatekeepers and talk directly to the people. In our era of social media, the lesson is clear: the person who controls the narrative usually controls the policy.
- Study the "First Hundred Days" Model: If you are starting a new job or a project, the FDR model suggests that your greatest window for radical change is at the very beginning when momentum is highest. Use that "honeymoon period" to push through the hardest stuff.
Franklin Roosevelt took a country that was literally falling apart and, through a mix of experimentation, charisma, and occasionally ruthless politics, put it back together. He changed what we expect from a president. Before him, the government was a distant entity. After him, it was the thing that made sure you had a job, a bank account, and a retirement. Whether you love his policies or hate them, we are all living in the house that FDR built.
To get a real sense of the physical impact he had, look up your local "WPA" or "CCC" projects. You might be surprised to find that the stone bridge in your local park or the murals in your post office were paid for by a man in a wheelchair who refused to let a country quit on itself.