History behind the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the President who lifted the United States so valiantly out of the Great Depression, and through WWII. As the 32nd President, Roosevelt inspired the country to persevere with his passionate words and innovative policies. Because of his crucial role in what was one of the most ominous periods in American history, a monument to Roosevelt was placed in the National Mall in Washington, DC, alongside such famous figures in American history as Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.
The monument is located along the famous Cherry Tree Walk on the Tidal Basin near the national mall. The memorial traces the 12-year period that Roosevelt served as President of the United States. Roosevelt remains the only president elected to serve four terms in office. The monument is both a tribute to the man and the times. It was a period when the will and the heart of the nation was put to a test.
Each outdoor room is devoted to one of FDR's four terms in office. Sculptures inspired by photographs depict FDR. In a controversial piece, one 10-foot statue shows Roosevelt in a wheeled chair. While President, FDR went to great lengths to hide his partial paralysis caused by polio. Another statue depicts the president riding in a car during his first inaugural.
FDR served as the President of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. During his presidency, he inspired the public to overcome the hardship of the depression through his words. He also implemented the New Deal to help reverse the tide of the Depression. During this time, he addressed the public on the radio weekly in what came to be known as fireside chats. Later he would declare war against Japan and later Germany after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Although he died shortly before WWII's end, it was his fervent belief in democracy and courage which inspired the country to overcome adversity both at home and on foreign soil.
More than 50 years after his death, FDR's words reach out to visitors from the walls of his memorial. The words recall the great struggle the country endured during his presidency and the great debt we owe today to that great generation.
Mirroring Roosevelt, the times, and his policies, the monument is one of the most expansive memorials in all of the nation. However, its shade trees, quiet alcove, and waterfalls create the feeling of a hidden garden, not an imposing structure. Each room is defined by walls which are red granite in color and decorated by ornamental plantings. FDR's famous quotations are etched into the granite walls. The park was dedication on May 2, 1997.
A sampling of the many quotations of FDR sketched into the memorial are: "This generation has a rendevous with destiny." "I see one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad, and ill-nourished. The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." "More than an end to war, we want an end to the beginnings of all wars."
The first room of the monument leads visitors through the first for years of FDR's term, a time when nearly one-third of the American people were unemployed. But to the public FDR exuded confidence, optimism and compassion. It was during his first inaugural address FDR spoke what are perhaps his most famous words, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." During his first four years, FDR created thousands of jobs for people from all walks of life.
In 1936, FDR was elected to serve his second term as president. This room pays testament to FDR's famous fireside chats and the impact of the New Deal, which created social security, worker's compensation, unemployment insurance, welfare, and fair labor standards. The room depicts sculptures representing people during the Great Depression like the poor Appalachian couple and the despair of the bread line. On the other side of the wall are the accomplishments of the New Deal.
The third room details the period from 1941-1945, the period of WWII. Representative of the war, visitors are greeted with a destructive presence, as giant granite blocks line their path. The room explodes in noise, as a chaotic waterfall rushes down. Visitors realize a massive explosion caused the strewn boulders. A quote on the wall adequately reflects FDR's feelings towards war. "I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed. I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war."
The fourth room commemorates the last term of FDR, which only lasted until April of that year, 1945. The passing of FDR shocked and saddened the nation. For the American people, he had become a father figure. The room depicts the nation's mourning, as well as FDR's efforts to bring an end to war through the creation of the United Nations.
