American Experience (1988–…): Season 7, Episode 2 - FDR: Part II - full transcript

"THE PRESIDENTS"
IS MADE POSSIBLE

BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT
FOR THE HUMANITIES.

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
IS ALSO MADE POSSIBLE

BY THE CORPORATION
FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING

McCullough:
"IN ALL THE YEARS I KNEW HIM,"

FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT'S
ELDEST SON REMEMBERED,

"THERE WAS ONLY ONE TIME

"WHEN MY FATHER WORRIED
ABOUT HIS ABILITY.

IT WAS THE NIGHT
HE WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT."

McCullough:
ON MARCH 2, 1933,

AS A BALTIMORE AND OHIO TRAIN
SPED FROM HYDE PARK, NEW YORK,



TOWARD WASHINGTON,

FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT SAT
ALL ALONE IN THE LAST CAR.

IN TWO DAYS, THIS MAN
WITH THE LEGS CRIPPLED BY POLIO,

WHOSE GREATEST STRENGTH
SEEMED TO BE HIS CHARM,

WOULD BECOME THE 32nd PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.

OVER 70 YEARS BEFORE,

ABRAHAM LINCOLN HAD TRAVELED
BY TRAIN TO HIS INAUGURATION

TO LEAD A COUNTRY
ABOUT TO BE TORN APART.

NOW ROOSEVELT WOULD HAVE TO FACE

THE NATION'S GRAVEST CRISIS
SINCE THE CIVIL WAR.

14 MILLION AMERICANS
WERE OUT OF WORK.

NINE MILLION HAD LOST
THEIR LIFE SAVINGS.

THE ECONOMY HAD COLLAPSED.

Man:
PEOPLE WERE DOWN AND OUT
IN THEIR FEELINGS...



NOT ONLY IN THEIR STOMACHS
AND IN THEIR POCKETBOOKS.

IT WAS A TREMENDOUSLY
DEPRESSING PERIOD OF TIME.

THERE WERE NOT
A FEW PEOPLE WHO REALLY SAW

THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE COUNTRY
WAS GOING TO DISINTEGRATE.

McCullough:
THE TRAIN CLATTERED
THROUGH NEW JERSEY,

WHERE NEWARK HAD DEFAULTED
ON ITS PAYROLL,

AND ROLLED ON THROUGH
PENNSYLVANIA AND MARYLAND,

WHERE THE BANKS WERE CLOSED.

HALFWAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
IOWA FARMERS THREATENED

TO HANG A LAWYER
FORECLOSING ON THEIR FARMS.

AND IN DETROIT,
MEN WHO HAD LOST THEIR JOBS

WERE STEALING FOOD
FROM GROCERY STORES.

AS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT'S TRAIN

PULLED INTO
WASHINGTON'S UNION STATION,

NO ONE KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT

FROM THIS MAN WHO HAD PROMISED
A NEW DEAL FOR AMERICANS.

Man:
THE COUNTRY WAS
IN A HELL OF A MESS

AND EVERYBODY WAS LOOKING
TO THIS NEW MAN

TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT.

HIS PROMISES HAD BEEN
ALL OVER THE LOT,

BUT ACTION, ACTION, ACTION WAS
WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR.

McCullough:
"IF THE NEW DEAL IS A SUCCESS,"

A FRIEND TOLD ROOSEVELT,

"YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED AS THE
GREATEST AMERICAN PRESIDENT."

"IF I FAIL," ROOSEVELT REPLIED,

"I WILL BE REMEMBERED
AS THE LAST ONE."

Choir:
♪ O GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST ♪

♪ OUR HOPE FOR YEARS
TO COME... ♪

McCullough:
INAUGURATION DAY BEGAN

WITH A SERVICE AT
ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

WITH HYMNS SELECTED
BY ROOSEVELT HIMSELF.

♪ ...AND OUR ETERNAL HOME. ♪

McCullough:
HIS SECRETARY OF LABOR,
FRANCES PERKINS,

DESCRIBED THE SCENE:

"WE WERE IN A TERRIBLE
SITUATION," SHE WROTE.

"BANKS WERE CLOSING.

"THE ECONOMIC LIFE
OF THE COUNTRY

"WAS ALMOST AT A STANDSTILL.

IF EVER A MAN WANTED TO PRAY,
THAT WAS THE DAY."

"HE DID WANT TO PRAY

AND HE WANTED EVERYONE
TO PRAY FOR HIM."

Choir:
♪ ...AND OUR DEFENSE IS SURE. ♪

McCullough:
THE WEATHER WAS COLD AND BLEAK.

GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR
HAD PREPARED HIS TROOPS

FOR A POSSIBLE RIOT.

ON HIS LAST MORNING IN OFFICE,
PRESIDENT HERBERT HOOVER SAID,

"WE ARE AT
THE END OF OUR STRING.

THERE IS NOTHING
MORE WE CAN DO."

HOOVER DETESTED ROOSEVELT,

THOUGHT HIM AN OPPORTUNIST

SURE TO DRAG THE COUNTRY
EVEN DEEPER INTO DESPAIR.

ON THE RIDE TO THE CAPITOL,

ROOSEVELT TRIED
TO MAKE CONVERSATION,

BUT HOOVER SAT STONY-FACED.

"THE TWO OF US SIMPLY COULDN'T
SIT THERE ON OUR HANDS,

IGNORING EACH OTHER AND EVERYONE
ELSE," ROOSEVELT RECALLED,

"SO I BEGAN WAVING MY TOP HAT,
AND I KEPT WAVING IT

UNTIL I GOT TO
THE INAUGURATION STAND."

Choir:
♪ SUFFICIENT IS
THINE ARM ALONE... ♪

McCullough:
"IT WAS VERY, VERY SOLEMN,"

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT TOLD REPORTERS
LATER, "AND A LITTLE TERRIFYING.

"THE CROWDS WERE SO TREMENDOUS

"AND YOU FELT
THAT THEY WOULD DO ANYTHING

IF ONLY SOMEONE WOULD
TELL THEM WHAT TO DO."

AS HE MADE HIS WAY
TO THE PODIUM,

ROOSEVELT APPEARED
TO BE WALKING,

BUT IT HAD TAKEN
YEARS OF PRACTICE

TO PERFECT THAT ILLUSION.

IN FACT, HE WAS PRESSING DOWN ON
HIS SON'S ARM WITH AN IRON GRIP,

PROPELLING HIMSELF FORWARD
WITH THE HELP OF A CANE

AND HIS POWERFUL UPPER BODY.

AMERICANS EVERYWHERE WAITED.

Roosevelt:
I, FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT,

DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR

that I will
faithfully execute...

Man:
ONE HAS TO IMAGINE
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE

CLUSTERED AROUND
THEIR RADIO SETS

IN TOWNS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT
OF THIS NEW PRESIDENT.

HE'S NOT SHOWN THEM MUCH YET,

AND THEN THEY HEAR, COMING
THROUGH THEIR LOUDSPEAKERS,

THIS VOICE.

Roosevelt:
This is preeminently the
time to speak the truth,

the whole truth,
frankly and boldly...

SO FILLED WITH COURAGE,
WITH SELF-CONFIDENCE,

WITH A SENSE OF LEADERSHIP.

THIS GREAT NATION WILL ENDURE
AS IT HAS ENDURED,

WILL REVIVE AND WILL PROSPER.

Man:
SUDDENLY THIS MAN CAME IN

AND HE MADE CLEAR TO THE COUNTRY

THAT THERE WAS REALLY
NOTHING TO FEAR

EXCEPT THE FEAR
THAT WAS IN ONE'S OWN HEART.

LET ME ASSERT MY FIRM BELIEF

THAT THE ONLY THING
WE HAVE TO FEAR IS

fear itself...

Nameless, unreasoning,
unjustified terror...

Ginzberg:
THE COUNTRY WAS SO EXCITED
THAT ONE HAD A LIVE LEADER

FINALLY, AT LONG LAST,
IN THE WHITE HOUSE

THAT HE COULD HAVE SUGGESTED

THAT WE ALL GET READY
TO WALK TO THE MOON

AND WE WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED HIM.

IT WAS JUST AN
UNBELIEVABLE CHANGE IN MOOD.

Leuchtenburg:
IT HAS AN ELECTRIFYING EFFECT.

NEARLY A HALF A MILLION PEOPLE
WRITE TO HIM.

THIS IS UNHEARD OF.

AMERICAN PRESIDENTS
IN THE PAST GENERATION

HAD GOTTEN AS FEW AS
200 LETTERS IN A WEEK.

NOW NEARLY A HALF A MILLION
WRITE TO FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT,

AND OVERNIGHT
HE ESTABLISHES HIMSELF

AS THE LEADER THAT THE COUNTRY
HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR.

McCullough:
I AM WRITING TO YOU FOR HELP.

"WE HAVE EIGHT CHILDREN
TO TAKE CARE OF

"AND NOBODY WORKING
BUT MY HUSBAND.

"HE'S GETTING SUCH
LITTLE PAY FOR HIS WORK

"AND WE HAVE A SICK CHILD.

"PLEASE, MR. ROOSEVELT,

"DON'T LET THEM TAKE
OUR HOME AWAY FROM US.

PLEASE, SIR."

I HAVE NEVER AS YET BEGGED,

"BUT I WOULD APPRECIATE
SOME KIND OF HELP.

"I HAVE ALWAYS PUT UP A GOOD
FIGHT AND HAVE WORKED MANY A DAY

UNTIL I WAS ALMOST UNABLE TO
STAND UP, BUT ALL TO NO AVAIL."

McCullough:
MARCH 4, 1933,
ROOSEVELT'S FIRST DAY IN OFFICE.

WITH THE BANKS CLOSED,
INVESTMENT AT A STANDSTILL,

MANY AMERICANS BELIEVED

THAT THE FREE ENTERPRISE
SYSTEM WAS FAILING.

ONE AIDE WROTE, "WE WERE
CONFRONTED WITH A CHOICE

"BETWEEN AN ORDERLY REVOLUTION

OR A VIOLENT OVERTHROW OF
THE WHOLE CAPITALIST STRUCTURE."

ROOSEVELT COULD HOPE,
LIKE HOOVER,

THAT THE ECONOMY
WOULD REPAIR ITSELF.

OR HE COULD TRY SOMETHING

THAT HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE
IN AMERICA:

INTERVENE ON A MASSIVE SCALE

WITH THE POWER
OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

Man:
I HAD A PROFESSOR

THAT TAUGHT
THE COURSE IN BUSINESS CYCLES,

AND I REMEMBER HE
REACHED IN HIS POCKET

AND TOOK A RUBBER
BAND OUT

AND HE HELD IT
AND THEN HE PULLED IT

AND HE SAID, "THIS IS BOOM."

THEN HE LET GO OF ONE END, IT
SNAPPED BACK, HE SAID, "BUST."

HE SAYS THIS HAPPENS
TO A CAPITALISTIC ECONOMY

AND YOU CAN'T DO
ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

LET NATURE TAKE ITS COURSE.

AND ROOSEVELT, OF COURSE,
BROUGHT AROUND HIM

A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T
BELIEVE THAT BUNK

AND THOUGHT YOU GOT TO DO
SOMETHING TO TURN IT AROUND.

McCullough:
ROOSEVELT'S ADVISERS OFFERED
HIM A RANGE OF PROGRAMS.

IN THE END, HE WOULD WORK
FROM NO SYSTEMATIC PLAN.

INSTEAD, HE WOULD EXPERIMENT.

Leuchtenburg:
TRY ONE IDEA;

AND IF IT DOESN'T WORK,
WE'LL TRY ANOTHER.

HE LIKENED HIMSELF
TO A QUARTERBACK.

YOU TRY A PLAY;

IF THAT PLAY DOESN'T WORK,
YOU TURN TO ANOTHER PLAY.

McCullough:
"IT IS COMMON SENSE,"
ROOSEVELT SAID,

"TO TAKE A METHOD AND TRY IT.

"IF IT FAILS, ADMIT IT FRANKLY
AND TRY ANOTHER.

BUT ABOVE ALL, TRY SOMETHING."

IN HIS FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE

ROOSEVELT MANAGED TO PUT
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE

BACK TO WORK.

HE PLEDGED BILLIONS
TO SAVE THEIR FARMS

AND THEIR HOMES
FROM FORECLOSURE.

HE PROVIDED RELIEF
TO THE UNEMPLOYED.

HE RESTORED CONFIDENCE
IN THE BANKS

AND GUARANTEED THE SAVINGS
OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS.

Roosevelt:
I CAN ASSURE YOU

THAT IT IS SAFER FOR YOU TO KEEP
YOUR MONEY IN A REOPENED BANK

THAN TO KEEP IT
UNDER THE MATTRESS.

Ginsburg:
HIS KEY WAS SOMEHOW
TO PROP UP CAPITALISM.

THAT WAS UNQUESTIONABLY
IN BACK OF HIS MIND.

BUT HE WAS A PRAGMATIST.

HE WAS SEEKING TO FIND SOLUTIONS

TO THE PRACTICAL PROBLEMS
THAT BESET PEOPLE TODAY.

THE BANKS WERE CLOSED.

GET THE BANKS OPEN.

McCullough:
AND TO SELL THE CENTERPIECE
OF HIS PROGRAM...

THE NATIONAL RECOVERY
ADMINISTRATION...

HE ORCHESTRATED AN EXTRAORDINARY
PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN.

THE N.R.A. WAS DESIGNED TO TAME

THE UNRULY CYCLES
OF AMERICAN CAPITALISM

BY ENCOURAGING BUSINESS
AND GOVERNMENT TO WORK TOGETHER.

EACH INDUSTRY WAS ALLOWED
TO SET ITS OWN WAGES AND PRICES.

LABOR WAS PROMISED THE RIGHT
TO BARGAIN COLLECTIVELY.

Man:
I WENT TO THE TOP
OF THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

ON A DAY IN, I THINK, JUNE 1933.

THERE WAS THIS ENORMOUS NATIONAL
RECOVERY ACT PARADE, YOU KNOW,

AND THEY HAD THIS SYMBOL,
THE BLUE EAGLE, EVERYWHERE.

IT WAS ON CIGARETTE PACKAGES,
AND IT WAS IN STORES, AND SO ON.

IT WAS AN IMMENSELY
MOVING THING.

THERE MUST HAVE BEEN TWO MILLION
PEOPLE, IT SEEMED LIKE,

UP AND DOWN 5th AVENUE AND
EVERYWHERE, ALL JUST CHEERING,

AND THE COUNTRY
JUST LIFTED ITSELF UP.

Roberts:
THIS WAS A GREAT THING
THAT WAS HAPPENING.

THE COUNTRY WAS COMING OUT
OF THIS INCREDIBLE MOOD.

ROOSEVELT WAS CHANGING
NATIONAL DESPAIR TO HOPE.

Man:
♪ THERE'S A NEW DAY IN VIEW ♪

♪ THERE'S GOLD IN THE BLUE ♪

♪ THERE IS HOPE
IN THE HEARTS OF MEN ♪

♪ ALL THE WORLD'S ON THE WAY
TO A SUNNIER DAY ♪

♪ FOR THE ROAD IS OPEN AGAIN! ♪

McCullough:
WHEN THE 100 DAYS WERE OVER,

ROOSEVELT HAD SIGNED
15 MAJOR BILLS INTO LAW

AND CREATED AN ALPHABET SOUP
OF NEW GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.

"WE HAVE HAD OUR REVOLUTION,"
ONE MAGAZINE REPORTED,

"AND WE LIKE IT."

Ginzberg:
EVERYTHING WAS UP FOR GRABS

IN A COUNTRY THAT WAS BASICALLY
A CONSERVATIVE COUNTRY,

BUT NOW HAD A LEADER

TO WHOM ANYTHING
AND EVERYTHING WAS POSSIBLE.

THE LEAST IDEOLOGICAL PERSON
THAT EVER LIVED.

THAT'S WHY I THINK
HE WAS SUCH A GREAT SUCCESS.

A FEW TIMID PEOPLE WHO FEAR
PROGRESS WILL TRY TO GIVE YOU

NEW AND STRANGE NAMES
FOR WHAT WE ARE DOING.

SOMETIMES THEY WILL CALL IT
FASCISM, AND SOMETIMES COMMUNISM

AND SOMETIMES REGIMENTATION,
AND SOMETIMES SOCIALISM.

BUT IN SO DOING, THEY ARE TRYING

TO MAKE VERY COMPLEX
AND THEORETICAL

SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY
VERY SIMPLE AND VERY PRACTICAL.

I believe
in practical explanations

and in practical policies.

McCullough:
ROOSEVELT USED THE RADIO

TO SPEAK DIRECTLY
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

AND THEY LISTENED
TO HIS "FIRESIDE CHATS"

AS IF HE WERE A CLOSE FRIEND.

In the present spirit
of mutual confidence

and the present spirit of mutual
encouragement, we go forward.

McCullough:
BY THE END OF 1933

MANY OF ROOSEVELT'S
MOST SKEPTICAL CRITICS

HAD BEEN CONVERTED.

AN AIDE WHO WORKED WITH HIM
DURING THE WILSON YEARS

MARVELED, "THAT FELLOW IN THERE

"IS NOT THE FELLOW
WE USED TO KNOW.

THERE'S BEEN A MIRACLE HERE."

IF ROOSEVELT EVER HAD ANY DOUBTS
ABOUT HIS ABILITY TO DO THE JOB,

THEY EVAPORATED QUICKLY.

THE WHITE HOUSE, WHICH FOR
SOME PRESIDENTS WAS A PRISON,

WAS, FOR F.D.R., HOME.

Woman:
I THINK THERE'S NO QUESTION

THAT ROOSEVELT LOVED
BEING PRESIDENT.

YOU KNOW HOW HE USED TO SAY,
"I LOVE IT."

I SUSPECT IF SOMEBODY
SAID TO HIM,

"HOW DO YOU LIKE BEING
PRESIDENT?"

THAT'S WHAT HE WOULD HAVE SAID,
"I LOVE IT."

IT JUST SEEMED TO FIT
HIS TEMPERAMENT,

I HAVE A FEELING HE LOVED
GETTING UP IN THE MORNING,

LOVED GOING TO HIS OFFICE,
ENJOYED THE PEOPLE THAT CAME IN.

I CAN'T IMAGINE
ANOTHER PRESIDENT

BEING MORE SUITED
FOR THE PRESIDENCY

AND ENJOYING IT
AS MUCH AS ROOSEVELT DID.

Leuchtenburg:
ROOSEVELT BELIEVED

THAT HE BELONGED
IN THE WHITE HOUSE.

HIS IDEA OF
WHO A PRESIDENT SHOULD BE

WAS HIMSELF AS PRESIDENT.

HE THOUGHT IT WAS
THE GRANDEST JOB IN THE WORLD.

Ginsburg:
THIS WAS A MAN
OF GREAT EBULLIENCE.

HE WAS A MAN OF CONSTANT CHEER.

HE WAS A MAN OF CIGARETTES.

IT WOULD BE A CONSTANT FLOW
OF LAUGHTER AND JOKES.

THERE WAS NEVER A MOMENT

THAT ONE HAD A FEELING THAT
HE SUDDENLY FELT HELPLESS

OR SUDDENLY UNCERTAIN
OF WHAT TO DO.

HE KNEW WHAT TO DO,
AND HE WOULD DO IT.

Cooke:
HE WAS IMMENSELY CUNNING,

AND WHAT PEOPLE HAD NOT REALIZED
WAS HIS EXTRAORDINARY GUILE.

I MEAN, I THINK HE WAS
QUITE CAPABLE OF TELLING

WHAT WINSTON CHURCHILL CALLED
"A TERMINOLOGICAL INEXACTITUDE"

AND NEVER BLUSH.

AND HE HAD THIS MARVELOUS FACE

OF, YOU KNOW, TOTAL PLACID
SINCERITY AND EARNESTNESS,

AND HE HAD A GREAT GIFT
OF SEEMING TO THINK

THAT YOU WERE
ABOUT THE WISEST MAN

THAT HE'D EVER CONSULTED
ON ANYTHING,

UNTIL YOU FOUND HE HAD NO USE
FOR YOU THE MOMENT YOU LEFT.

McCullough:
FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT
HAD ALWAYS IMAGINED HIMSELF

AS PRESIDENT.

BUT THE WHITE HOUSE WAS

THE LAST PLACE
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT WANTED TO BE.

"I NEVER WANTED TO BE
A PRESIDENT'S WIFE," SHE SAID,

"AND I DON'T WANT IT NOW."

BY 1933, ELEANOR AND HER HUSBAND

WERE LEADING
ALL BUT SEPARATE LIVES.

15 YEARS EARLIER,
ROOSEVELT'S AFFAIR

WITH ELEANOR'S SOCIAL SECRETARY,
LUCY MERCER,

HAD ENDED THE INTIMACIES
OF THEIR MARRIED LIFE.

BUT THEY HAD DEVELOPED
A POLITICAL PARTNERSHIP

AND ELEANOR HAD BUILT
A LIFE OF HER OWN.

MY GRANDMOTHER HAD
REAL RESERVATIONS

ABOUT MOVING INTO
THE WHITE HOUSE.

SHE KNEW THE SOCIAL ROLE.

SHE KNEW HOW
ALL-CONSUMING IT COULD BE.

SHE HAD BECOME A FIGURE
IN HER OWN RIGHT

AND WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY,
EVEN SOMEWHAT OF A POWER,

AND THE THOUGHT OF GOING TO
WASHINGTON, SHE WAS APPALLED.

Goodwin:
ALL SHE SAW WAS

SOCIAL CEREMONIAL JOBS,
WHICH SHE HATED.

SHE ALWAYS SAID SHE WAS
NEVER GOOD AT SMALL TALK.

I'M SURE SHE IMAGINED THAT
IN THE FIRST LADYSHIP

SHE'D BE TALKING SMALL TALK

FOR ALL THE YEARS
THEY WERE IN THERE.

McCullough:
"AT THE FIRST FEW RECEPTIONS,"
ELEANOR WROTE,

"MY ARMS ACHED, MY SHOULDERS
ACHED, MY BACK ACHED.

I WAS LUCKY IN HAVING A SUPPLE
HAND, WHICH NEVER ACHED."

"I REALIZED," SHE SAID,

"THAT IF I REMAINED IN
THE WHITE HOUSE ALL THE TIME,

I WOULD LOSE TOUCH
WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD."

Woman:
SHE WANTED HER FREEDOM.

SHE DIDN'T WANT TO BE

CURTAILED BY PROTOCOL

BY BEING THE WIFE OF
THE HEAD OF A GOVERNMENT.

SHE WANTED TO PACK UP A BAG,
GET INTO HER LITTLE CAR

AND GO OUT INTO THE COUNTRY.

McCullough:
DURING HER HUSBAND'S
FIRST YEAR AS PRESIDENT,

ELEANOR TRAVELED
MORE THAN 40,000 MILES,

REPORTING BACK TO
THE WHITE HOUSE ON THE NEW DEAL.

Goodwin:
NEVER BEFORE HAD
A FIRST LADY TAKEN TO THE ROAD

AND TRAVELED HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS OF MILES

ON HER OWN
SUPPORTING HER HUSBAND.

WHAT SHE WAS LOOKING FOR
WAS THE HUMAN DETAIL

THAT SHE COULD BRING BACK
TO HER HUSBAND

TO LET HIM UNDERSTAND
WHAT THE PEOPLE OF HIS LAND

WERE THINKING,
FEELING AND HOPING.

Roberts:
SHE BECAME HIS LEGS.

SHE BECAME HIS EMISSARY.

SHE COULD GO PLACES
THAT HE COULDN'T GO

AND SHE WENT EVERYWHERE.

McCullough:
ELEANOR WROTE A DAILY COLUMN
CALLED "MY DAY,"

HELD WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCES,

RECEIVED HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS OF LETTERS.

HER POPULARITY RATINGS WERE
SOMETIMES EVEN HIGHER

THAN HER HUSBAND'S.

Man:
HE COULD MAKE A GREAT SPEECH,

BUT MRS. ROOSEVELT WENT OUT AND
INTERMINGLED WITH THE PEOPLE.

WELL, SHE WOULD SOMETIMES
PICK UP SOMEONE OFF THE STREET

AND BRING THEM IN FOR LUNCH

AND SHE WOULD INVITE PEOPLE
TO THE WHITE HOUSE TO DINNER,

FOR A STATE DINNER.

AND THEY HAD NEVER HAD
A TUXEDO ON IN THEIR LIVES,

AND THEY'D COME THERE
AND UNPACK AND NO TUXEDO

AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED
TO BE AT THE DINNER.

THEN WHAT WOULD WE DO?

WE WOULD TAKE THEM TO THE
LOCKER WHERE WE HAD SUPPLIES...

UNIFORMS FOR THE BUTLERS...
AND FIT THEM OUT IN THAT.

McCullough:
THE WOMAN WHO NEVER
WANTED TO BE FIRST LADY

REVOLUTIONIZED THE ROLE.

MORE AND MORE, ELEANOR BECAME
THE WHITE HOUSE ADVOCATE

FOR WOMEN, FACTORY WORKERS,
TENANT FARMERS, BLACKS,

OFTEN PRESSING HER HUSBAND
TO MOVE FASTER

THAN HE WAS PREPARED TO MOVE.

Goodwin:
ELEANOR SENT SO MANY MEMOS
INTO HIS BEDROOM AT NIGHT

THAT AFTER A WHILE, HE HAD TO
CREATE AN ELEANOR BASKET

JUST TO HOLD ALL THESE MEMOS.

AND THEN, AFTER A WHILE, HE HAD
TO MAKE A DEAL WITH HER,

SAYING, "ELEANOR,
THREE MEMOS A NIGHT...

NOT 12, NOT 20, NOT 30.

I WILL INITIAL THEM AND
DEAL WITH THEM BY MORNING."

SOMETIMES SHE KEPT HER BARGAIN,

BUT MY SENSE IS THAT MORE THAN
THREE WENT IN THERE MANY NIGHTS.

Curtis Roosevelt:
WHAT THEY HAD TOGETHER,
MY GRANDMOTHER AND GRANDFATHER,

WAS WHAT I CALL
A CREATIVE TENSION.

THEY BOTH BASICALLY BELIEVED
IN THE SAME THINGS,

BUT THEY HAD
DIFFERENT ROLES TO PLAY.

HE HAD TO WORK
WITH THE CONGRESS.

HE WAS PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES,

WHICH MEANT NOT THE LIBERALS
IN THE UNITED STATES.

IT MEANT EVERYBODY
IN THE UNITED STATES.

SHE WAS ABLE TO INFLUENCE
ISSUES AND HE WAS DELIGHTED.

BUT HE COULD ALSO DISOWN HER

AND DID WITH THE PRESS.

HE WOULD SAY,
"WELL, YOU KNOW MY MISSUS.

I DON'T DICTATE WHAT SHE SAYS,"
OR, "I DON'T CONTROL HER."

HE WAS VERY CHARMING ABOUT IT,

BUT IN A WAY IT WAS JUST SAYING,
"OH, SHE CAN SAY WHAT SHE LIKES.

THAT DOESN'T REPRESENT
MY POSITION."

WHICH WAS VERY, VERY CONVENIENT,

VERY CONVENIENT FOR HIM TO,
THROUGH HER,

SENSE HOW FAR HE COULD GO.

McCullough:
BY 1934, ROOSEVELT HAD BEEN
PRESIDENT FOR A YEAR,

YET IN SPITE OF ALL HIS NEW DEAL
PROGRAMS, HARD TIMES PERSISTED.

Ginsburg:
THE DEPRESSION WAS TOO DEEP.

THE ORIGINS, THE ROOTS
OF THE PROBLEM WERE TOO DEEP.

McCullough:
THE GOVERNMENT HAD SPENT

OVER TWO BILLION DOLLARS
FOR RELIEF,

BUT THOUSANDS OF NEW PEOPLE
WERE FORCED

ON THE WELFARE ROLES EACH DAY.

Leuchtenburg:
THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE
WHO ARE ON WELFARE

RISE TO A QUARTER
OF AN AMERICAN CITY.

ONE REPORTER IN 1934

COMES UPON A COUPLE
LIVING IN A CAVE

IN CENTRAL PARK
IN NEW YORK.

AND THERE WAS A SENSE
THAT THE NEW DEAL...

ALTHOUGH IT HAD
IMPROVED THINGS GREATLY

FROM THE WORST DAYS
OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION...

WAS NOT REALLY GETTING
THE COUNTRY BACK

TO PROSPEROUS DAYS AGAIN.

McCullough:
DESPAIR TURNED TO ANGER.

VIOLENT PROTESTS AND STRIKES
SWEPT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

BEWILDERED AND FRIGHTENED,
MANY AMERICANS WERE DRAWN

TO AGITATORS CALLING FOR REFORMS
MORE RADICAL THAN ROOSEVELT'S.

I DARED YOU AND CHALLENGED YOU
TO ORGANIZE SO THAT THE PEOPLE,

IF NOT THE PRESIDENT...

McCullough:
FATHER CHARLES COUGHLIN,

A MAVERICK CATHOLIC PRIEST
FROM DETROIT,

TURNED RADIO INTO A PULPIT

FROM WHICH HE BLASTED
THE NEW DEAL,

DEMANDING A LIVING ANNUAL WAGE

AND NATIONALIZATION
OF THE BANKS.

WHO, THEN, IS THE INFLATIONIST?

ROOSEVELT OR THE NATIONAL UNION?

McCullough:
FRANCIS TOWNSEND,
A RETIRED CALIFORNIA DOCTOR,

GALVANIZED MILLIONS
OF SUPPORTERS

BY ADVOCATING A PLAN
FOR OLD-AGE PENSIONS.

AND SENATOR HUEY LONG
FROM LOUISIANA,

WITH HIS "SHARE-
OUR-WEALTH PROGRAM,"

HAD HIS EYE ON THE PRESIDENCY.

"I CAN TAKE HIM,"
LONG SAID OF ROOSEVELT.

"HE'S SCARED OF ME.

"I CAN OUTPROMISE HIM,
AND HE KNOWS IT.

"HIS MOTHER'S WATCHING HIM AND
SHE WON'T LET HIM GO TOO FAR.

"HE'S LIVING ON
AN INHERITED INCOME.

PEOPLE WILL BELIEVE ME
AND THEY WON'T BELIEVE HIM."

ROOSEVELT'S CONSENSUS
WAS BEGINNING TO UNRAVEL.

DURING THE EUPHORIA OF
HIS FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE,

EVEN REPUBLICANS
HAD SUPPORTED HIM.

NOW THEY TURNED AGAINST HIM.

Man:
THE NEW DEAL IS
GOVERNMENT FROM ABOVE.

IT IS BASED ON THE PROPOSITION

THAT THE PEOPLE CANNOT MANAGE
THEIR OWN AFFAIRS

AND THAT A GOVERNMENT
BUREAUCRACY MUST MANAGE

FOR THEM.

McCullough:
REPUBLICANS CHARGED

THAT GOVERNMENT WAS BECOMING
TOO BIG AND TOO INTRUSIVE.

Fletcher:
WE DO NOT WANT TO SEE

THESE ALPHABETICAL
BUREAUCRATIC AGENCIES

BECOME PERMANENT FIXTURES
IN OUR NATIONAL POLITICAL LIFE.

McCullough:
ROOSEVELT GREW
INCREASINGLY FRUSTRATED

AS BUSINESS BEGAN TO ACCUSE HIM

OF MEDDLING WITH
FREE ENTERPRISE.

WHEN HE REGULATED THE
STOCK EXCHANGE AND THE BANKS,

THE CAPTAINS OF AMERICAN
INDUSTRY WERE OUTRAGED.

THEY THOUGHT HE HAD COME IN,
HE HAD DONE A VERY GOOD JOB...

THOSE FIRST 100 DAYS
WERE ALL RIGHT...

BUT NOW HE SHOULD
GIVE US A CHANCE

TO TAKE BACK AND RUN THE COUNTRY

AS WE ALWAYS HAD BEEN
ACCUSTOMED TO RUNNING IT.

HE HAD A DIFFERENT IDEA
ABOUT THAT.

McCullough: WITH THE ELECTION
JUST TWO YEARS AWAY,

THE ATTACKS ON ROOSEVELT
BECAME MORE INTENSE THAN EVER.

ANGRY BUSINESSMEN
FOUNDED THE LIBERTY LEAGUE,

DEDICATED TO STOPPING
FURTHER NEW DEAL LEGISLATION.

Cooke:
THE DISCOVERY OF WHAT
A POLITICAL WIZARD HE WAS

WAS WHAT FIRED
A LOT OF HATRED OF ROOSEVELT,

BECAUSE THEY'D THOUGHT OF HIM AS
SOMEBODY THEY COULD MANIPULATE,

A SPLENDID, WELL-MEANING,
RATHER GENTEEL TYPE.

THAT'S WHAT THEY THOUGHT.

THEN THEY DISCOVERED THEY HAVE
AN ABSOLUTE MASTER POLITICIAN,

MISCHIEF MAKER, CUNNING MAN,

AND THEY HATED HIM ALL THE MORE
BECAUSE THEY'D BEEN FOOLED.

McCullough:
THEN ON MAY 27, 1935,

A DAY NEW DEALERS WOULD
REMEMBER AS BLACK MONDAY,

THE SUPREME COURT STRUCK AT THE
VERY HEART OF ROOSEVELT'S HOPE

TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY.

THEY DECLARED THE N.R.A.,
THE NATIONAL RECOVERY ACT,

UNCONSTITUTIONAL,
AND IT WAS JUST THE FIRST BLOW.

THE COURT WAS MOVING
AGAINST ROOSEVELT'S EFFORTS

TO ABOLISH CHILD LABOR,
ESTABLISH A MINIMUM WAGE,

BOOST FARM PRICES.

LAW BY LAW, THE COURT WOULD
ATTEMPT TO DISMANTLE THE WORK

OF THE FIRST 100 DAYS.

BUT WITH MILLIONS
STILL UNEMPLOYED,

ROOSEVELT CONTINUED TO USE THE
POWER OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

TO RELIEVE THE SUFFERING
CAUSED BY THE GREAT DEPRESSION.

Leuchtenburg:
CONGRESS,
AT ROOSEVELT'S REQUEST,

ENACTS THE EMERGENCY WORK
RELIEF APPROPRIATIONS ACT,

WHICH IS THE LARGEST SINGLE
PEACETIME APPROPRIATION

IN THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY

OR ANY COUNTRY
IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.

Announcer: NEW YORK CITY:
FEDERAL JOBS FOR THOUSANDS

AT THE RATE OF 100 A MINUTE,

WHILE ALL OVER THE NATION,

WORK PROGRESS ADMINISTRATORS
ARE HURRYING

TO TRANSFER MILLIONS OF IDLE

FROM RELIEF ROLLS
TO WORK PAYROLLS.

138 GREENE STREET, NEW YORK,

TOMORROW MORNING, 9:00.

MUNICIPAL BUILDING
BOROUGH HALL,

BROOKLYN, TOMORROW
MORNING, 9:00.

McCullough:
FIVE BILLION DOLLARS WENT

TO THE WORKS PROGRESS
ADMINISTRATION, THE W.P.A.

MEN AND WOMEN HIRED
BY THE GOVERNMENT WORKED

ON MORE THAN 5,000 SCHOOLS,

2,500 HOSPITALS,
1,000 LANDING FIELDS,

13,000 PLAYGROUNDS.

EVEN ARTISTS WENT
TO WORK FOR THE W.P.A.

BUT FOR ROOSEVELT,
THIS WAS JUST THE BEGINNING.

HE WOULD BRING POWER
TO RURAL AMERICA,

WHERE NINE OUT OF EVERY
TEN FAMILIES STILL LIVED

WITHOUT ELECTRICITY.

MA, JUST LOOK AT THAT.

FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS,
IMPOVERISHED CHILDREN,

THE UNEMPLOYED, THE ELDERLY
WITH NO SAVINGS, THE DISABLED,

HE OFFERED
THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT.

HE SOLD IT AS AN INSURANCE
POLICY FOR EVERYONE.

BUT THE POOR, ROOSEVELT
WAS SAYING, HAD RIGHTS TOO.

Ginsburg:
THE GREAT TRADITION
IN THE UNITED STATES HAD BEEN

PRIVATE CHARITY,
COMMUNITY CHARITY.

FAMILIES TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN.

AND SO THE NOTION THAT
SOMEHOW THE GOVERNMENT WOULD

TAKE CARE OF THE POOR OR
THE UNEMPLOYED OR THE OLD...

THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS
JUST NOT PART OF OUR TRADITION.

WE DIDN'T KNOW OF IT.

THIS SOCIAL SECURITY MEASURE
GIVES AT LEAST SOME PROTECTION

TO 30 MILLIONS OF OUR CITIZENS
WHO WILL REAP DIRECT BENEFITS

THROUGH UNEMPLOYMENT
COMPENSATION,

THROUGH OLD-AGE PENSIONS,

AND THROUGH INCREASED SERVICES
FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN

AND THE PREVENTION
OF ILL HEALTH.

McCullough:
BY THE END OF HIS FIRST TERM,

ROOSEVELT HAD BEGUN TO SHIFT
THE BALANCE OF POWER IN AMERICA.

THE RICH FELT THE STING
OF HIGHER TAXES

AND WORKERS ACQUIRED THE RIGHT
TO BARGAIN COLLECTIVELY.

SOON GREAT AMERICAN INDUSTRIES...
STEEL, RUBBER, AUTOMOBILES...

WOULD BE UNIONIZED
FOR THE FIRST TIME.

AND THE MEN F.D.R. GREW UP WITH,
WHO WENT TO GROTON AND HARVARD,

HAD BEGUN TO SAY,

"THAT MAN IN THE WHITE HOUSE
HAS GONE TOO FAR."

PEOPLE FROM
FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT'S CLASS,

WHEN HE FIRST WAS ELECTED,

HAD NO IDEA THAT
HE WAS GOING TO DO ANYTHING

AS RADICAL AS HE DID DO.

THEY REALLY BELIEVED

THAT BECAUSE HE WAS
ONE OF THEM, MORE OR LESS,

PROPERTIED AND COMING
FROM OLD NEW YORK SOCIETY,

THAT THE LAST THING THAT
HE WOULD DO WOULD BE ANYTHING

THAT WOULD CAUSE ANGUISH
TO HIS PEERS.

Curtis Roosevelt:
PEOPLE WHO HELD
A POSITION IN SOCIETY

THAT WAS BASICALLY INHERITED
AND FAMILY ORIENTED

INSTINCTIVELY FELT
THAT THIS WAS BEING LOST

AND THAT "THAT MAN IN THE WHITE
HOUSE," FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT,

WAS RESPONSIBLE AND, HENCE,
HE WAS A TRAITOR TO HIS CLASS.

THEY HATED HIM,

AND I KNOW THIS FROM MY
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH PEOPLE

WHO WOULD COME UP TO ME...

NOT JUST WHEN MY GRANDFATHER
WAS ALIVE, BUT FOR...

EVER SINCE,

BUT PARTICULARLY SAY IN THE TEN
AND 15 YEARS AFTER HE DIED...

AND EXPRESS THEIR VITRIOLIC HATE
TOWARDS FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

IN A WAY THAT IS
TOTALLY IRRATIONAL.

A GREAT YACHTSMAN IN MARBLEHEAD,
MASS., MR. CROWNINGSHIELD,

WHEN HE... WHEN ON HIS ENTERING
IN HIS LOG BOOK OF HIS YACHT

A DESCRIPTION OF
SOMETHING REALLY TERRIBLE,

HE REFERRED TO IT
AS "A ROOSEVELT."

IT WAS BLOWING
"AN ABSOLUTE ROOSEVELT" THAT DAY

AND THE FOG WAS THICKER
THAN A "ROOSEVELT."

BECAUSE HE USED
THE WORD "ROOSEVELT."

I MEAN, IT SEEMS RIDICULOUS,

BUT THAT WAS THE EXTENT
TO WHICH THESE PEOPLE

TOOK THEIR HOSTILITY
TO THE NEW DEAL.

McCullough:
THE RICH AND THE PRIVILEGED
MIGHT HATE HIM,

BUT AS HIS FIRST TERM
WAS DRAWING TO A CLOSE,

ROOSEVELT REMAINED IMMENSELY
POPULAR WITH ORDINARY AMERICANS.

IN SPITE OF
PERSISTENT HARD TIMES,

THE PRESIDENT
HAD GIVEN THEM HOPE.

Cooke:
THE MOST ASTOUNDING THING

WAS THE PICTURES
OF ROOSEVELT YOU SAW:

FRAMED PHOTOGRAPHS,
FRAMED BAD WATERCOLORS,

GOOD PHOTOGRAPHS,
BAD PHOTOGRAPHS,

BUT EVERYWHERE... BUS STATIONS,
LIBRARIES, BARBERSHOPS, HOMES...

THERE WERE
PICTURES OF ROOSEVELT.

I WENT INTO THIS LODGE
AND AS WE WERE CHECKING IN,

I LOOKED AND SAW THIS
PHOTOGRAPH,

YOU KNOW, WHERE THE CLERK
WAS CHECKING US IN,

AND IT WAS RATHER BAD.

IT HAD BEEN VERY BAD COLOR
WITH SORT OF ROUGE CHEEKS,

AND I MADE A JOKE ABOUT THIS...

YOU KNOW,
THE WAY THEY'D DONE HIM UP...

AND WE WERE THROWN OUT.

NOW THAT WAS THE STRIKING THING.

IT HAD NOTHING
TO DO WITH PARTISANSHIP.

YOU KNOW, FOR THE TIME BEING,

THE ENTIRE COUNTRY
DECIDED HE WAS THE SAVIOR.

I DON'T BELIEVE FIVE AMERICANS
IN 100 KNEW HE WAS PARALYZED.

I THINK IF IT HAD BEEN
ABSOLUTELY COMMON KNOWLEDGE,

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY
DIFFICULT TO ELECT HIM.

Man:
THE COUNTRY JUST SIMPLY DIDN'T
PERCEIVE ROOSEVELT

AS BEING HANDICAPPED.

AND THEY WOULD LOOK,

AND THEY JUST WOULD NOT SEE
WHAT THEY WERE SEEING.

THE PEOPLE WANTED HIM
TO BE PRESIDENT

AND HE WANTED TO BE PRESIDENT.

THERE WAS THIS LITTLE MATTER
OF BEING CRIPPLED IN THE WAY.

I DID MY TALK YESTERDAY.

Gallagher:
THE PRESIDENT WAS
ALWAYS PERFORMING.

Man:
IS THERE A MR. FOSTER
IN THERE?

THERE HE IS.

Gallagher:
HE WAS PERFORMING BEFORE CROWDS,

BEFORE VISITORS OF STATE,
THE CONGRESS AND SO FORTH,

BUT ALSO FOR HIS FAMILY
AND EVERYONE ELSE.

WHEN HE MET ORSON WELLES,

HE SAID, "ORSON, YOU AND I ARE
THE TWO BEST ACTORS IN AMERICA."

AND HE WAS RIGHT,
YOU KNOW, HE WAS RIGHT.

HE'S APPEARING IN PUBLIC.

IT'S POLITICALLY IMPORTANT
THAT HE NOT LOOK HELPLESS.

HE'S GOT TO PLAN,
HOW WILL HE ENTER A ROOM?

HOW WILL HE MOVE
ACROSS TO THE CHAIR?

WHO WILL HELP HIM SIT DOWN?

HOW WILL HE DO IT?

WHO WILL TAKE THE CANE?

HOW... DO THEY KNOW?

IS THE CHAIR STABLE?

WE BECAME EXPERTS
AT DESIGNING RAMPS,

AND THERE WOULD BE RAMPS
THAT WOULD BE ERECTED

EITHER ON A PERMANENT
OR TEMPORARY BASIS

TO ALLOW FOR THE WHEELCHAIR.

OF COURSE, THERE WERE TIMES

WHEN HE WOULD BE HELPED

BY A COUPLE OF AGENTS
IN A FIREMAN'S CARRY,

AND ALL HE WOULD DO
IS DRAPE HIS ARMS AROUND US,

AND WE'D FORM A FIREMAN'S CARRY
AND CARRY HIM.

Gallagher:
FOR LARGE CROWDS,

THEY WOULD BUILD A RAMP
FOR THE CAR,

SO THE CAR WOULD COME INTO THE
STADIUMS, DRIVE UP ON THE RAMP

AND THEN THE PRESIDENT,
STILL SEATED,

WOULD ADDRESS THE PUBLIC.

THEY HAD THE BRACES
PAINTED BLACK,

EVEN THOUGH
THEY WERE SHINY STEEL.

HE WORE BLACK SHOES,
BLACK SOCKS, BLACK TROUSERS,

BLACK TROUSERS CUT LONG,

SO THAT THE BRACES
ALL BUT DISAPPEARED

IF YOU WEREN'T LOOKING CLOSELY.

Roberts:
MOST OF THE PICTURES
YOU SEE OF HIM,

HE'S EITHER STANDING UP
AND IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY,

HE'S HOLDING ONTO SOMEBODY'S
ARM OR HE'S SITTING IN A CHAIR.

VERY FEW PICTURES OF HIM
IN A WHEELCHAIR.

THIS WAS NOT
EXACTLY A CONSPIRACY,

BUT IT WAS
A CONSPIRACY OF CONSENT

BETWEEN PHOTOGRAPHERS
AND THE WHITE HOUSE,

SOMETHING THAT COULD
NEVER EXIST TODAY.

Gallagher:
AT HYDE PARK,

THEY HAVE SOMETHING LIKE
MORE THAN 40,000 STILL PHOTOS

OF FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT,

AND OF THOSE 40,000, THERE ARE
ONLY TWO OF HIM IN A WHEELCHAIR

AND THEY WERE FAMILY PHOTOS.

AND THERE WAS NEVER A CARTOON
OF HIM BEING HANDICAPPED

OR BEING IN A WHEELCHAIR
OR OTHERWISE.

HE WAS ALWAYS
RUNNING AND JUMPING

OR IN A BOXING RING HITTING,
KNOCKING A REPUBLICAN

OUT OF THE RING
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

PEOPLE WERE MORE
POLITE BACK THEN.

AND THE PRESS LOVED
FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT

BECAUSE HE TOOK CARE OF THEM.

I CAN'T BE TRUTHFUL AND SAY
THAT I'M GLAD TO GET BACK.

I'M AWFULLY SORRY TO GET BACK.

BUT WHILE I'VE BEEN HAVING
A WONDERFUL TIME,

I GATHER ALSO
THAT BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS

HAVE BEEN HAVING
A WONDERFUL TIME IN MY ABSENCE.

Roberts:
HE WAS AWFUL GOOD
AT CHARMING YOU.

YOU HAD TO BE AWFUL CAREFUL
YOU DIDN'T GET BADLY SEDUCED.

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DID.

HE HAD THE PRESS
WITH HIM HEART AND SOUL.

IF HE MADE A CRACK, THE PLACE
WOULD BUST INTO AN UPROAR

AS THOUGH THEY WERE DOING IT
TO APPLAUD A TV COMEDIAN.

AND I'VE COME BACK WITH ALL
SORTS OF NEW LESSONS

WHICH I LEARNED
FROM BARRACUDA AND SHARKS.

I'M A TOUGH GUY.

Trohan:
I'VE HEARD HIM TELL WOMEN

HOW HARD IT WAS FOR HIM TO GO
THROUGH THE PRESS CONFERENCE

BECAUSE THESE MEN WERE
SO ALERT AND SO SHARP

THAT HE HAD TO KEEP ON HIS TOES,
SO TO SPEAK, EVERY MINUTE.

WELL, IT WASN'T SO.

THEY WERE ALL WITH HIM.

Reporter:
PRESIDENT, HOW SOON
YOU COMING BACK?

Roosevelt:
JUST AS SOON AS
CONGRESS WILL LET ME.

Trohan:
AND HE LIKED JOKES

AND HE LIKED TRADING JOKES.

I USED TO MAKE DIRTY CRACKS
AT SOMETHING UNDER THE NEW DEAL

AND HE'D COME BACK

AND MAKE DIRTY CRACKS
AT MY PUBLISHER OR ME.

OR WE'D PLAY POKER WITH HIM,

WHICH WAS A RATHER GOOD INDEX
TO HIS CHARACTER.

HE WAS A GREAT BLUFFER.

AND A LOT OF REPORTERS
WOULD LOSE TO HIM

AND ENJOY PUTTING DOWN
ON THE EXPENSE ACCOUNT

"LOST TO PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
AT POKER."

I NEVER CLAIMED A LOSS.

McCullough:
BY 1936, GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION
SEEMED TO BE WORKING.

UNEMPLOYMENT WAS STILL HIGH,

BUT SIX MILLION PEOPLE
HAD BEEN PUT BACK TO WORK.

CORPORATE PROFITS WERE RISING.

DETROIT WAS NOW ROLLING OUT
ALMOST AS MANY CARS AND TRUCKS

AS WERE BEING PRODUCED
BEFORE THE DEPRESSION BEGAN.

AT THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION,
THERE WAS LITTLE DOUBT

THAT ROOSEVELT WOULD BE
RENOMINATED BY ACCLAMATION.

Roosevelt:
WE ARE FIGHTING...

FIGHTING TO SAVE A GREAT
AND PRECIOUS FORM OF GOVERNMENT

FOR OURSELVES AND FOR THE WORLD,

AND SO I ACCEPT THE COMMISSION
YOU HAVE TENDERED ME.

I JOIN WITH YOU.

I AM ENLISTED
FOR THE DURATION OF THE WAR.

McCullough:
THE NEW DEAL WAS AT HIGH TIDE

AND F.D.R. WAS IN TOP FORM.

"THERE'S ONE ISSUE IN THIS
CAMPAIGN," HE TOLD AN ADVISOR.

"IT'S MYSELF, AND PEOPLE MUST
BE EITHER FOR ME OR AGAINST ME."

Roberts:
THE MOOD OF THE COUNTRY

WAS THAT SOMETHING
IS HAPPENING.

THERE WAS MOTION.

I NEVER HAD ANY DOUBT

THAT ROOSEVELT WAS GOING
TO BE REELECTED IN '36.

YOU COULD SMELL IT.

Leuchtenburg:
MILE AFTER MILE,
ROOSEVELT'S ENTOURAGE

COULD BARELY GET THROUGH
THE STREETS OF WELL-WISHERS.

AND PEOPLE COULD HEAR
INDIVIDUALS CALL OUT,

"HE GAVE ME A JOB."

"HE SAVED MY HOME."

IN THE FREIGHT YARDS IN DENVER,

SOMEONE HAD SCRAWLED IN CHALK,
"ROOSEVELT IS MY FRIEND."

McCullough:
ROOSEVELT WAS SO
SUPREMELY CONFIDENT

THAT HE NEVER EVEN MENTIONED
HIS REPUBLICAN OPPONENT.

HE SAVED HIS FIRE
FOR THE LEADERS OF BIG BUSINESS.

Roosevelt:
GOVERNMENT BY ORGANIZED MONEY

IS JUST AS DANGEROUS AS
GOVERNMENT BY ORGANIZED MOBS.

NEVER BEFORE IN ALL OUR HISTORY

HAVE THESE FORCES BEEN SO UNITED
AGAINST ONE CANDIDATE

AS THEY STAND TODAY.

THEY ARE UNANIMOUS
IN THEIR HATE FOR ME

AND I WELCOME THEIR HATRED!

McCullough:
THE REPUBLICAN OPPOSITION
ACCUSED ROOSEVELT

OF TURNING CLASS AGAINST CLASS.

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
ALSO CAME UNDER ATTACK

FOR HER TIRELESS ADVOCACY
OF NEW DEAL REFORMS

AND ESPECIALLY
FOR HER SYMPATHIES

WITH THE STRUGGLE
OF BLACK AMERICANS.

FOR THE THINGS THAT WE
AS AFRICAN AMERICANS LOVED HER,

THERE WERE TOO MANY AMERICANS
WHO HATED HER.

HERE WAS A WOMAN COMING FROM
THE TOP CLASS IN OUR COUNTRY

AND HERE SHE WAS,
MOVING INTO POOR NEIGHBORHOODS.

HERE SHE WAS,
SITTING IN GROUPS OF PEOPLE

OF ALL RACES
AND ALL BACKGROUNDS.

SHE DIDN'T HAVE A PROGRAM,

BUT A LOT THAT SHE DID
HELPED TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK

THAT WE COULD BUILD UPON
LATER YEARS IN CIVIL RIGHTS.

AND OF COURSE,
MANY HATED HER FOR IT.

Woman:
THE WHOLE THING WAS A PARADOX.

SHE WAS LOVED AND DESPISED BOTH,

DEPENDENT ON WHERE YOU SAT,
YOU MIGHT SAY...

WHAT YOUR NEEDS WERE,
WAS SHE FILLING YOUR NEEDS

OR WAS SHE STEPPING
ON YOUR TOES?

Leuchtenburg:
ON ELECTION NIGHT,

FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT
WAS AT HYDE PARK

AND WHEN
THE FIRST RETURNS CAME IN,

HE LET OUT A PUFF OF
CIGARETTE SMOKE AND SAID, "WOW!"

IT WAS THE FIRST INDICATION
OF A LANDSLIDE VICTORY.

ROOSEVELT WOULD CARRY
EVERY STATE IN THE COUNTRY

EXCEPT MAINE AND VERMONT.

McCullough:
IT WAS THE BIGGEST POPULAR
MARGIN IN HISTORY.

Man:
♪ NO MORE BREAD LINES,
WE'RE GLAD TO SAY ♪

♪ THE DONKEY WON ELECTION DAY ♪

♪ NO MORE STANDIN' IN
THE BLOWIN' SNOW AND RAIN ♪

♪ HE'S GOT THINGS IN FULL SWAY ♪

♪ WE'RE ALL A-WORKIN'
AND A-GETTIN' OUR PAY ♪

♪ WE'VE GOT FRANKLIN D.
ROOSEVELT BACK AGAIN. ♪

♪ BACK AGAIN, BACK AGAIN ♪

♪ BACK AGAIN, BACK AGAIN... ♪

McCullough:
F.D.R. HAD CHANGED

THE AMERICAN POLITICAL
LANDSCAPE.

WHEREVER AFRICAN AMERICANS
WERE ALLOWED TO VOTE,

THEY ABANDONED THE PARTY
OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

TO VOTE DEMOCRATIC.

INNER-CITY IMMIGRANTS,
WORKING MEN AND WOMEN,

WHITE SOUTHERNERS...

ROOSEVELT HAD CREATED A NEW
DEMOCRATIC PARTY COALITION.

Ginzberg:
ROOSEVELT BECAME OVERCONFIDENT

FROM THAT OVERWHELMING VICTORY.

HE THOUGHT HE HAD THE COUNTRY
IN THE PALM OF HIS HANDS.

I THINK HIS GUARD WAS DOWN.

McCullough:
THE PRESIDENT STILL FACED
POWERFUL POLITICAL ENEMIES

DETERMINED TO UNDERMINE
HIS PROGRAMS.

JANUARY 20, 1937... THE DAY
OF HIS SECOND INAUGURATION.

HE HAD ALREADY DEVELOPED A PLAN
TO TAKE THEM ON.

Chief Justice:
YOU, FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT,

DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR

THAT YOU WILL
FAITHFULLY EXECUTE...

McCullough:
ROOSEVELT WAS ABOUT TO CHALLENGE

THE SUPREME COURT
OF THE UNITED STATES.

Chief Justice:
AND WILL, TO THE BEST
OF YOUR ABILITY,

PRESERVE, PROTECT
AND DEFEND

THE CONSTITUTION
OF THE UNITED STATES?

McCullough:
WHEN THE CHIEF JUSTICE

CAME TO THE WORDS
"DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION,"

ROOSEVELT LATER SAID,
"I FELT LIKE SAYING,

'NOT THE KIND OF CONSTITUTION
YOUR COURT HAS RAISED UP

AS A BARRIER TO PROGRESS
AND DEMOCRACY.'"

THE SUPREME COURT

HAD BEEN LEADING
THE OPPOSITION TO THE NEW DEAL,

REJECTING ONE ROOSEVELT LAW
AFTER ANOTHER.

NOW ROOSEVELT FEARED
THAT THE COURT WAS PREPARING

TO STRIKE DOWN
THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT

AND THE LAW THAT GAVE UNIONS THE
RIGHT TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER
HIS INAUGURATION,

ROOSEVELT VENTED HIS ANGER
AT A DEMOCRATIC PARTY DINNER.

THE DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATION
AND THE CONGRESS

MADE A GALLANT, SINCERE EFFORT

TO RAISE WAGES, TO REDUCE HOURS,
TO ABOLISH CHILD LABOR

AND TO ELIMINATE
UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES.

Leuchtenburg:
ROOSEVELT NOT ONLY
WANTED A COURT

THAT WOULD RULE FAVORABLY
ON NEW DEAL LEGISLATION,

HE WANTED A MEASURE OF REVENGE

BECAUSE HE TOOK PERSONALLY
A NUMBER OF THE OPINIONS,

A NUMBER OF THE ACTIONS
OF THE COURT.

AND I DEFY ANYONE
TO READ THE OPINIONS

CONCERNING THE TRIPLE A,
THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT,

THE NATIONAL RECOVERY ACT,
THE GUFFEY COAL ACT,

AND THE NEW YORK
MINIMUM WAGE LAW

AND TELL US EXACTLY WHAT,
IF ANYTHING, WE CAN DO

FOR THE INDUSTRIAL WORKER
IN THIS SESSION OF THE CONGRESS

WITH ANY REASONABLE CERTAINTY
THAT WHAT WE DO

WILL NOT BE NULLIFIED
AS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

Ginzberg:
HE WAS UPSET...

HAD GOOD REASONS TO BE UPSET...

BUT ONE OF THE FEW TIMES
IN HIS LIFE, I THINK,

THAT HE MISCALCULATED.

McCullough:
TO SAVE THE NEW DEAL,

ROOSEVELT PROPOSED
A RADICAL PIECE OF LEGISLATION:

A BILL TO GIVE HIM THE POWER

TO APPOINT ADDITIONAL JUSTICES
TO THE SUPREME COURT

AND OUTNUMBER HIS OPPONENTS.

ON CAPITOL HILL, CRITICS ARGUED

THAT ROOSEVELT'S BILL CHALLENGED
THE CONSTITUTION ITSELF.

I SHALL NOT BE A PARTY
TO BREAKING DOWN

THE CHECKS AND BALANCES
OF THE CONSTITUTION.

A PACKED JURY, A PACKED COURT
AND A STUFFED BALLOT BOX

ARE ALL ON THE SAME MORAL PLANE.

THIS IS MORE POWER
THAN A GOOD MAN SHOULD WANT

OR A BAD MAN SHOULD HAVE.

THIS IS A NONPARTISAN BATTLE

TO PRESERVE
AN INDEPENDENT SUPREME COURT.

McCullough:
DETERMINED TO WIN VOTES
FOR HIS COURT PLAN,

ROOSEVELT WAS NOW IN THE
CONGRESSIONAL FIGHT OF HIS LIFE.

HE DANGLED PROMISES
OF FEDERAL PROJECTS,

HINTED AT JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS,

THREATENED
TO WITHDRAW PATRONAGE.

AT A PICNIC
FOR DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMEN,

HE TURNED ON ALL HIS CHARM.

THIS TIME, IT DIDN'T WORK.

ON JULY 20, HE ASKED HIS
VICE-PRESIDENT, JACK GARNER,

WHAT HIS CHANCES WERE
WITH CONGRESS.

"DO YOU WANT IT WITH THE BARK ON
OR OFF, CAP'N?" GARNER REPLIED.

"THE ROUGH WAY."

"ALL RIGHT.

"YOU'RE BEAT.

YOU HAVEN'T GOT THE VOTES."

Ginsburg:
AND THE PRICE THAT
HE PAID WAS VERY HIGH.

IT WAS A LOSS OF CONFIDENCE
ON THE PART OF THE COUNTRY,

IT WAS A RECOGNITION
BY HIS OPPONENTS IN POLITICS

THAT THEY COULD BEAT HIM,

IT WAS A RECOGNITION ON HIS PART

THAT HE HAD LOST
SOME MEASURE OF POWER.

McCullough:
AND THEN THE ECONOMY SNAPPED.

THE STOCK MARKET CRASHED AGAIN,
BUSINESSES FAILED

AND BY DECEMBER, TWO MILLION
MORE PEOPLE HAD LOST THEIR JOBS.

HIS OPPONENTS CALLED IT
"THE ROOSEVELT RECESSION."

AN AIDE OBSERVED THAT ROOSEVELT
SEEMED DEPRESSED.

"HIS FACE IS HEAVILY LINED,"
A MEMBER OF HIS CABINET WROTE.

"HE IS DISTINCTLY MORE NERVOUS,

"PUNCH-DRUNK FROM THE PUNISHMENT
HE HAS SUFFERED...

A BEATEN MAN."

McCullough:
THE MOMENTUM BEHIND THE NEW DEAL
WAS SLOWING DOWN.

CONGRESS WAS
REASSERTING ITS AUTHORITY,

THE PRESS WAS
TURNING MORE CRITICAL,

AND HE NOW FACED
AN EVEN MORE TERRIBLE CRISIS.

FAR AWAY, FASCIST ARMIES
WERE MARCHING.

ADOLF HITLER'S GERMANY
HAD SEIZED THE RHINELAND...

BENITO MUSSOLINI'S ITALY
CRUSHED ETHIOPIA...

EMPEROR HIROHITO'S JAPAN
RAVAGED CHINA.

ROOSEVELT PRIVATELY CALLED THEM
"THE THREE BANDIT NATIONS."

IN 1936, HE HAD WRITTEN
HIS AMBASSADOR IN BERLIN:

"EVERYTHING SEEMS
TO HAVE BROKEN LOOSE AGAIN

"IN YOUR PART OF THE WORLD.

"ALL THE EXPERTS SAY
THERE WILL BE NO WAR,

"BUT AS PRESIDENT,
I HAVE TO BE READY,

JUST LIKE A FIRE DEPARTMENT."

BUT ROOSEVELT KNEW
THAT AMERICA WAS NOT READY.

WE HAD AN ARMY THE SIZE
OF THE ARMY OF SWEDEN.

YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE THINK OF US TODAY

AS BEING A TREMENDOUS
MILITARY POWER.

THE UNITED STATES NEVER WANTED
TO BE A MILITARY POWER.

THE HABIT HAD BEEN,
AFTER A WAR...

YOU MOBILIZE TWO MILLION GUYS...

AND THEY IMMEDIATELY
DEMOBILIZED.

THERE'S NO THOUGHT IN THE MINDS
IN THE GREAT BULK OF AMERICANS

THAT THEY WILL EVER SEND
ANOTHER LAND ARMY TO EUROPE

TO FIGHT IN A WAR AGAIN.

THIS IS THE ABIDING FEELING
IN THE UNITED STATES:

AVOID INVOLVEMENT IN ANY WAR.

Roberts:
MEMORIES OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR

WERE NOT ALL THAT FAR BEHIND

AND AMERICANS WERE
VERY DISILLUSIONED ABOUT IT,

SO THEY BECAME ISOLATIONISTS.

McCullough:
ROOSEVELT HAD
TO MOVE CAUTIOUSLY.

CONGRESS HAD PASSED A SERIES
OF NEUTRALITY LAWS

FORBIDDING THE PRESIDENT
TO TAKE SIDES.

WHENEVER ROOSEVELT SUGGESTED

THAT THE UNITED STATES PLAY
ANY PART ON THE WORLD STAGE,

HE MET WITH VIOLENT
ISOLATIONIST OPPOSITION.

TWO CONGRESSMEN EVEN
THREATENED HIM WITH IMPEACHMENT.

Roberts:
FOR A LONG TIME,

THE PRINCIPAL BATTLE IN AMERICAN
POLITICS AND IN WASHINGTON

WAS BETWEEN
THE INTERNATIONALISTS

AND THE ISOLATIONISTS,

AND THE PEOPLE
WHO HATED ROOSEVELT SAID,

"HE'S TRYING
TO GET US INTO WAR."

Roosevelt:
YOU MAY HAVE HEARD

THAT I WAS ABOUT TO PLUNGE
THE NATION INTO WAR,

THAT YOU AND
YOUR LITTLE BROTHERS

WOULD BE SENT TO THE BLOODY
FIELDS OF BATTLE IN EUROPE,

THAT I WAS DRIVING THE NATION
INTO BANKRUPTCY

AND THAT I BREAKFASTED
EVERY MORNING

ON A DISH
OF GRILLED MILLIONAIRE.

Dallek:
ROOSEVELT, FROM THE START
OF HIS PRESIDENCY,

IS TROUBLED BY HITLER.

AND PRIVATELY, HE'S DEEPLY
CONCERNED,

BUT HE'S NOT GOING
TO SAY ANYTHING IN PUBLIC.

HE KNOWS THE COUNTRY
IS SO OPPOSED TO ANYTHING

THAT WOULD INVOLVE IT
IN EUROPEAN POWER POLITICS.

ACTUALLY, I AM AN EXCEEDINGLY
MILD-MANNERED PERSON...

A PRACTITIONER OF PEACE
BOTH DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN...

A BELIEVER
IN THE CAPITALISTIC SYSTEM,

AND FOR MY BREAKFAST,
A DEVOTEE OF SCRAMBLED EGGS.

Dallek:
AND SO HE CATERS

TO THE ISOLATIONIST AND PACIFIST
SENTIMENT IN THE COUNTRY,

BUT IF HE HAD HIS DRUTHERS,
HE WOULD AVOID WAR

NOT BY RETREATING
FROM INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

BUT BY PARTICIPATION
IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS,

AND SO IT'S A MATTER OF METHOD.

HE WANTS TO AVOID WAR,
BUT THE WAY TO DO IT, HE FEELS,

IS NOT TO BE ISOLATIONIST,

IS NOT TO PASS
THESE NEUTRALITY BILLS,

BUT FOR THE UNITED STATES
TO BE ASSERTIVE

AND PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE
IN INTERNATIONAL POWER POLITICS.

McCullough:
IN MARCH 1938,
GERMAN TROOPS OCCUPIED AUSTRIA

WITHOUT FIRING A SHOT.

"THE DICTATOR NATIONS FIND THEIR
BLUFFS ARE NOT BEING CALLED,"

ROOSEVELT WROTE A FRIEND
IN FRUSTRATION.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA FELL NEXT.

ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1938,
AT MUNICH,

THE BRITISH SIGNED A TREATY

WHICH RECOGNIZED
HITLER'S NEW CONQUEST.

Eleanor Roosevelt:
FRANKLIN'S REACTION

TO THE MUNICH CONFERENCE
WAS ONE OF GREAT DISCONTENT.

HE WAS VERY UNHAPPY.

OF COURSE, BEING
IN AN OFFICIAL POSITION,

MY HUSBAND SAID LITTLE PUBLICLY.

McCullough:
THE PRESIDENT GREW

MORE AND MORE FRUSTRATED
AND ANGRY.

Woman:
BOTH THE PRESIDENT
AND MRS. ROOSEVELT

WOULD TALK A LOT
ABOUT WHAT WENT ON.

HE WOULD SAY, "EVERY TIME
ONE GIVES IN TO HITLER,

HIS AMBITIONS BECOME GREATER
AND HE WANTS MORE."

AND I THINK THE PRESIDENT FELT

THAT IN THE END,
A WAR WAS UNAVOIDABLE.

McCullough:
BUT ROOSEVELT'S HANDS
HAD BEEN TIED

BY CONGRESS
AND A CAUTIOUS PUBLIC.

DESPERATE TO DO SOMETHING,

ROOSEVELT BROADCAST
A PERSONAL APPEAL TO HITLER,

ASKING HIM TO HALT
FURTHER AGGRESSION.

IN REPLY, HITLER RIDICULED
THE POWERLESS PRESIDENT

WITH WITHERING SARCASM:

HERR ROOSEVELT VERLANGT
ENDLICH DIE BEREITWILLIGKEIT

IHM DIE ZUSICHERUNG ZU GEBEN,
DASS DIE DEUTSCHEN STREITKRAFTE

DAS STAATSGEBIET FOLGENDER
UNABHANGIGER NATIONEN

NICHT ANGREIFEN

UND ER NENNT FINLAND,
LETTLAND, LITAUEN, ESTLAND,

NORWEGEN, SCHWEDEN, DANEMARK,
NIEDERLANDE, BELGIEN,

GROSSBRITANIEN, IRLAND,
FRANKREICH, PORTUGAL,

SPANIEN, DIE SCHWEIZ,
LIECHTENSTEIN, LUXEMBURG,

POLEN, UNGARN, RUMANIEN,
YUGOSLAVIEN, RUSSLAND,

BULGARIEN, TURKEI,
IRAK, ARABIEN, SYRIEN,

PALESTINA UND AGYPTEN.

Dallek:
IN ESSENCE, HE WAS BEING
TOLD BY HITLER,

"YOU'RE NOT A PLAYER
IN THIS WORLD POLITICAL GAME.

"WE DON'T COUNT YOU
FOR VERY MUCH,

"AND WE KNOW THAT YOU'VE GOT
A BIG POLITICAL HEADACHE...

"YOUR ISOLATIONISTS ARE NOT
GOING TO LET YOU DO ANYTHING.

"YOU HAVE ALL THESE
NEUTRALITY LAWS.

"IF WE GO TO WAR
AGAINST BRITAIN AND FRANCE,

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE
A SIGNIFICANT SAY IN THINGS."

AND IT, I THINK,
DEEPENED HIS FRUSTRATION.

HE KNEW IT.

HE KNEW HITLER WAS RIGHT
IN THAT SENSE,

AT LEAST FOR THE MOMENT.

McCullough:
ROOSEVELT WAS TIRED.

HE WAS ALREADY THINKING OF
RETIRING TO HIS HYDE PARK HOME.

HIS SECOND TERM
WAS COMING TO AN END,

AND NO PRESIDENT HAD EVER SERVED
MORE THAN EIGHT YEARS.

"I THINK THERE WAS
A GREAT SEESAW," ELEANOR WROTE.

"ON THE ONE END, THE WEARINESS
AND THE DESIRE TO BE AT HOME;

"ON THE OTHER,
THE OVERWHELMING DESIRE

TO HAVE A HAND
IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE WORLD."

ELEANOR WAS URGING
HER HUSBAND TO RETIRE,

YET SHE WAS KEENLY AWARE

THAT THE GOALS OF THE NEW DEAL
HAD NOT BEEN FULFILLED.

THERE WAS MUCH
UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

♪ MY COUNTRY 'TIS OF THEE ♪

♪ SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY ♪

♪ OF THEE WE SING... ♪

McCullough:
ON EASTER SUNDAY THAT APRIL,

MARIAN ANDERSON SANG FROM THE
STEPS OF THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL.

WITH AMERICA STILL
DEEPLY SEGREGATED,

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF BLACKS
AND WHITES GATHERED TOGETHER

TO HONOR THE GREAT CONTRALTO.

♪ ...FROM EVERY MOUNTAINSIDE ♪

♪ LET FREEDOM RING. ♪

McCullough:
WITHOUT ELEANOR ROOSEVELT,

THE CONCERT
WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED.

WHEN ANDERSON
WAS DENIED PERMISSION

TO SING IN A SEGREGATED HALL,
ELEANOR WORKED BEHIND THE SCENES

TO BRING HER
TO THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL.

Height:
MRS. ROOSEVELT INSPIRED IT.

SHE WANTED MARIAN ANDERSON,
THE ARTIST,

TO HAVE HER MOMENT IN HISTORY

BUT IT WAS A MOMENT IN HISTORY
FOR ALL OF US.

YOU HAD A FEELING THAT
OFFICIAL WASHINGTON WAS SAYING,

"WE MAY BE DEEPLY SEGREGATED,
AND WE HAVE ALL OF THIS STILL,

BUT HERE IS WHAT WE STAND FOR."

AND I THINK THAT
WAS A GREAT MOMENT.

♪ AVE MARIA... ♪

♪ GRATIA... ♪

McCullough:
IF THIS HAD BEEN THE END

OF THE ROOSEVELT PRESIDENCY,

HE WOULD HAVE LEFT
A MIXED RECORD.

IN HIS FIRST TERM,
HE HAD RESTORED HOPE

TO A PEOPLE WHO HAD LOST HOPE,

USED THE POWER
OF THE PRESIDENCY TO ENSURE

THAT THE GREAT DEPRESSION
COULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN

AND FORCED GOVERNMENT
TO ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY

FOR THE WELL-BEING
OF AMERICA'S POOREST CITIZENS.

BUT IN HIS SECOND TERM,
HE SEEMED TO OVERREACH

AND THEN LOSE HIS WAY.

CONGRESS NO LONGER
DID HIS BIDDING.

MILLIONS WERE STILL WITHOUT WORK

AND HE REMAINED HELPLESS IN
THE FACE OF AGGRESSION OVERSEAS.

GERMANY AND ENGLAND
WERE ON THE BRINK OF WAR.

IN JUNE 1939,
ROOSEVELT DID SOMETHING

NO PRESIDENT
HAD EVER DONE BEFORE.

HE INVITED THE KING AND QUEEN
OF ENGLAND TO AMERICA.

THE PRESIDENT HOPED THEIR VISIT

MIGHT INSPIRE AMERICANS WITH
GREATER SYMPATHY FOR BRITAIN,

NOW FACED WITH THE NAZI THREAT.

Cooke:
THE IDEA OF THE KING AND QUEEN
OF ENGLAND COMING TO AMERICA...

THERE'D NEVER BEEN SUCH
A THING HAPPEN BEFORE.

IF IT HAD BEEN GEORGE III,

IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN
MORE OF A SURPRISE.

McCullough:
THE PRESIDENT, BORN TO WEALTH
AND PRIVILEGE,

WAS IN HIS ELEMENT.

"THE VISIT WAS PREPARED VERY
CAREFULLY," ELEANOR LATER WROTE,

"BUT FRANKLIN ALWAYS BEHAVED

"AS THOUGH WE WERE
SIMPLY GOING TO HAVE

TWO VERY NICE YOUNG PEOPLE
TO STAY WITH US."

Cooke:
AND ROOSEVELT TOOK THEM
OFF TO HYDE PARK

AND DROVE HIS OWN HAND-RUN
AUTOMOBILE INTO THE GROUNDS

AND GAVE THEM A HOT DOG LUNCH.

WELL, THIS WAS A SHOCKER
TO THE BRITISH,

BUT IT'S THE THING HE WOULD DO.

YOU SEE, HE WAS A NATURAL
ARISTOCRAT, ROOSEVELT WAS.

HE DIDN'T HAVE TO PUT ON AIRS.

Man:
AMERICAN INDIANS WERE ASKED
TO DANCE AS THE ENTERTAINMENT.

HIS MOTHER THOUGHT THIS WAS
A DREADFUL WAY TO ENTERTAIN

SUCH DISTINGUISHED PEOPLE,
BUT ACTUALLY,

THEY HAD A MARVELOUS TIME.

HE SAT UP WITH THE KING
QUITE LATE AT NIGHT,

WHOM HE CALLED GEORGE.

AND FINALLY,
HE PUT HIS HAND ON HIS KNEE

AND SAID, "YOUNG MAN,
IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO GO TO BED."

AND THE KING LATER SAID
TO ONE OF THIS AIDES,

"WHY DON'T MY MINISTERS
TALK TO ME THAT WAY?"

McCullough:
THE ROYAL COUPLE HAD WON
AMERICAN HEARTS.

WHEN IT WAS TIME
FOR THE KING AND QUEEN TO LEAVE,

ELEANOR WROTE THAT SHE
"THOUGHT OF THE CLOUDS

"THAT HUNG OVER THEM

AND THE WORRIES
THAT THEY WERE GOING TO FACE."

THE PRESIDENT CALLED AFTER THEM,
"GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

ALL THE LUCK IN THE WORLD!"

THREE MONTHS LATER, GREAT
BRITAIN AND GERMANY WERE AT WAR

AND F.D.R. WOULD DECIDE
TO RUN FOR A THIRD TERM

AS PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.