Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Years of Crisis -- The War Years

• Allies
• Axis
• Blitzkrieg
• Democratic Convention
• Dwight Eisenhower
• Great Depression
• Harry Truman
• Neville Chamberlain
• New Deal
• Prohibition
• Winston Churchill
• armaments
• fireside chats
• isolationism
• lame duck
• partisanship

1. How did having polio affect FDR's political career and popularity? Did people's perceptions of FDR change because of this? Why or why not?

2. What are the goals of a Democratic or Republican Convention? What happens at a Democratic or Republican Convention?

3. When FDR was elected in 1932, he and his running mate, or Vice-President, were chosen separately. Has this method of electing Presidents and Vice-Presidents separately at political conventions changed? If so, how?

4. In what ways did FDR represent change for American society and Herbert Hoover represent continuity for American society in the 1932 presidential elections? Explain the opposition both candidates experienced in running for U. S. President.

5. What were the "fireside chats?" Why didn't FDR use the television to reach the American people? Had American Presidents before FDR used media consistently to communicate with the American people? Was this method of communication effective? Why or why not?

6. Why did FDR create the New Deal? What are some different methods of bringing a country out of an economic depression? Why did people accuse FDR's programs of being communist?

7. Who was Frances Perkins? Who was "Rosie the Riveter?" Why were these women important?

8. Who was Huey Long? Did he oppose or support FDR? Why?

9. How are Supreme Court Justices chosen? What is the term of their office? What was the conflict between FDR and the Supreme Court? How was it resolved?

10. What is isolationism? How did this term apply to the United States in the late 1930's?

11. What was the Third Reich? Why was it threatening? Who was the leader of the Third Reich? What was the Munich Pact? Was it upheld?

12. What were the "Cash and Carry" and the "Lend-Lease" programs? What were the arguments for and against each program? How did each program affect the American economy?

13. What is the significance of December 7, 1941? What was FDR's stance on war before and after this date?

14. By what process does the United States declare war? Who is Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in the United States?

15. Why did FDR want Stalin involved with the Allied powers? What was the role of the Soviet army during World War II?

16. What was the purpose of the different Conferences held throughout World War II? Name three conferences, who attended each and the purpose of each. What was the Atlantic Charter?

17. Why was FDR so popular for such a long time? How many terms did he serve? Has any American President since served as many terms? Why or why not?

1. Identify the Social Security Act, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the National Recovery Administration, the Banking Act, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Works Progress Administration. Choose 1 and explain in detail its purpose, accomplishments and the controversy surrounding it. Present your findings in chart form.

2. What if a politician has great ideas but is not a good speaker? How important is it for politicians to be good speakers? Write your own speech about an issue in which you are interested and present it to the class twice, reading it differently each time (Practice before!!). Afterwards, take a vote to decide which reading the class liked better. Discuss why one reading was more effective than the other.

3. Who opposed FDR in his 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Presidential Campaigns? What were the key issues in each of these elections? Draw a campaign poster that might have been used to support or oppose FDR in one of his Presidential bids. Your poster should include a key issue of the times.

4. How is a politician's career shaped by the events which take place before or during his/her term? Choose one event and explain how it affected FDR's political career. Use examples. Answer this question in a 5 paragraph essay.

5. Interview someone who was alive and remembers the Great Depression and/or World War II. Find out what it was like to live during those times, how these events effected people and how the United States has changed since. Create a list of 15-20 questions to use in your interview. If possible find old photographs from this era of the person you interviewed or of other people. Share your findings with the class.

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Air Dates

• November 06, 2003