Rotten Library > Biographies > Presidents > Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Roosevelt presided over the greatest expansion of centralized federal power in the history of the United States, laying the foundations for the bloated bureaucracy that survives to this day. When he didn't get his way, he tried to pack the Supreme Court; and when that backfired there was still enough pressure applied to the Court to get his blatantly unconstitutional powers instantiated. Among the worst of these is the 1942 decision that pioneered abuse of the Interstate Commerce Clause to enforce Federal will outside of the enumerated powers of the Constitution. Also ordered the illegal internment of over 100,000 Japanese-American citizens during World War II.

Timeline

`30 Jan 1882`	Franklin Delano Roosevelt born, Hyde Park NY.
`1905`	Marries cousin Eleanor Roosevelt.
`1916`	Extramarital affair with Eleanor's secretary Lucy Mercer.
`c. 1916`	Sexual relations with wife Eleanor come to an end.
`1921`	Afflicted with polio.
`1923`	Begins an extramarital affair with 23 year old secretary Missy LeHand.
`1932`	Wife Eleanor meets lesbian Lorena Hickok, an AP reporter. They maintain an extramarital affair for 30 years.
`15 Feb 1933`	An unsuccessful attempt on Franklin D. Roosevelt's life by Giuseppe Zangara in Miami leaves Chicago mayor Anton Czermak dead. Zangara is electrocuted the following month.
`12 Apr 1945`	Franklin Delano Roosevelt dies in office of a brain hemorrhage, Washington, DC.
`6 Nov 1962`	Eleanor Roosevelt dies of tuberculosis.

Your feedbacks and suggestions to improve this site are highly appreciated!