Using Guidelines for Historical Writing and the History Rubric (above tabs), you will write a persuasive, five-paragraph essay answering the following prompt:
After evaluation of his leadership through the Great Depression and WWII, do you think FDR should be viewed as one of the three best presidents in American history?
You must have a thesis statement with an assertion and back it up with facts. Use Chicago style for your citations, using footnotes and a Bibliography at the end. See the Chicago tab above for help. Use MyBib.com and choose Chicago Manual of Style (Full Note).
Here's a video to explain Chicago Style.
The handout for Chicago footnoting is located here.
The 2021 C-SPAN Survey of Presidential Leadership surveyed 142 historians. In the survey, each historian rates each president on a scale of one ("not effective") to 10 ("very effective") on presidential leadership in ten categories, with each category equally weighed. The top three ranked Presidents have consistently been Abraham Lincoln (1), George Washington (2), and Franklin D. Roosevelt (3).
Here's a Britannica article with basic facts about FDR
Here are some links to videos with an overview of FDR's presidency:
| Praise for FDR's Presidency | Criticism of FDR's Presidency |
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The New Deal shared the economic, social, and political benefits of American capitalism. FDR's economic policies pulled the U.S.from the brink of economic, social, and perhaps even political, disaster during the Great Depression—and lay the foundation for future stability and prosperity. Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 for safe and humane working conditions. Financial aid to the aged, infirm, and unemployed with Social Security. Under Roosevelt's leadership, the United States emerged from World War II as the world's foremost economic, political, and military power. |
The New Deal prolonged what they believe would otherwise have been a shorter recession. Government planning of the economy was both unnecessary and counterproductive New Deal policies resulted in a shift from individualism to collectivism with a dramatic expansion of the welfare state and new regulation of the economy. Those criticisms continued decades after his death. Some have criticized him as a "warmonger" who was trying to push America into war with Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan. Executive Order 9066 sent 120,000 Japanese expatriates and American citizens of Japanese ancestry to be confined at internment camps following the December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor attack. Beginning in the 1940s, Roosevelt was charged with not acting decisively enough to prevent or stop the Holocaust. |
Databases and Websites:
You need at least THREE sources. You will need to use primary and secondary sources. Read and take notes about each source. Paraphrase the main argument, bullet useful facts, and copy quotations that are imperative. Be sure to use Chicago citations for each source while you are taking notes. Use the Note-Taking Sheet if you wish (click File and Make a Copy).
Search different keywords: Franklin Roosevelt or Franklin D. Roosevelt or FDR
For those databases that need a password at home, please enter montytech1 in all boxes.
For World History in Context be sure to view different formats (magazines, academic journals, primary sources, and reference)
For ABC-CLIO, you can search "Documents" for primary sources.
Try these websites for primary sources:
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library
The Library of Congress
Digital Public Library of America
The Research Process
First Paragraph
Body Paragraphs (three)
Conclusion