Welcome to History's Not Boring by Kidopoly.com. I'm Mira. And I'm Finn. Before we dive into today's amazing story, we have a massive happy birthday shout-out! A huge hello to Brantley, out in California, who just turned 10 years old!
SPEAKER_01Happy double digits, Brantley! We heard you were a huge fan of the show. So we are dedicating this entire episode just to you!
SPEAKER_00That's right! And we also want to say a big hello to Fafa, who is seven years old and listening all the way from Massachusetts. Fafa actually sent us an awesome request.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah? What did Fafa ask for?
SPEAKER_00Well, with Disability Pride Month coming up right around the corner in July, Fafa asked us to do an episode on a very special historical figure. Ooh, great timing! Who is it? Franklin Delano Roosevelt, often called FDR. He was the 32nd president of the United States. I've heard of him. What's so wild about his story? How about this? He is the only president in United States history to be elected four separate times, serving for over 12 years.
SPEAKER_01Four times? I thought presidents could only serve two times maximum.
SPEAKER_00Today they can only serve twice because of a law passed later. But back then there was no limit. FDR led America through the two biggest crises of the 20th century, and he did almost all of it from a wheelchair. To understand FDR, we have to go back to the beginning. He was born on January 30, 1882, into a very wealthy family in Hyde Park, New York.
SPEAKER_011882. So he grew up way before airplanes and the internet. Did he live in a fancy mansion?
SPEAKER_00He definitely did. Their estate was called Springwood, and it sat right on the edge of the Hudson River. The house had over 30 rooms and hundreds of acres of land.
SPEAKER_0130 rooms? I would definitely get lost in my own house.
SPEAKER_00Young Franklin was super energetic. He loved horseback riding, swimming, and especially sailing. His family spent their summers at a retreat on Campabello Island, which is actually in Canada.
SPEAKER_01So he was just a rich kid who loved sports. How did he end up as president?
SPEAKER_00Well, he was very smart and went to Harvard University. In 1905, he married Eleanor Roosevelt, who also became an incredible historical figure. Soon after, he entered politics.
SPEAKER_01Was he good at it right away?
SPEAKER_00Very. He became a New York State Senator, and by 1913, he was the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. He was tall, incredibly athletic, and everyone thought he was going straight to the top. Uh-oh, I hear a butt coming. What happened next? It happened in August 1921. FDR was 39 years old, vacationing at Campabello Island with his family. Did he have a sailing accident? No, he went for a swim in the freezing cold ocean water. Later that day, his legs started to ache and feel incredibly weak. Then, he spiked a terrible fever. Did he go to the hospital? A doctor came to the island. Within just a few days, FDR couldn't move his legs at all. He was completely paralyzed from the waist down. Not at all. What was wrong with him? He was diagnosed with a disease called polio. Back in 1921, there was no vaccine for it, and it could permanently damage a person's nerves.
SPEAKER_01That's terrible. So he lost the ability to walk forever. Did his political career just end?
SPEAKER_00Many people thought it was over. In those days, people with severe disabilities were often hidden away from public life.
SPEAKER_01But Fafa asked for this episode for disability pride, so I know he didn't give up.
SPEAKER_00You are exactly right! FDR absolutely refused to let polio stop him. He worked incredibly hard for years, just trying to learn how to stand again.
SPEAKER_01Wait, how could he stand if his legs were paralysed?
SPEAKER_00He had special leg braces custom-made out of heavy steel and leather. They locked straight at the knee, and together they weighed about 10 pounds.
SPEAKER_0110 pounds? That's like strapping two giant bags of flour to your legs every single day. It was exhausting.
SPEAKER_00To move, he would lock his heavy braces, lean his weight onto a cane with his right hand, and grip his son's arm with his left. By violently swinging his hips, he could slowly force his legs forward to look like he was walking.
SPEAKER_01That sounds so difficult. What did he do when he wasn't standing?
SPEAKER_00He designed his own wheelchair. He actually took a simple wooden dining room chair, cut the legs off, and attached the large wheels from a tricycle to it.
SPEAKER_01No way! He made a DIY tricycle wheelchair. That is incredibly cool. It was brilliant.
SPEAKER_00Because it didn't have armrests, it was narrow enough that he could easily wheel himself through the tight hallways of his home. So after he learned how to adapt, did he go back to work? He leaped right back in. By 1928, he was elected Governor of New York. And then, in 1932, he ran for President of the United States.
SPEAKER_01Wait, 1932? Wasn't that right in the middle of a really terrible time in history?
SPEAKER_00It was the absolute worst time. The country was drowning in the Great Depression. The economy had completely crashed.
SPEAKER_01Just how bad was the Great Depression?
SPEAKER_00Well, by 1933, about 15 million Americans had lost their jobs. That was 25% of the entire workforce. Thousands of banks closed, and people were standing in massive lines just to get a bowl of free soup.
SPEAKER_01One out of every four workers had no job. That is terrifying.
SPEAKER_00People were desperate, but FDR had already fought through his own terrible personal tragedy. In his first speech as president, he confidently told the country, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
SPEAKER_01Wow, that quote gives me goosebumps. So what was his plan?
SPEAKER_00He immediately launched huge government programmes called the New Deal. He decided the government should hire people directly to fix the country. Hire them to do what kind of work? Everything! A group called the WPA built over 40,000 new public buildings in total, which included thousands of schools. Another group called the CCC sent hundreds of thousands of young men into nature to build parks and plant trees. Did they plant like a million trees? Way more! The CCC planted almost three billion trees across America!
SPEAKER_01Three billion? That's enough to fill thousands of forests! That is incredible.
SPEAKER_00And to keep everyone calm, FDR would speak to the nation on the radio. He called these broadcasts fireside chats. Families would gather around giant, crackling wooden radios in their living rooms to listen.
SPEAKER_01Kind of like sitting around and listening to a podcast together.
SPEAKER_00Exactly like that. He did about 30 of these chats. He spoke clearly and warmly, like a friend, explaining exactly how he was going to fix the banks and get people working.
SPEAKER_01I bet hearing his confident voice made people feel so much safer.
SPEAKER_00It worked brilliantly. He was so popular that he was re-elected in 1936 and again in 1940. But by 1940, a new terror was sweeping the globe. Let me guess. World War II? Yes, a massive conflict was destroying Europe and Asia. For a while, the United States tried to stay out of the fighting. But then Pearl Harbor happened, right? Correct. On December 7, 1941, the US naval base in Hawaii was attacked. FDR asked Congress to declare war, calling it a date which will live in infamy.
SPEAKER_01Leading a country through a world war must have been the hardest job on earth.
SPEAKER_00It was a huge weight. He completely transformed the US economy again. By 1944, American factories were producing over 96,000 airplanes in a single year.
SPEAKER_0196,000 aeroplanes? That is production on a massive scale. And he managed all of this from his wheelchair.
SPEAKER_00He did. Though here's a wild fact. Most Americans at the time actually had no idea that their president couldn't walk. Wait, how could they not know? He was the most famous man in the world. The Secret Service hid his wheelchair. Out of over 10,000 photographs taken of FDR, there are only four known pictures of him sitting in his wheelchair. Only four out of 10,000.
SPEAKER_01They really kept it a secret.
SPEAKER_00They did. Now, he did have a very famous companion by his side during the war. A little black Scottish terrier dog named Farla. A presidential puppy. Was he famous? Incredibly famous! Farla received thousands of letters from kids, actually had his own press secretary, and slept right at the foot of FDR's bed every night.
SPEAKER_01Aw, okay, that is just adorable. So what happened to FDR in the end?
SPEAKER_00He was elected a record fourth time in 1944. But the stress of leading the war ruined his health. He passed away in April 1945, just weeks before the war in Europe finally ended.
SPEAKER_01Oh man, he didn't even get to see the final victory.
SPEAKER_00He didn't, but his legacy changed the world forever. He proved that physical strength isn't what makes a great leader. It's resilience, courage, and a brilliant mind. Alright, Finn, time for the quiz. Are you ready?
SPEAKER_01Okay, I'm ready. Hit me with those facts.
SPEAKER_00Okay, first question. What year was FDR born? Next one, this is tricky. At what age did FDR get sick with polio? Question three. How many times was FDR elected president? Alright, here's number four. What did FDR use to build his DIY wheelchair? Last question. What was the name of his famous Scottish Terrier dog? Great job! Let's see how you did. The answer to question one is he was born in 1882. For question two, he was 39 years old when he contracted polio. Number three, the answer is he was elected an amazing four times. Question four, he used a simple wooden dining chair and tricycle wheels. And the final answer is his famous little dog was named Farla.
SPEAKER_01Man, I got almost all of those right. FDR's story is just incredible. Building his own wheelchair out of tricycle wheels is probably the coolest historical life hack ever.
SPEAKER_00It really is. It shows how incredibly determined he was. He literally carried the entire weight of the country through the Depression and World War II, all while wearing £10 steel braces on his legs.
SPEAKER_01Hey listeners, if you loved learning about FDR and his amazing resilience, please leave us a five-star review.
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SPEAKER_01Oh, and don't forget to check out our site kidopoly.com. We've got loads of awesome learning games and cool history activities over there.
SPEAKER_00That's right. Head over to kidopoly.com to explore all the fun stuff we have. And hey, if you want a shout out on the show like Brantley and Fafa got today, or if you just want to say hi, send us an email at hello at kidopoly.com.
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SPEAKER_00Thanks so much for listening, everyone. See you next time on History's Not Boring. Bye, guys!