70th Anniversary of the Casablanca Conference – January 14-24, 1943 From 1942 to 1944 one subject dominated Allied strategic debate—the creation of a Second Front in Europe. This thorny issue caused friction between America, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. It topped the agenda of the January 1943 summit meeting between FDR and Winston Churchill … Continue reading Casablanca Conference
Pearl Harbor Prisoner Petition, December 8, 1941 The "unprovoked and dastardly attack" by Japan on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, brought an immediate unity of purpose to the nation. Thousands of letters flooded into the White House after the attack, and especially after FDR delivered his War Message to Congress (the "date which will … Continue reading Found in the Archives
Thanksgiving during the War, 1943 During World War II, President Roosevelt made a number of trips to meet with foreign leaders to discuss the war effort and the postwar world. At the end of 1943, FDR traveled to Cairo, Egypt and Teheran, Iran to meet with Winston Churchill, Chiang Kai-shek and Joseph Stalin. The meeting … Continue reading Found in the Archives
Get Out the Vote Statement Below is a statement by FDR urging people to vote in the 1942 mid-term elections. In it he says "we are engaged in an all-out war to keep democracy alive. Democracy survives through the courage and fortitude and wisdom of many generations of fighting Americans. And that includes using not … Continue reading Found in the Archives
Vice Presidential Spotlight: Harry S. Truman A former farmer and haberdasher, World War I veteran, and successful local Missouri politician, Harry Truman won a United States Senate seat in 1934. He enthusiastically supported the New Deal and was seen as a Roosevelt loyalist. After winning reelection in 1940, Truman distinguished himself by chairing a respected … Continue reading Found in the Archives
Vice Presidential Spotlight: Henry A. Wallace As editor of Wallaces' Farmer, a leading farm journal of the time, Henry A. Wallace was an influential voice for farm relief and tariff reform. In 1933, FDR chose Wallace as his Secretary of Agriculture. Possessing strong administrative and scientific skills, Wallace implemented a host of revolutionary farm programs, … Continue reading Found in the Archives
1932 Presidential Campaign Franklin Roosevelt’s nomination for President by the Democratic Convention in Chicago in July 1932 led to one of the momentous campaigns in American political history. Saddled with responsibility for the Depression, President Hoover would have been vulnerable to almost any opponent in 1932. FDR’s advisors were unanimous in urging him to play … Continue reading Found in the Archives
Vice Presidential Spotlight: John Nance Garner John Nance Garner was a politician from Uvalde County, Texas. After serving in the Texas Legislature, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1902. He ran for president in 1932, competing with Governor of New York Franklin D. Roosevelt for the party nomination. When it became … Continue reading Found in the Archives
FDR and the Democratic National Convention “I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people” – Franklin D. Roosevelt This now famous line was uttered by FDR during his acceptance speech at the 1932 Democratic National Convention. FDR was nominated as the Democrat’s presidential candidate four times – 1932, 1936, … Continue reading Found in the Archives
FDR and Housing Legislation September 1, 2012 marked the 75th anniversary of the Wagner-Steagall Housing Act, a piece of late-New Deal legislation that reflected the government’s recognition of adequate housing as an important societal need. This law established the United States Housing Authority (USHA), which provided $500 million in loans for low-cost housing projects across … Continue reading Found in the Archives
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