Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born into class and wealth. He enrolled at Groton when he was fourteen years old. Upon graduating he enrolled in Harvard and then attended Columbia’s Law School. Roosevelt was settling into a respected law career, but was more interested in politics. In 1910 Roosevelt was elected to the New York Senate as a Democrat. This was surprising because New York was a Republican-controlled state. This caught the attention of Louis Howe, who later became Roosevelt’s devoted political adviser. Three years later, President Woodrow Wilson appointed Roosevelt Assistant Secretary to the Navy, a position he would hold until 1920. Roosevelt married his fifth cousin, Eleanor Roosevelt, in 1905, and they had six children by 1920. The couple was forced to deal with the dominating manner of Franklin’s mother. She was determined to be involved with all aspects of her son’s life. This was a huge problem for the independence and intimacy of their marriage. Another problem for their marriage was an affair between Franklin and his social secretary, Lucy Mercer. When Eleanor found out about the affair she presented her husband with an ultimatum, a divorce or the ending of his affair. Franklin ended the affair because a divorce would have ended his political career. The outcome was that he and Eleanor’s relationship became more of a working relationship than husband and wife.
In 1921, Roosevelt was stricken with polio. This forced him to limit political activities because the illness paralyzed his legs. While most people expected him end his political career, Eleanor and Louis Howe reinforced him on a path to recovery and political activity. Franklin was following in the career path of his cousin Theodore, and was elected Governor of New York in 1928 as a Democrat. With that position earned enough popularity within the Democratic Party to be nominated for president in 1932. Franklin was
