Compare Contrast Essay

Submitted By none231
Words: 924
Pages: 4

Raiter, Daniel
Professor Arms
English 1
November 5, 2013
Roosevelt vs. Roosevelt When it comes to Franklin Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt, many people assume they are more alike than not. Yet, when it comes to their time in office, they are more different than most people care to admit. While Franklin Roosevelt was a liberal leader, Theodore Roosevelt was a progressive leader. Though both Franklin Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt are somewhat similar in terms of political policy and rise to the presidency, they differ in the achievements each had during his time in office. Franklin and Theodore followed very similar steps, with few differences, on each man’s way to the presidency. They both came from the Roosevelt family and their lives were very connected. Franklin and Theodore were fifth cousins and Franklin’s wife Eleanor was Theodore’s niece. Theodore attended Harvard and later Colombia Law School but dropped out early from law school when he ran for the New York State Assembly; Franklin Roosevelt attended the same schools and also dropped out early from Colombia Law School to work for a law firm. While Franklin was at Harvard, he saw Theodore as his role model because Theodore was elected U.S. president. The political careers of both Roosevelt men were also almost identical to each other. Both men started in the New York State Senate, then becoming Governor of New York, then Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and finally becoming President. The only difference in the men’s rise to the presidency was that Theodore was Vice President before becoming President and it took him less than 15 years to become president from the start of his political career, while it took Franklin over 20 years to become president from the start of his political career. In addition to similarities in their lives, Franklin and Theodore had similar policy makings.
During the presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt, both created domestic policies meant to help the American people. During Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency he created a domestic program called the Square Deal. The Square Deal’s main focus was to help the middle and lower class by curbing the power of large corporation to protect consumers and preserving nature and wild life for future generations. According to Britannica, under the Square Deal, legislation was passed that created food inspection and no false labeling of food for the first time, all this for the benefit of every American. Franklin Roosevelt’s version of the Square Deal was his New Deal. The New Deal created both economic growth and jobs for the middle class and lower class during the Great Depression. According to Encyclopedia.com, part of the New Deal also created social security, unemployment insurance, and welfare benefits for the benefit of all American citizens. Whereas Franklin and Theodore had similar domestic policies, they differed in their foreign policies.
Franklin and Theodore had different foreign policies at the beginning of their presidencies, but that would later change to where they adopted similar policy. According to Britannica, Theodore Roosevelt evoked the Monroe Doctrine as his foreign policy; the policy called for U.S. intervention of the Latin American countries’ affairs. In contrast, at the beginning of Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency, he established a foreign policy of isolationism and also ending the policy of the Monroe Doctrine. As World War II started breaking out, Franklin Roosevelt started changing his foreign policy towards extensive foreign intervention in the Pacific war against Japan, and in Europe against Germany and Italy.
The biggest difference between the two Roosevelt men was the achievements each man had during his presidency. The greatest achievement Franklin had was getting America out of the Great Depression through his New Deal programs; the programs created jobs, economic relief, and economic