Military service is a common thread among most U.S. presidents. Since George Washington, the majority of presidents have served in some capacity or another, whether voluntary or mandatory. However, there are notable exceptions among our list of 44 commanders-in-chief who have not served in the military. From founding fathers to modern day leaders, this article will explore the 10 presidents who avoided military service and the bold stances they took against war instead. Let’s take a look at their stories and discover which of these men our country chose to lead us into peace and prosperity during their time in office.
George Washington
George Washington is often considered the father of our country, and his military service is a large part of that reputation. However, Washington did not serve in the military during the Revolutionary War. Instead, he was elected as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in 1775. He was then appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in 1775, where he served until the end of the war in 1783. Even though he did not serve in the military during the war, Washington’s leadership was instrumental in helping the United States gain its independence from Britain.
John Adams
John Adams was one of America’s Founding Fathers and its second president. He played a pivotal role in the American Revolution and helped draft the Declaration of Independence. Despite his significant contributions to his country, Adams did not serve in the military.
Adams was born in Massachusetts in 1735. He was a brilliant student and graduated from Harvard University in 1755. Adams began his career as a lawyer, but he soon became involved in politics. In 1770, he represented theṗ defendants in the Boston Massacre trial. Adams argued that the British soldiers who opened fire on a crowd of demonstrators were acting under orders and should not be held responsible for the deaths that resulted.
Adams became a leading voice for independence from Britain, and he was elected to the Continental Congress in 1774. He served on the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence, and he was one of its signers. As a diplomat, Adams negotiated the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War.
Adams remained active in politics after his term as president ended. He served as a judge on the Massachusetts Supreme Court and later as a member of the U.S. Senate. He died on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after signing the Declaration of Independence.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and the main author of the Declaration of Independence. He served as the third President of the United States from 1801 to 1809. Prior to his Presidency, Jefferson served as the Governor of Virginia and as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
Jefferson was born into a wealthy family in Virginia and had a privileged childhood. He attended the College of William & Mary before going on to study law. After being admitted to the bar, he began his own law practice. Jefferson became active in politics during the 1760s and 1770s, serving in the Virginia House of Burgesses and becoming increasingly involved in opposition to British colonial policy.
In 1776, Jefferson was chosen to draft the Declaration of Independence, which he did with input from other members of the Continental Congress. The document was approved by Congress and signed on July 4, 1776.
After the American Revolution, Jefferson returned to Virginia and served as that state’s governor for two terms. He then rejoined national politics and was elected to serve as a delegate in the new federal government’s first legislature, the First Continental Congress. In 1789, he was elected Vice President of the United States under George Washington; he served in that role for four years until he succeeded Washington as President in 1797.
As President, Jefferson continued his policies from his earlier career in government, advocating for limited government involvement in domestic affairs and expansion into western territories. He also supported the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition. His Presidency ended in 1809, and he retired to his home, Monticello, where he died in 1826.
James Madison
Before he was president, James Madison served in the Virginia House of Delegates and in the Continental Congress. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and one of the principal authors of the Constitution. He also served as Secretary of State under President Thomas Jefferson.
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States, serving from 1829 to 1837. He was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Jackson also fought in several duels and was known for his fiery temper.
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States, serving from 1837 to 1841. A lawyer and politician from New York, he served as the fourth Governor of New York and the tenth Secretary of State under Andrew Jackson. He was a central figure in the development of the Democratic Party and is considered one of its founders.
Born into a family of Dutch immigrants in 1782, Van Buren established a successful legal practice in his home state. He became active in politics, first as a supporter of Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Party, then as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party. He won election to the New York State Senate in 1812 and served as Attorney General of New York from 1815 to 1819.
Van Buren rose to national prominence as a close advisor and friend to Andrew Jackson, serving as his Secretary of State from 1829 to 1831. He played a key role in Jackson’s successful presidential campaigns in 1828 and 1832. As Vice President under Jackson, Van Buren supported many of Jackson’s policies, including his controversial decision to remove federal deposits from the Second Bank of the United States.
When Jackson retired from office in 1837, Van Buren succeeded him as President. During his presidency, he continued many of Jackson’s policies but faced significant challenges including an economic downturn known as the Panic of 1837 and growing opposition to slavery. He unsuccessfully sought re-election in 1840 and retired from public office after leaving the presidency. He died in 1862 at age 79.
John Tyler
John Tyler was the tenth president of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845. Tyler was born in 1790 and died in 1862. He was the first vice president to assume the presidency following the death of a president, and he did so after the death of William Henry Harrison. Tyler also holds the distinction of being the first president to be impeached by the House of Representatives, though he was acquitted by the Senate.
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the last president to not have served in the military, with the exception of Jimmy Carter. He was born in 1784 in Orange County, Virginia to a wealthy family ofplanters. His father, Richard Taylor, served as a colonel during the American Revolutionary War. Zachary inherited his father’s plantation and became a slave owner. He married Margaret Smith in 1810 and they had five children together.
Taylor entered politics in 1811, when he was appointed as a captain in the Kentucky militia. He fought in the War of 1812 and the Black Hawk War. In 1832, he was promoted to major general and commanded troops during the Second Seminole War. During this time, he earned the nickname “Old Rough and Ready.”
In 1836, Taylor was elected to represent Louisiana in the House of Representatives. He served one term before returning to military service during the Mexican-American War. He led his troops to victory at the Battle of Palo Alto and the Battle of Monterrey. In 1848, he defeated Santa Anna at the Battle of Cerro Gordo, which paved the way for an American victory in Mexico City.
After the Mexican-American War, Taylor returned to his plantation in Kentucky. In 1849, he was persuaded to run for president on the Whig ticket. He won with 47% of the popular vote and became known as “Old Rough and Ready.” He was sworn into office on March 5, 1849.
Taylor died on July 9, 1850, after only 16 months in office. He is buried in Louisville, Kentucky at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery. He is remembered as one of America’s most successful military commanders and a president who maintained national unity despite sectional differences.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, did not serve in the military. He did, however, have a keen interest in it and was known to read military history. In addition, Lincoln had several close friends who were generals, including Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman.
Andrew Johnson
Before he was elected as the seventeenth President of the United States, Andrew Johnson had no military experience. He was born in a log cabin in North Carolina to parents who were poor and uneducated. Johnson did not attend school regularly, but he did learn to read and write. When he was fourteen, his father died, and Johnson was forced to find work to support his family. He eventually became a tailor’s apprentice and then opened his own tailor shop.
In 1827, Johnson married Eliza McCardle, who was also from a humble background. The couple had five children together. When Johnson began his political career, he first served as alderman and then mayor of Greeneville, Tennessee. He was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1835 and the U.S. House of Representatives in 1843. As a Representative, Johnson generally supported the policies of President James K. Polk, including the annexation of Texas and the Mexican-American War (1846-1848).
Johnson became governor of Tennessee in 1853. He ran for reelection in 1855 but was defeated because he had publicly opposed the extension of slavery into new territories acquired during the Mexican-American War. Undeterred by this setback, Johnson ran for the U.S. Senate in 1856 and won. As a Senator, he again aligned himself with President Polk and supported the establishment of Kansas Territory as a slave state (1854) and the admission of Kansas into the Union as a state with slavery (1861).
In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Johnson military governor of Tennessee and later, in 1864, his running mate for the presidency. The campaign was successful and Johnson succeeded Lincoln as president of the United States in April 1865. His presidency is remembered for its opposition to Radical Reconstruction and its embrace of a more lenient approach to restoring the Union after the Civil War.
Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland is one of those presidents who did not serve in the military. Instead, he spent his time studying law and working as a lawyer. He was elected governor of New York in 1882 and became the first Democratic president in 1885. During his time as president, he worked to reduce the national debt and improve the economy. He also supported civil rights for African Americans and signed a law that made Labor Day a national holiday.
William McKinley
William McKinley was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. He was a Civil War veteran and had served in the United States House of Representatives and as Governor of Ohio. McKinley was also the last president to have served in the American Civil War.
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was the twenty-sixth president of the United States and is one of four presidents who did not serve in the military. Roosevelt was born into a wealthy family and was able to attend Harvard University. He was an avid outdoorsman and was an early advocate for conservationism. Roosevelt became the governor of New York in 1898 and was instrumental in leading the US through the Spanish-American War. He became known as the ” Rough Rider” after leading his troops on a charge up San Juan Hill. After serving as president, Roosevelt continued to be active in politics and diplomacy. He also wrote several books about his experiences.
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the United States and served two terms from 1913 to 1921. He is most known for his leading role in creating the League of Nations, although the U.S. never joined the organization.
Wilson was born in Virginia in 1856 and raised in Georgia. He earned a law degree from the University of Virginia and later became a professor at Princeton University. In 1902, he was elected as governor of New Jersey and served one term before being elected president in 1912.
During his time in office, Wilson pushed for progressive reforms including child labor laws, workers’ compensation, and anti-trust legislation. He also led the country through World War I and helped to create the Treaty of Versailles.
Although he suffered a stroke near the end of his second term, Wilson remained in office until 1921 when he retired to his home in Washington, D.C. He died three years later at the age of 67.
Warren G Harding
Warren G Harding was the 29th President of the United States and he did not serve in the military. He was born in 1865 in Blooming Grove, Ohio and died in 1923 while in office. Prior to becoming president, he served as a United States Senator from Ohio.
Some notable events during his presidency include:
-The ratification of the 19th Amendment which granted women the right to vote
-The opening of the Panama Canal
-The launch of the radio station KDKA
He is often ranked as one of the worst presidents but there are some positive aspects to his legacy. He was a strong supporter of civil rights and appointed African Americans to high positions in his administration. He also worked to reduce corruption in government.
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge was the thirtieth President of the United States and served from 1923 to 1929. A Republican,Coolidge rose to prominence as the Vice President under Warren G. Harding and was elected President in his own right in 1924. He is best remembered for his laissez-faire policies, which helped spur economic growth during the Roaring Twenties.
Coolidge was born in Plymouth, Vermont on July 4, 1872, the only US president to be born on Independence Day. He worked his way up through the ranks of local government, eventually becoming Governor of Massachusetts. After a brief stint as Harding’s Vice President, he ascended to the Presidency upon Harding’s death in 1923.
During his time in office, Coolidge presided over a period of sustained economic growth known as the Roaring Twenties. He also oversaw the construction of the Panama Canal and signed into law the Immigration Act of 1924, which limited immigration from Eastern Europe.
Coolidge chose not to run for reelection in 1928 and retired to his home in Vermont. He died suddenly of a heart attack in 1933 at the age of 60.
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover was the 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. A Republican, Hoover was a self-made millionaire who had been born into a Quaker family in Iowa. He became a successful mining engineer and author before running for office. As president, Hoover oversaw the start of the Great Depression, and is often blamed for not doing more to prevent it. He was defeated in a landslide reelection bid by Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932.
Franklin Roosevelt
Franklin Roosevelt was one of several presidents who did not serve in the military. He was born into a wealthy family and attended private school. His father, James Roosevelt, was a successful businessman and his mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt, came from a wealthy family. Roosevelt attended Harvard University and Columbia Law School. He married Eleanor Roosevelt, who was his fifth cousin once removed.
Roosevelt began his political career in the New York State Senate in 1911. He was elected as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1913 and served in that position until 1920. In 1921, he was diagnosed with polio and became paralyzed from the waist down. He continued to be active in politics and was elected as the Governor of New York in 1928. In 1932, he was elected as the President of the United States. He served three terms and is the only president to have been elected to four terms.
During his presidency, Roosevelt helped to lead the United States through the Great Depression and World War II. He created several programs to help improve the economy and provide assistance to those who were unemployed or struggling. He also worked closely with other world leaders to defeat Nazi Germany and its allies. After serving for 12 years, Roosevelt died in 1945 from a cerebral hemorrhage.
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What Presidents Did Not Serve In The Military
Military service is a common thread among most U.S. presidents. Since George Washington, the majority of presidents have served in some capacity or another, whether voluntary or mandatory. However, there are notable exceptions among our list of 44 commanders-in-chief who have not served in the military. From founding fathers to modern day leaders, this article will explore the 10 presidents who avoided military service and the bold stances they took against war instead. Let’s take a look at their stories and discover which of these men our country chose to lead us into peace and prosperity during their time in office.
George Washington
George Washington is often considered the father of our country, and his military service is a large part of that reputation. However, Washington did not serve in the military during the Revolutionary War. Instead, he was elected as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in 1775. He was then appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in 1775, where he served until the end of the war in 1783. Even though he did not serve in the military during the war, Washington’s leadership was instrumental in helping the United States gain its independence from Britain.
John Adams
John Adams was one of America’s Founding Fathers and its second president. He played a pivotal role in the American Revolution and helped draft the Declaration of Independence. Despite his significant contributions to his country, Adams did not serve in the military.
Adams was born in Massachusetts in 1735. He was a brilliant student and graduated from Harvard University in 1755. Adams began his career as a lawyer, but he soon became involved in politics. In 1770, he represented theṗ defendants in the Boston Massacre trial. Adams argued that the British soldiers who opened fire on a crowd of demonstrators were acting under orders and should not be held responsible for the deaths that resulted.
Adams became a leading voice for independence from Britain, and he was elected to the Continental Congress in 1774. He served on the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence, and he was one of its signers. As a diplomat, Adams negotiated the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War.
Adams remained active in politics after his term as president ended. He served as a judge on the Massachusetts Supreme Court and later as a member of the U.S. Senate. He died on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after signing the Declaration of Independence.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and the main author of the Declaration of Independence. He served as the third President of the United States from 1801 to 1809. Prior to his Presidency, Jefferson served as the Governor of Virginia and as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
Jefferson was born into a wealthy family in Virginia and had a privileged childhood. He attended the College of William & Mary before going on to study law. After being admitted to the bar, he began his own law practice. Jefferson became active in politics during the 1760s and 1770s, serving in the Virginia House of Burgesses and becoming increasingly involved in opposition to British colonial policy.
In 1776, Jefferson was chosen to draft the Declaration of Independence, which he did with input from other members of the Continental Congress. The document was approved by Congress and signed on July 4, 1776.
After the American Revolution, Jefferson returned to Virginia and served as that state’s governor for two terms. He then rejoined national politics and was elected to serve as a delegate in the new federal government’s first legislature, the First Continental Congress. In 1789, he was elected Vice President of the United States under George Washington; he served in that role for four years until he succeeded Washington as President in 1797.
As President, Jefferson continued his policies from his earlier career in government, advocating for limited government involvement in domestic affairs and expansion into western territories. He also supported the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition. His Presidency ended in 1809, and he retired to his home, Monticello, where he died in 1826.
James Madison
Before he was president, James Madison served in the Virginia House of Delegates and in the Continental Congress. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and one of the principal authors of the Constitution. He also served as Secretary of State under President Thomas Jefferson.
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States, serving from 1829 to 1837. He was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Jackson also fought in several duels and was known for his fiery temper.
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States, serving from 1837 to 1841. A lawyer and politician from New York, he served as the fourth Governor of New York and the tenth Secretary of State under Andrew Jackson. He was a central figure in the development of the Democratic Party and is considered one of its founders.
Born into a family of Dutch immigrants in 1782, Van Buren established a successful legal practice in his home state. He became active in politics, first as a supporter of Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Party, then as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party. He won election to the New York State Senate in 1812 and served as Attorney General of New York from 1815 to 1819.
Van Buren rose to national prominence as a close advisor and friend to Andrew Jackson, serving as his Secretary of State from 1829 to 1831. He played a key role in Jackson’s successful presidential campaigns in 1828 and 1832. As Vice President under Jackson, Van Buren supported many of Jackson’s policies, including his controversial decision to remove federal deposits from the Second Bank of the United States.
When Jackson retired from office in 1837, Van Buren succeeded him as President. During his presidency, he continued many of Jackson’s policies but faced significant challenges including an economic downturn known as the Panic of 1837 and growing opposition to slavery. He unsuccessfully sought re-election in 1840 and retired from public office after leaving the presidency. He died in 1862 at age 79.
John Tyler
John Tyler was the tenth president of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845. Tyler was born in 1790 and died in 1862. He was the first vice president to assume the presidency following the death of a president, and he did so after the death of William Henry Harrison. Tyler also holds the distinction of being the first president to be impeached by the House of Representatives, though he was acquitted by the Senate.
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the last president to not have served in the military, with the exception of Jimmy Carter. He was born in 1784 in Orange County, Virginia to a wealthy family ofplanters. His father, Richard Taylor, served as a colonel during the American Revolutionary War. Zachary inherited his father’s plantation and became a slave owner. He married Margaret Smith in 1810 and they had five children together.
Taylor entered politics in 1811, when he was appointed as a captain in the Kentucky militia. He fought in the War of 1812 and the Black Hawk War. In 1832, he was promoted to major general and commanded troops during the Second Seminole War. During this time, he earned the nickname “Old Rough and Ready.”
In 1836, Taylor was elected to represent Louisiana in the House of Representatives. He served one term before returning to military service during the Mexican-American War. He led his troops to victory at the Battle of Palo Alto and the Battle of Monterrey. In 1848, he defeated Santa Anna at the Battle of Cerro Gordo, which paved the way for an American victory in Mexico City.
After the Mexican-American War, Taylor returned to his plantation in Kentucky. In 1849, he was persuaded to run for president on the Whig ticket. He won with 47% of the popular vote and became known as “Old Rough and Ready.” He was sworn into office on March 5, 1849.
Taylor died on July 9, 1850, after only 16 months in office. He is buried in Louisville, Kentucky at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery. He is remembered as one of America’s most successful military commanders and a president who maintained national unity despite sectional differences.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, did not serve in the military. He did, however, have a keen interest in it and was known to read military history. In addition, Lincoln had several close friends who were generals, including Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman.
Andrew Johnson
Before he was elected as the seventeenth President of the United States, Andrew Johnson had no military experience. He was born in a log cabin in North Carolina to parents who were poor and uneducated. Johnson did not attend school regularly, but he did learn to read and write. When he was fourteen, his father died, and Johnson was forced to find work to support his family. He eventually became a tailor’s apprentice and then opened his own tailor shop.
In 1827, Johnson married Eliza McCardle, who was also from a humble background. The couple had five children together. When Johnson began his political career, he first served as alderman and then mayor of Greeneville, Tennessee. He was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1835 and the U.S. House of Representatives in 1843. As a Representative, Johnson generally supported the policies of President James K. Polk, including the annexation of Texas and the Mexican-American War (1846-1848).
Johnson became governor of Tennessee in 1853. He ran for reelection in 1855 but was defeated because he had publicly opposed the extension of slavery into new territories acquired during the Mexican-American War. Undeterred by this setback, Johnson ran for the U.S. Senate in 1856 and won. As a Senator, he again aligned himself with President Polk and supported the establishment of Kansas Territory as a slave state (1854) and the admission of Kansas into the Union as a state with slavery (1861).
In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Johnson military governor of Tennessee and later, in 1864, his running mate for the presidency. The campaign was successful and Johnson succeeded Lincoln as president of the United States in April 1865. His presidency is remembered for its opposition to Radical Reconstruction and its embrace of a more lenient approach to restoring the Union after the Civil War.
Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland is one of those presidents who did not serve in the military. Instead, he spent his time studying law and working as a lawyer. He was elected governor of New York in 1882 and became the first Democratic president in 1885. During his time as president, he worked to reduce the national debt and improve the economy. He also supported civil rights for African Americans and signed a law that made Labor Day a national holiday.
William McKinley
William McKinley was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. He was a Civil War veteran and had served in the United States House of Representatives and as Governor of Ohio. McKinley was also the last president to have served in the American Civil War.
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was the twenty-sixth president of the United States and is one of four presidents who did not serve in the military. Roosevelt was born into a wealthy family and was able to attend Harvard University. He was an avid outdoorsman and was an early advocate for conservationism. Roosevelt became the governor of New York in 1898 and was instrumental in leading the US through the Spanish-American War. He became known as the ” Rough Rider” after leading his troops on a charge up San Juan Hill. After serving as president, Roosevelt continued to be active in politics and diplomacy. He also wrote several books about his experiences.
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the United States and served two terms from 1913 to 1921. He is most known for his leading role in creating the League of Nations, although the U.S. never joined the organization.
Wilson was born in Virginia in 1856 and raised in Georgia. He earned a law degree from the University of Virginia and later became a professor at Princeton University. In 1902, he was elected as governor of New Jersey and served one term before being elected president in 1912.
During his time in office, Wilson pushed for progressive reforms including child labor laws, workers’ compensation, and anti-trust legislation. He also led the country through World War I and helped to create the Treaty of Versailles.
Although he suffered a stroke near the end of his second term, Wilson remained in office until 1921 when he retired to his home in Washington, D.C. He died three years later at the age of 67.
Warren G Harding
Warren G Harding was the 29th President of the United States and he did not serve in the military. He was born in 1865 in Blooming Grove, Ohio and died in 1923 while in office. Prior to becoming president, he served as a United States Senator from Ohio.
Some notable events during his presidency include:
-The ratification of the 19th Amendment which granted women the right to vote
-The opening of the Panama Canal
-The launch of the radio station KDKA
He is often ranked as one of the worst presidents but there are some positive aspects to his legacy. He was a strong supporter of civil rights and appointed African Americans to high positions in his administration. He also worked to reduce corruption in government.
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge was the thirtieth President of the United States and served from 1923 to 1929. A Republican,Coolidge rose to prominence as the Vice President under Warren G. Harding and was elected President in his own right in 1924. He is best remembered for his laissez-faire policies, which helped spur economic growth during the Roaring Twenties.
Coolidge was born in Plymouth, Vermont on July 4, 1872, the only US president to be born on Independence Day. He worked his way up through the ranks of local government, eventually becoming Governor of Massachusetts. After a brief stint as Harding’s Vice President, he ascended to the Presidency upon Harding’s death in 1923.
During his time in office, Coolidge presided over a period of sustained economic growth known as the Roaring Twenties. He also oversaw the construction of the Panama Canal and signed into law the Immigration Act of 1924, which limited immigration from Eastern Europe.
Coolidge chose not to run for reelection in 1928 and retired to his home in Vermont. He died suddenly of a heart attack in 1933 at the age of 60.
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover was the 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. A Republican, Hoover was a self-made millionaire who had been born into a Quaker family in Iowa. He became a successful mining engineer and author before running for office. As president, Hoover oversaw the start of the Great Depression, and is often blamed for not doing more to prevent it. He was defeated in a landslide reelection bid by Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932.
Franklin Roosevelt
Franklin Roosevelt was one of several presidents who did not serve in the military. He was born into a wealthy family and attended private school. His father, James Roosevelt, was a successful businessman and his mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt, came from a wealthy family. Roosevelt attended Harvard University and Columbia Law School. He married Eleanor Roosevelt, who was his fifth cousin once removed.
Roosevelt began his political career in the New York State Senate in 1911. He was elected as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1913 and served in that position until 1920. In 1921, he was diagnosed with polio and became paralyzed from the waist down. He continued to be active in politics and was elected as the Governor of New York in 1928. In 1932, he was elected as the President of the United States. He served three terms and is the only president to have been elected to four terms.
During his presidency, Roosevelt helped to lead the United States through the Great Depression and World War II. He created several programs to help improve the economy and provide assistance to those who were unemployed or struggling. He also worked closely with other world leaders to defeat Nazi Germany and its allies. After serving for 12 years, Roosevelt died in 1945 from a cerebral hemorrhage.