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Legacy
Historical reputation
FDR Memorial in Grosvenor Square, London (1948)The Four Freedoms engraved on a wall at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C. (1997)U.S. Dime (1989) with a portrait of Roosevelt; popularly known as the Roosevelt dime
Roosevelt is widely considered to be one of the most important figures in the history of the United States,[358] as well as one of the most influential figures of the 20th century.[359] Historians and political scientists consistently rank Roosevelt, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln as the three greatest presidents, although the order varies.[360][361][362][363] Reflecting on Roosevelt's presidency, "which brought the United States through the Great Depression and World War II to a prosperous future", biographer Jean Edward Smith said in 2007, "He lifted himself from a wheelchair to lift the nation from its knees."[364]
His commitment to the working class and unemployed in need of relief in the nation's longest recession made him a favorite of the blue collar workers, labor unions, and ethnic minorities.