Although he was born into a dynasty of statesmen whose lineage included Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Ulysses S. Grant, and Zachary Taylor, Roosevelt nonetheless made his own mark. His ebullient spirit guided the nation through one peril after another, and his legacy remains one of ambitious reform. Roosevelt's administration enacted the Works Progress Act, the Social Security Act, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the repeal of prohibition, and the Wagner Act, which protected labor unions. Abroad, Roosevelt fought the mighty Axis powers in World War II, mounting a campaign against fascism that would shape world history and ensure his country's destiny as a dominant global power.

His closest adviser and ally, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, traveled the country and the world on behalf of her physically challenged husband. She toured the U.S. to sell his New Deal programs and became a champion for the cause of social justice, which eventually made her one of the most admired women in the world.