Roosevelt was enormously popular (hence the fourth term), and later administrations have tried to associate themselves with his early success. ( See a special report on Obama's first 100 days.) of June 1933 was a substantially different place from that of 100 days earlier. With farm credits, federal works projects and new financial regulations in place, the U.S. By the time he hit the 100-day mark, Roosevelt had instituted the "fireside chat" tradition, called Congress into a three-month-long special session and passed 15 pieces of major legislation the beginning of what would come to be known as the New Deal which created everything from the Tennessee Valley Authority to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. After delivering one of the most famous Inaugural speeches in presidential history does the phrase "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" sound familiar? Roosevelt had been in office barely 24 hours when he declared a four-day bank holiday and drafted the Emergency Banking Act, which helped calm a financial panic that was quickly spiraling out of control. Roosevelt was a presidential overachiever and his swift, take-charge method of governing was exactly what an ailing, Depression-weary nation needed in 1933. (It actually took 111 days, but we'll give him a mulligan.) Napoleon reclaimed power in 1815, however Americans didn't start assessing their Presidents in 100-day increments until Franklin Delano Roosevelt came along more than a century later. The 100-day timeline can be traced back to Napoleon Bonaparte, because that's how long it took him to return from exile, reinstate himself as ruler of France and wage war against the English and Prussian armies before his final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. ( See behind-the-scenes pictures of Obama.) And although it seems like an arbitrary measure if something happens on the 101st day, is it somehow less important? Presidents can get a surprising amount done in their first three-and-some-odd months. That is the aim of the 100-day retrospective, to assess our new leaders after they've had enough time to take action but before they've solidified their legacy.
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