Roosevelt, a native New Yorker, first visited Georgia in 1913 on business for the U.S. Navy in Brunswick. In August 1921 he contracted polio while on a family vacation at Campobello Island in New Brunswick, Canada. He then sought to heal the damage caused by the disease. In October 1924 he learned of Warm Springs and its beneficial waters. He quickly grew to love Georgia and its people, and they welcomed him as their adopted son.

Question

The water at Warm Springs maintains an average temperature of about eighty-eight degrees and bubbles out of nearby Pine Mountain, one of several quartzite ridges running through west central Georgia. According to legend, sick and injured Creek Indians once came to the springs to recover from their ills, in much the same way that Roosevelt used the healing waters. He generally visited in late March and April and again in the fall, when he traditionally shared Thanksgiving dinner with other patients. He swam, sat in the sun, caught up on correspondence, and wen…

Answer 1

t for long walks through the beautiful surrounding countryside. The natural beauty of the area, combined with the therapeutic effects of the warm springs, made it a sanctuary for Roosevelt.

During his visits, he also formed deep connections with the local community and established friendships with other patients who were undergoing similar treatments for their ailments. Roosevelt’s time at Warm Springs was not only a crucial part of his rehabilitation but also a formative period in his political career. The empathy and understanding he developed for those facing physical challenges, as well as his interactions with the residents of Georgia, would later manifest in some of his policies and initiatives aimed at supporting the disabled.

Roosevelt’s admiration for Warm Springs led him to invest in the community, and he even established the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation in 1927. This center became a place for rehabilitating those with polio and other ailments, further cementing his bond with the area and its people.

Warm Springs ultimately played a significant role in shaping FDR’s character and resolve. It became a symbol of hope and resilience not only for him but for countless others who sought healing. While he faced many obstacles during his life, the time he spent in Georgia instilled in him a sense of purpose and commitment to public service that would guide his presidency and impact the nation during some of its most challenging times.