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Franklin Delano Roosevelt Issues

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2-cent Roosevelt and the Little White House single

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, at his retreat in Warm Springs, Georgia. The Roosevelt Memorial Series of four stamps followed over the next several months. Roosevelt had been inaugurated earlier that year for an unprecedented fourth term. His terms spanned the Great Depression and World War II. His greatest accomplishments were the establishment of social programs to combat the depression and the management of the war effort which culminated in victory later in the year.

Gordon T. Trotter

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1-cent Roosevelt & Hyde Park Residence single

The 1-cent green Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) memorial stamp was issued on July 26, 1945, in Hyde Park, New York. The stamp design pictures the Roosevelt home in Hyde Park and a three-quarter portrait of Roosevelt at left. The home, called 'Springwood', is now a National Historic Site. The site also includes the presidential library and museum.

Gordon T. Trotter

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2-cent Roosevelt and the Little White House single

The 2-cent red Franklin D. Roosevelt memorial stamp was issued on August 24, 1945, in Warm Springs, Georgia, the site of Roosevelt's favorite retreat, known as the 'Little White House'. As the name implies, Warm Springs is noted for its naturally heated mineral pools, which Roosevelt visited seeking relief from his polio affliction. The pools and the beauty of the surrounding area moved him to construct his retreat. The 'Little White House is now a Georgia State Historical Site.

Gordon T. Trotter

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3-cent Roosevelt and White House single

The first of the four stamp series, the 3-cent purple Franklin D. Roosevelt memorial stamp was issued on June 27, 1945. The design features a south view of the White House and grounds and a three-quarter face portrait of the president on the left.

Gordon T. Trotter

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5c Roosevelt and the Four Freedoms single

The last of the Franklin D. Roosevelt memorial series, a 5-cent blue stamp, was issued on January 30, 1946. The design shows a three-quarter face portrait of Roosevelt on the left surrounded by clouds, with a globe oriented to show the Americas on the right. Written across the globe is an expression of the Four Freedoms—'Freedom of Speech and Religion, From Want and Fear'. The concept of the Four Freedoms was first enunciated by Roosevelt in his address to Congress on January 6, 1941. It was in this address also that he declared that isolation from global affairs was not an acceptable position for the United States.

Gordon T. Trotter

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