Young Franklin was an only child of very wealthy parents

James was a landowner and businessman from New York who was somewhat wealthy. He most certainly joined the Democratic Party in the 1850s and remained a member for the rest of his life, despite casting several Republican votes. He was a widower when, in 1880, he wed Sara Delano, who was 26 years his junior. One of the five stunning Delano sisters, Sara was known for both her independent spirit and aristocratic demeanor. She came from a wealthy household.

Franklin was raised on a vast estate and farm attended by a big workforce near Hyde Park, roughly fifty miles north of New York City. Franklin had little interaction with his friends because he was shielded from the outer world and received tutoring at home until he was a teenager. The only child, however, was treated with love and support by the family. Sara Roosevelt proved especially dedicated to Franklin, spending almost all of her considerable energies raising him. Throughout her lengthy life, she would continue to show this unwavering dedication, though not without unfavorable results.