Many have attempted to define and describe Franklin D. Roosevelt. Any understanding of the enigma that was F.D.R. must examine the roots that were so firmly established in the Delano and Roosevelt families, and in the rural nature of the mid-Hudson Valley and Dutchess County of the 19th century. The complexity of the man and the myth must be seen in relationship to the time, the place and the people who provided his roots – roots that could withstand the political storms of the 20th century. F.D.R.’s relationship to the world of the Hudson Valley and Dutchess County has often been ignored in favor of the more inclusive global frame of reference. This book examines the relationship of F.D.R. to the residents of the Hudson Valley to explain the significance of that relationship to the private and public life of F.D.R. In this study the term “neighbor” refers to the aristocracy who lived in the estates on the East Bank of the Hudson, the citizens of Hyde Park, and the citizens of Dutchess County. From his first campaign in 1910 to his tragic death in 1945 he carried a perception of his “neighbors” that had a profound effect on his “politics.”