Franklin D. Roosevelt’s parents came from old New York families, and both family lines had earlier roots in Dutch and New England colonial traditions. His father, James Roosevelt, came from the Roosevelt family’s ancestral Dutch Reformed background, while his mother, Sara Delano, came from a New England family with Unitarian/Congregational roots.

Family background

  • Father’s side: The Roosevelts traced back to Dutch ancestry in New York and were originally associated with the Dutch Reformed tradition.
  • Mother’s side: The Delano family had New England origins and was connected to Unitarian circles descended from Congregationalism.
  • Where they lived: By Franklin’s time, both parents were established in Hyde Park, New York at Springwood, the family estate.

Simple version

In plain terms, FDR’s parents were not immigrants from a single foreign country just before his birth; they were descendants of long-established American families with Dutch and New England roots.

Tiny note

If you meant where they were from geographically , the answer is New York for the Roosevelt side and New England for the Delano side.

Would you like a quick family tree of FDR’s parents?