More Important Than Gold By Franklin D. Roosevelt

He took instantaneous actions to address the country’s economic afflictions by publicizing a four day “bank holiday” during which all the banks would be closed so that congress could pass reform legislation and reopen those banks determined to be sound. He also began broadcasting to the public over the radio in a series of talks, which were referred to as the “fireside chats.” These chats went a long way towards reestablishing the confidence of public. He is also known for injecting an unfailing optimism into the politics of America, such as leading the Democrats into the 20th

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) addressed the nation in a unique “fireside” chat on December 29, 1940 called “The Arsenal of Democracy” ("Franklin Delano"). It was one of twenty-eight fireside chats that Roosevelt would eventually give, but it would become known as one of his best speeches (Roosevelt xi). In this chat he again used the radio to talk to Americans in their homes, where it felt relaxed and informal, despite addressing a serious issue that our nation faced (Roosevelt xi). Roosevelt wanted to tell the people of the United States about a growing threat caused by the Axis powers’ assault on Great Britain. He felt that America had a responsibility to help Britain and in doing so maintain our national security. President Roosevelt took a strong stance on the need to support Britain and in his speech laid out a plan to build an “arsenal of democracy” in the United States that would protect our country as well as our allies ("Franklin Delano").

President Franklin Roosevelt’s “First Fireside Chat” is a reassuring piece that inspired the nation in a time of need using his voice that projected his personal warmth and charm into the nation’s living rooms to explain the banking crisis. He slowly and comprehensibly informed the American people on what has been done and to explain the complex banking system while using rhetorical appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos to effectively restore American faith in the United States government and banking system.

Instead, most money was in the hands of a few families and businesses who saved or invested rather than spent their money on American goods. Supply became greater than demand on products. Certain people profited, but many others did not. As a result of this, prices went up and Americans could not spare the money for many goods. While the wealth in America was not being distributed evenly, and overspeculation of the stock market led to a lack of confidence, the United States began to fall into a deep depression that would last until the beginning of World War II (Gupta).

The American public was desperate for a change and Roosevelt was the solution that they were hoping for. Due to the invention of the radio, Roosevelt provided something to Americans that no previous president or political leader before him could. He would have his fireside chats, which were public addresses, be broadcasted on the radio where millions of Americans across the country could hear. Because of this, many Americans had the feeling that they knew the president on a personal level even though in reality they didn’t. Because of the radio and Roosevelt’s fireside chats, Americans felt comfortable writing to the president about their lives and struggles more so than any time before. The letters that the people suffering from the Great Depression wrote to the president and first lady were very real and personal. They told of the hardships they were going through and most asked for some sort of help or aid. The book, Down & Out in the Great Depression, is a collection of letters that are written to the government from citizens suffering from the effects of the Great Depression. For example, In letter 85, anonymous writes, “They have cut us down to 17-1/2 cent and hrs and I cant make any thing at that rate. They pay us every 2 weeks and then some time we don't have enough food to last.” Businesses were forced to lower their wages because they could no longer afford to pay workers at the previous rates they were receiving. Even though it is unfeasible for the president to read thousands of American letters personally, the American public still felt like their thoughts and opinions were still being heard. The overall message of the letters, however, was heard and addressed by Roosevelt. Americans were out of work and in poverty. They knew they couldn't help themselves so many Americans wrote to the president because they felt

The 32nd President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, is one of the most remembered and honored presidents in history. He accomplished more in twelve years in office than most presidents did put together. Nevertheless, most of these outstanding actions were a result of events that were not caused by him, but was handled by him in a very effective and efficient way. In conclusion, he totally reshaped the idea of being an American President for all future leaders, and formed outstanding relationships with the public through his fireside chats. These chats consisted of a series of thirty evening radio addresses that took place between 1933 and 1944. Roosevelt had a passion for government and greatly increased the responsibilities

In his inaugural address, President Franklin D. Roosevelt set the tone for the upcoming half century when he confidently said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. In response to the economic collapse of the Great Depression, a bold and highly experimental fleet of government bureaus and agencies known as Roosevelt’s Alphabet Soup were created to service the programs of the New Deal and to provide recovery to the American people. The New Deal was one of the most ambitious programs in American history, with implications and government programs that can still be seen to this day. Through its enactment of social reform and conservation programs, the New Deal mounted radical policies that gave the federal government unprecedented power in the nation’s economy and society, however, the New Deal did not bring America out of the Great Depression and could be considered conservative in the context of the era, ultimately saving capitalism from collapsing in America.

“Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.” Franklin D Roosevelt, an American political leader who served as the President of the United States from 1933-1945 who brought the country out of The Great Depression. Although some critics say that FDR worsened the country, he put an end to the problems of the country and helped escape the troubled situations of their rough time period especially while the citizens were dealing with the stock market crash, causing unemployment and money loss which then led to struggle of many families. The response of FDR’s administration to the problems of the Great Depression was effective because he established many New Deal programs,

The united states of America was suffering through great depression when Roosevelt aroused as a hope to all people. He belonged from wealthy and privileged family that helped to succeed in his political career. In his presidency he creates more job opportunities and source of income to those unemployed population. In the way of helping citizen he launches the new deal with the hope of betterment of country and public. The American Promise state the main objectives of new deal ; to relief to those unemployed group, to create more jobs to foster the economic recovery of farms and business and to reform the government and economy(722). Roosevelt was considered as the role model and people liked him so much that he was elected as president for four years. He is considered to be most influential president of the nation. This essay further discusses about the relation of

In 1933 history was changed for the better. Nineteen thirty three was an era where people were left devastated by the lost of many essentials that people today would take for granted. Eighty four years ago in Washington D.C the 32nd president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, gave his first inauguration speech before later serving four additional years to his country. Many of people were awaiting to hear his words spoken loud and clear stating that change was imminent with the assistance of hard work and dedication. The president’s aspiration was clearly presented as he was there to help improve their situation with plans to make things better. The purpose of president Hoover’s speech was to appeal to many through the use of pathos and ethos accompanied by his use of well known rhetoric devices such as amplification.

Each fireside chat addressed the issues that had occurred and his ideas for improvement. For instance, as banks shut down then later reopened, citizens were hesitant to secure their money in the reopened banks. However, in one of FDR’s fireside chats he motivated the nation to trust the bank when he stated; “People will again be glad to have their money where it will be safely taken care of and where they can use it conveniently at any time. I can assure you my friend, that it is safer to keep your money in a reopened bank than under your bed.” This shows that FDR wanted to motivate the country and demonstrate a recovery for the economy. Another example of his effective communication skills occurred in 1932, during his presidential campaign. FDR presented a speech to the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. The speech addressed FDR’s belief that change was possible. The country had lost hope when the economy collapsed in 1929, but FDR was willing to restore this by positively communicating his ideas. He stated that; “The final word belongs to no man; yet we can still believe in change and in progress.” Following this speech, FDR won the 1932 Election, which meant that the country believed in change as he did. The speech proved that FDR was an effective leader because he was able to motivate and uplift during the Depression. The country was in need of a leader who believed that there was a solution to The Great

Faced with the Great Depression and World War II, Franklin D Roosevelt, or “FDR”, brought America through its hardest times. Franklin Roosevelt was brought into to office during one of America's greatest domestic crisis’s, The Great Depression, this was a time when America's economy had a rigorous decline. Roosevelt acted swiftly during these times, and did what he believed was best for America. The United States changed during Franklin Roosevelt's presidency by the creation of a new role for the government in the economy, the nature of presidency changing, and the establishment of the social security act, which is an act that set up a pension system for people who have retired, established unemployment insurance, and created insurance for victims who were involved in work related accidents. This act also provided aid for mothers and children who were in poverty, the blind, and the disabled.

The year is 1940 and World War II is still raging all over Europe. The United States had to yet join the war when Franklin Delano Roosevelt made his famous "Arsenal of Democracy" speech to the whole nation in the form of a radio broadcast. FDR was very clear to his audience that his speech that night was not a fireside chat about the war, but "a talk on national security". The beginning of the speech was FDR's formal address to the nation, explaining what is happening in the nation and how the war is affecting the United States. The way he spoke, using word choice and tone, FDR made the speech seem to the citizens that The United States is strong and important. FDR alluded to Great Depression that had just recently

The data I have collected has been from the Boise State University Library (BSU) and from internet sources. There is sufficient information about FDR’s fireside chats. They are mainly an analysis of the political and economic relevance of the speeches themselves. I did find one book that was dedicated to the first fireside chat, “FDR’s First Fireside Chat, Public Confidence and the Banking Crisis” by Amos Kiewe. This gives a detailed account of the events leading up to the first fireside chat. Also the intricacies of the way it was crafted and refined, with the aid of others. There is also a section with rhetorical analysis by others: with consideration to style and delivery. And the reaction of the people closest to FDR and accounts from

America is a country well-known for the phrase, “we the people;” it is a nation created by the people for the people. “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters” (Franklin, 1840, pg. 297). This statement by Benjamin Franklin strongly emphasizes the importance of virtuous citizenry in a country founded on claims to freedom. This gives rise to the question of what makes a person virtuous and how that virtue should be cultivated. Regardless of the specifics of virtue, virtue is a value that every society should foster. However, the federal government has little active role to play in nurturing a virtuous citizenry because the power to do so has