“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” one of the most iconic and often referenced quotes from American History comes during the first two minutes of the provided video of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1933 inaugural address. While many see this statement as a reassurance, in reality, Roosevelt is purposely letting the American people know that their overreaction is actually making economic recovery more difficult. He reminds the citizenry that historically speaking America has always “endured” and “revived” from difficult trials that as far back as the founding fathers Americans have had to step up and personally work to overcome significant hardships. He makes it clear that he expects that they too will need to personally
President John F. Kennedy, in his inaugural address on January 1961, suggests that the United States must unify and act upon injustices in the country. He supports this claim by first calling out to countries around the world, then speaking to the citizens of America and asking them to take action, and finally by creating a sense of patriotism to help connect the people to their country. Because he is the youngest president, Kennedy adopts a tone of excitement and energy for his younger audience, but a tone of maturity and authority for his older audience members.
Abraham Lincoln wrote second Inaugural Address in March 1865. I believe he wrote it because the cause of the civil war was slavery, since he blames that God was a cause of the Civil War and slavery. Lincoln also wanted the North and south to put aside their issues that divide them in order to heal their “broken arms”.
readers to be also engaged. His tone played a role to plant a sense of alert regarding
Language plays a crucial role in the development of power. Famous personalities in the United States use rhetorical devices to emphasize a specific point and make it clear to the audience. President Thomas Jefferson is a Democratic-Republican and won the election of 1800. In 1801 he presented his inauguration speech and was significant because it was the first time in the history when the power shifted from one party to the other. Martin Luther King, Jr. served as an American minister and played an active role in the civil rights movement. John F. Kennedy delivered his speech during his inauguration in order to develop relations with the Soviet Union and end Cold War. All the speeches were delivered by most known personalities and made use of rhetorical devices such as allusion and repetition to make their message memorable in the hearts of the citizens of America.
President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his speech, Inaugural Address of the President, generalizes the importance of rebuilding the Nation. Roosevelt’s purpose is to inform the Country that things will get better. He adopts a passionate and encouraging tone in order to enlighten the people of the United States that they will rebuild from this depression. Roosevelt begins his speech by addressing the struggles that the Nation is facing with debt, poverty, and unemployment. He justifies the Nations struggles by the allusion “In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves.”
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”- President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This words were announced to the American public by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his Inaugural Address, where he tried to reassure the people that everything would be fine. Having just experienced the prosperous era of the Roaring Twenties, not many people thought good times would ever end. However, this proved to be incorrects as pandemonium and turmoil overcame the people in October 29, 1929 with the Stock Market Crash. With the economy sliding downhill, Americans faced many problems that would change the government’s role in the economy. Nevertheless, many actions were also taken by both individuals and groups alike in response to this economic depression.
The second term for President Franklin D. Roosevelt is very important for various reasons. One of them is that historically it was the first inauguration to be celebrated in January instead of March as previous presidential inaugurations. Secondary, this speech reminded people the New Deal intentions and accomplishments. Also, to underline the progress coming up and priorities in the second term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
In arguably one of the most powerful of American political addresses ever given, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt argues that, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself’, and that in order to restore America to its pre-depression state, the American people must believe that he can lead them through the Great Depression, so long as they appoint him the wartime executive powers required to handle the situation effectively. Roosevelt emphasizes the need for action through the use of biblical allusions and referring to himself as the prophet is this time of need, taking the role of Jesus, declaring, “The money changers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilization. We may now restore that temple to the ancient truths.” ; he plays upon the social needs as well as builds up his credibility with the audience by stating his plan to combat the depression, “broad Executive power to wage a war against the emergency, as great as the power that would be given to me if we were in fact invaded by a foreign foe.” ; and cements his argument with his claims of value and policy, exposing the flaws of pre-depression American society, and eventually calling for the change he believes necessary to force America out of the depression, “we apply social values more noble than mere monetary profit.”. Franklin Delano Roosevelt goes to such lengths to earn the support of his fellow Americans in order to unite the entire country in
The impending destruction of the Union was a grim reality President Abraham Lincoln had to face when he was elected in November of 1860. During the four months between President Lincoln’s election and Inauguration in March of 1861, seven southern states had already declared their secession, and elected Jefferson Davis as their confederate president. Tensions were high, and it was time for Lincoln to “end his silence.” The first inaugural address was to calm leaders of the southern slave states, and end the secession crisis by keeping them from dichotomizing the Union. Lincoln begins by addressing the southern slave states “I have no purpose, directly, or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s speech, the “Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation”, was one of the most unforgettable speeches ever given by an American president: it was a speech so profound that the attacks on Pearl Harbor still “live in infamy” (par.2). On December 7th, 1941, amidst the destruction of World War II, the Imperial Japanese military and navy launched an attack against the United States naval base in Pearl Harbour. Hours after the attack, Roosevelt addressed the nation with a declaration of war on Japan. In his speech, Roosevelt uses the pillars of persuasion to justify his declaration of war; he uses ethos to influence the American people through his authority, logos to to characterize the Japanese attacks as deplorable, and pathos to urge Americans into taking action.
Obama: “Why do you think your plan will be any better? How is sending out all of our fighters at once gonna result in peace.”
President Johnson took the oath of office in an airplane, on November 22nd, 1963, after hearing of the Kennedy’s assassination. Johnson just barely made it into office for the 1964 election. When Johnson took the oath as president in 1964, his wife made history, as the first “First Lady” to stand by her husband as he took office. When Johnson took his oath in 1965, he saw himself as an equal to everyone. While he was the one taking the official oath, he believed that he was taking the oath was not his alone, but for every American Citizen. He had big expectation for what would happen during his presidency. He said, “Our destiny in the midst of change will rest on the unchanged character of our people, and on their faith.”
A value that Calvin Coolidge discussed in his first speech as president of the Massachusetts State Senate is the concept of being the voice of people who cannot be a voice for themselves. He states, "Don't hesitate to be as revolutionary as science". By this he means that as a leader of the people, a person cannot be afraid of failure; but to be afraid to never try at all. In the first two lines of the excerpt, he explains that no matter what it is a person is supporting, they should be supporting it because they believe in it. A true leader stands behind what they feel is right, no matter what obstacles they must face in order to achieve their goal.
In his acceptance speech to the Democratic National Convention on June 27, 1936, President Franklin Roosevelt mentioned many challenges and concerns facing the United States during that time period. In his speech the President used short-hand phrases, brief references, and pejorative naming to make his larger, political and ideological points. FDR used terms like ‘economic royalists’, along with phrases like ‘new despotism wrapped in the robes of legal sanctions’, to identify the large corporations, investors and employers, who according to him are trying to influence policies and control the government for their own personal benefits. The President also uses phrases like ‘Necessitous men are not free men’, to reiterate his concerns and to point out how the working people of America are being deprived from their rights by these very same privileged employers. FDR compares 1936 to 1776, referring to the American Revolution and its significance in putting the power back in the hands of the average Americans, and how it is necessary to check the power of the corporations in order to protect the interests of the American people and restore the power back in the hands of the people.
President Lyndon B. Johnson conveyed to congress, I think, the most exhilarating and legendary dialogues in the history of America on March 15, 1965. The speech occurred after the passing of an African American demonstrator in Selma, Alabama (History Matters). Demonstrators were protesting for African Americans to have the right to vote. According to Professor Pauley, teacher of oratory at Calvin College, “the speech is considered a landmark of U.S. oratory” (Pauley 2007). The purpose of Johnson’s speech was to persuade Congress to permit a bill on reform for voting, that all of the citizens of the United States would have the opportunity to cast their vote. To make Johnson’s speech more effective he used the rhetorical strategies of pathos, logos and ethos.