NRR Project: Complete Presidential Speeches, Franklin D.
Roosevelt (1932-1945) and
Fireside Chats, Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1944)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a phenomenon. Creative, forceful, and patient, he guided America through 13 years of turmoil – the Great Depression and World War II – as the 32nd President of the United States. The country rarely had so strong and dynamic a figure to look up to, and due to his actions he became one of the era’s great leaders.
He set up many of the social welfare agencies, including Social Security; he set up the Securities and Exchange Commission and many other agencies as well. He created jobs through government work projects, and through those jobs improved vast areas of America’s infrastructure, as well as contributing to the culture. And his resolute defiance of fascism helped to insure the Allies’ defeat of the Nazis and their ilk.
A large part of his popularity with the general public (Republicans and news editorial boards hated him) was due to his ability to communicate. In dozens of speeches, he eloquently and simply put forward the progressive proposals he had for America, and he reassured a worried public about the strength of the economy as well. Instead of hiding behind official pronouncements, he went frequently to the radio, his favorite medium, as a way to inform and influence the general listener (he began using radio as the governor of New York).
His “Fireside Chats” are particularly memorable. (They are so-called because his second chat took place next to a blazing fire.) Rather than avoid the issues, or to make pleasant double-talk, Roosevelt in his broadcasts would develop and expound upon one issue at a time, patiently explicating his thinking and making a case for the reforms he knew would transform society.
His familiar voice was listened to by millions – he was carried on all the networks. The more than two dozen chats he initiated became welcome in all manner of homes. People listened to and trusted him – a reality that does not exist with today’s politicians.
Was Roosevelt a visionary or a would-be dictator? No matter where the verdict of history places him, he remained an immense source of inspiration for the Greatest Generation. You can find out more information here and here.
The National Recording Registry Project tracks one writer’s expedition through all the recordings in the National Recording Registry in chronological order. Next up: Goodnight, Irene.
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