LAD #34: FDR's First Inaugural Address

Summarize:

Franklin D. Roosevelt opens his Inaugural Address as well as his record breaking four term presidency with the famous quote, "This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself". FDR addresses the clear problem that succumbed the nation in the early 1930's, the Great Depression. He recognizes that the increase of taxes and decrease of money to pay them effects every American. However, Roosevelt does not lament a seemingly unsolvable problem, rather, he reflects on the hardships Americans have overcome in the past and how America is still the land of opportunities, which FDR had every intention of making use of. Roosevelt clearly dispenses the need of wealth and material goods. He instead attributes joy to physical success and achievement. He claims that action has not yet been taken and Roosevelt reassures the nation that he will not be idle in their time of need. Additionally, Franklin Roosevelt addresses other problems the nation has as well. These include the overpopulated urban areas which have not only succumbed to corruption, but have also befallen an extremely low quality of life as inhabitants are plagued with disease, pollution, and overcrowding. Lastly, Roosevelt addresses the need for jobs throughout the nation. He tells the nation that the hard times are not over, but the times of inaction are.
Franklin D. Roosevelt's First (of Four) Inaugural Address
Theodore Roosevelt's Inaugural Address
Even though the ideas of Teddy Roosevelt are not completely the same as FDR's, both Roosevelts presented much different views than their predecessors and enacted these changes in the nation. FDR's focus on government action to end the Great Depression sharply contradicted Hoover's plan of inaction. Similarly, Teddy Roosevelt focused on foreign affairs and became the world's policeman, this is immensely different from the isolationist policies that had consumed America until then. Additionally, his domestic affairs were equally refreshing to the nation struggling from the government's laissez-faire and pro-business policies. Teddy became the trust buster, and rightfully so, as he attacked corruption and poor working conditions.

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