Four Freedoms (1941)

1. Four Freedoms (1941) Franklin D. Roosevelt

2. Franklin D. Roosevelt • Born: January 30, 1882 in Hyde Park, New York • Attended Harvard University and Columbia Law School • Married Anna Eleanor Roosevelt in 1905 • Following his 5th cousin, Teddy Roosevelt, he entered public service through politics, as a Democrat • Won election to New York Senate in 1910 • President Wilson appointed him Assistant Secretary of the Navy • In the summer of 1921 he was stricken with polio and lost most of the use of his legs • 1928 he became Governor of New York • Took Presidency at the depth of the Great Depression and served as the 32nd President from 1933-1945 • He was elected President in November of 1932 and in March of 1933 there were 13,000,000 unemployed and almost every bank was closed • Established the Tennessee Valley Authority and numerous other programs to bring relief • New Deal-carious social programs including Social Security, and new control on banks and public utilities • Devoted a lot of time in the United Nations, hoping to be able to keep peace in the world • Died: April 12, 1945 in Warm Springs, Georgia

3. 1. American life is being threatened by war and communism. • “At no previous time has American security been as seriously threatened from without as it is today…Every realist knows that the democratic way of life is at this moment being directly assailed in every part of the world-assailed either by arms of by secret spreading of poisonous propaganda by those who seek to destroy unity and promote discord in nations still at peace.” • “No realistic American can expect from a dictator’s peace international generosity, or return of true independence, or world disarmament, or freedom of expression, or freedom of religion-or even good business.”

4. 2.The future of our country lies in the events outside of America. • “I find it necessary to report that the future and the safety of our country and of our democracy are overwhelmingly involved in events far beyond our borders.” • Armed defense of democratic existence is now being gallantly waged in four continents. If that defense fails, all the population and all the resources…will be dominated by the conquerors.”

5. 3. America is unprepared for war. • “It is times like these it is immature for anybody to brag that an unprepared America…can hold off the whole world.”

6. 4. Our country needs to increase the production of munitions and war supplies to aid our allies. • “The immediate need is a swift and driving increase in our armament production…I also ask this Congress for authority and for funds sufficient to manufacture additional munitions and war supplies of many kinds, to be turned over to those nations which are now in actual war with aggressor nations.” • “I recommend that we make it possible for those nations to continue to obtain war materials in the United States.”

7. 5. We will not be intimidated by dictators. • “We will not be intimidated by the threats of dictators that they will regard as a breach of international law and as an act of war our aid to the democracies which dare to resist their aggression. Such aid is not an act of war, even if a dictator should unilaterally proclaim it so to be.”

8. 6. We seek a world based upon four human freedoms. • “In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.” • Freedom of speech and expression • Freedom of every person to worship God in their own way • Freedom from want, or, economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life • Freedom from fear, or, a world-wide reduction of arms to such a point that no nation will be able to commit acts of aggression towards any other nation

9. Impact on Society • There is a lot of controversy over this document because critics think that FDR was trying to push the United States into WWII, and others believe he was trying to help the allies without getting involved directly in the war. • I think it had a big impact on society because it foreshadowed that the United States eventually had to enter into the war, no matter what side you take on this specific document.

10. Questions • Were Roosevelt’s critics fair in charging him with sneaking the United States into WWII? • Why should the United States be “the arsenal of democracy,” as Roosevelt called it in an earlier speech? • Entry into the war helped pull our country out of the depression. Do you think it was worth it? • If Roosevelt were President today, how do you think he would handle our present situation with terrorists?