ANALYSIS In addition, the rest of the world,

ANALYSIS In addition, the rest of the world,

ANALYSIS OF FDR’S INAUGURAL SPEECH During the time of President’s Roosevelt’s First Inaugural Address in early 1933, the United States was still feeling the horrible shock and disappointments the Great Depression brought about. In addition, the  rest of the world, especially Europe was also suffering from the outcome of the Great Depression, since the US immediately demanded that foreign debts be paid. Other world issues included Europe still dealing with the aftermath of World War I in a revolutionary style (an example is the instating of the Third Reich in Germany by the Nazi Party with Adolf Hitler as the country’s Chancellor).The document was written/presented to the citizens of the United States on March 4, 1933 at the Capitol in Washington DC. The purpose of Franklin Roosevelt’s speech was to start his presidency by addressing the people of the United States on his inauguration day. With this speech he addressed several issues and major themes that currently surrounded the country at the time, especially the Great Depression and the economic panic that was still sweeping the nation and hitting home in the majority of US towns and cities.

Other major themes included the unimportance of material wealth, unemployment, the greatness of the constitutional system, and the future. To fix employment, Franklin suggested, “It can be accomplished in part by direct recruiting by the Government itself, treating the task as we would treat the emergency of a war, but at the same time, through this employment, accomplishing greatly needed projects to stimulate and reorganize the use of our natural resources. He truly believed that military jobs could fix greatly help unemployment, but at the same time bring the nation back on its feet by taking advantage economically with what the country had to offer. Through his speech, Franklin acknowledged the fears, tragedies, hopes, and dreams that lingered in the heart of every American. For the unimportance of material wealth, Franklin believed Americans should take pride in their hard work, but not gluttonous with their money: “Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the  joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.

The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits. ” Franklin also stresses the greatness of the constitutional system in the United States: “That is why our constitutional system has proved itself the most superbly enduring political mechanism the modern world has produced. It has met every stress of vast expansion of territory, of foreign wars, of bitter internal strife, of world relations. ” He praises it because he believes it as never failed the country in any way.

The constitutional system has guided the country through many conflicts before, and it can certainly get the US back on its feet now. Finally, Franklin’s entire speech addresses the future of the United States and its people as a whole: We do not distrust the future of essential democracy. The people of the United States have not failed. In their need they have registered a mandate that they want direct, vigorous action. They have asked for discipline and direction under leadership. They have made me the present instrument of their wishes.

In the spirit of the gift I take it. He believes that through himself, the country can achieve its goals of moving on to better and greater things, especially after overcoming the Great Depression. Questions I would like to ask President Franklin Roosevelt are: Before you were elected into office, what kind of ideas did you have to solve the country’s problems? Did those ideas alter or diminish during your presidency? What influenced changes in both ideas and goals? Insight into the period of history that I gained was how the “American Dream” had changed during this time. Americans no longer wanted material wealth.

Instead, they desired survival and the ability to support their family through means of employment. People, men especially, wanted their pride back that the Great Depression and pulled out from under their feet. President Roosevelt addressed this, as he associated with his citizens by promising that they would get their pride back. He whole-heartedly told Americans that he was sent to fulfill the country’s destiny of prosperity and pride. Other things I learned about this era were that the separation of religion and state was not as stressed as it is now and that many people had issues with the government.Roosevelt ended his speech by saying: “In  this dedication of a Nation we humbly ask the blessing of God. May He protect each and every one of us.

May He guide me in the days to come. ” People also no longer had faith in the government, especially after Hoover being in office and being blamed for the Great Depression in 1929, even though he had practically just entered office. Roosevelt comforted Americans by promising that they had not failed and now the constitutional system would not fail them.