Franklin D. Roosevelt
First Inaugural Address | 1933
Inaugural Address
March 4, 1933
I am certain that my fellow Americans expect that on my induction into the Presidency I will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our Nation impels. This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. 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, nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. 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 which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.
In such a spirit on my part and on yours we face our common difficulties. They concern, thank God, only material things. Values have shrunken to fantastic levels; taxes have risen; our ability to pay has fallen; government of all kinds is faced by serious curtailment of income; the means of exchange are frozen in the currents of trade; the withered leaves of industrial enterprise lie on every side; farmers find no markets for their produce; the savings of many years in thousands of families are gone.
More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence, and an equally great number toil with little return. Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment.
Yet our distress comes from no failure of substance. We are stricken by no plague of locusts. Compared with the perils which our forefathers conquered because they believed and were not afraid, we have still much to be thankful for. Nature still offers her bounty and human efforts have multiplied it. Plenty is at our doorstep, but a generous use of it languishes in the very sight of the supply. Primarily this is because the rulers of the exchange of mankind's goods have failed, through their own stubbornness and their own incompetence, have admitted their failure, and abdicated. Practices of the unscrupulous money changers stand indicted in the court of public opinion, rejected by the hearts and minds of men.
True they have tried, but their efforts have been cast in the pattern of a n outworn tradition. Faced by failure of credit they have proposed only the lending of more money. Stripped of the lure of profit by which to induce our people to follow their false leadership, they have resorted to exhortations, pleading tearfully for res tored
confidence. They know only the rules of a generation of self-seekers. They have no vision, and when there is no vision the people perish.
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. The measure of the restoration lies in the extent to which we apply social values more noble than mere monetary profit.
Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of crea tive effort. The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits. These dark days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men.
Recognition of the falsity of material wealth as the standard of success goes hand in hand with the abandonment of the false belief that public office and high political position are to be valued only by the standards of pride of place and personal profit; and there must be an end to a conduct in banking and in business which too often has given to a sacred trust the likeness of callous and selfish wrongdoing. Small wonder that confidence languishes, for it thrives only on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection, on unselfish performance; without them it cannot live.
Restoration calls, however, not for changes in ethics alone. This Nation asks for action, and action now.
Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. This is no unsolvable problem if we face it wisely and courageously. 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.
Hand in hand with this we must frankly recognize the overbalance of population in our industrial centers and, by engaging on a national scale in a redistribution, endeavor to provide a better use of the land for those best fitted for the land. The task can be helped by definite efforts to raise the values of agricultural products and with this the power to purchase the output of our cities. It can be helped by preventing realistically the tragedy of the growing loss through foreclosure of our small homes and our farms. It can be helped by insistence that the Federal, State, and local governments act forthwith on the demand that thei r cost be drastically reduced. It can be helped by the unifying of relief activities which today are often scattered, uneconomical, and unequal. It can be helped by national planning for and supervision of all forms of transportation and of communications and other utilities which have a definitely public character. There are many ways in which it can be helped, but it can never be helped merely by talking about it. We must act and act quickly.
Finally, in our progress toward a resumption of work we require two safeguards against a return of the evils of the old order; there must be a strict supervision of all banking and credits and investments; there must be an end to speculation with other people's money, and there must be provision for an adequate but sound currency.
There are the lines of attack. I shall presently urge upon a new Congress in special session detailed measures for their fulfillment, and I shall seek the immediate assistance of the several States.
Through this program of action we address ourselves to putting our own national house in order and making income balance outgo. Our international trade relations, though vastly important, are in point of time and necessity secondary to the establishment of a sound national economy. I favor as a pr actical policy the putting of first things first. I shall spare no effort to restore world trade by international economic readjustment, but the emergency at home cannot wait on that accomplishment.
The basic thought that guides these specific means of national recovery is not narrowly nationalistic. It is the insistence, as a first consideration, upon the interdependence of the various elements in all parts of the United States; a recognition of the old and permanently important manifestation of the Americ an spirit of the pioneer. It is the way to recovery. It is the immediate way. It is the strongest assurance that the recovery will endure.
In the field of world policy I would dedicate this Nation to the policy of the good neighbor; the neighbor who resolutely respects himself and, because he does so, respects the rights of others ;the neighbor who respects his obligations and respects the sanctity of his agreements in and with a world of neighbors.
If I read the temper of our people correctly, we now reali ze as we have never realized before our interdependence on each other; that we can not merely take but we must give as well; that if we are to go forward, we must move as a trained and loyal army willing to sacrifice for the good of a common discipline, because without such discipline no progress is made, no leadership becomes effective. We are, I know, ready and willing to submit our lives and property to such discipline, because it makes possible a leadership which aims at a larger good. This I propose to offer, pledging that the larger purposes will bind upon us all as a sacred obligation with a unity of duty hitherto evoked only in time of armed strife.
With this pledge taken, I assume unhesitatingly the leadership of this great army of our people dedica ted to a disciplined attack upon our common problems.
Action in this image and to this end is feasible under the form of government which we have inherited from our ancestors. Our Constitution is so simple and practical that it is possible always to meet extraordinary needs by changes in emphasis and arrangement without loss of essential form. 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.
It is to be hoped that the normal balance of executive and legislative authority may be wholly adequate to meet the unprecedented task before us. But it may be that an unprecedented demand and need for undelayed action may call for temporary departure from that normal balance of public procedure.
I am prepared under my constitutional duty to recommend the measures that a stricken nation in the midst of a stricken world may require. These measures, or such other measures as the Congress may build out of its experience and wisdom, I shall seek, within my constitutional authority, to bring to speedy adoption.
But in the event that the Congress shall fail to take one of these two courses, and in the event that the national emergency is still critical, I shall not evade the clear course of duty that will then confront me. I shall ask the Congress for the one remaining instrument to meet the crisis, 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.
For the trust reposed in me I will return the courage and the devotion that befit the time. I can do no less.
We face the arduous days that lie before us in the warm courage of the national unity; with the clear consciousness of seeking old and precious moral values; with the clean satisfaction that comes from the stern performance of duty by old and young alike. We aim at the assurance of a rounded and permanent national life.
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 disci pline and direction under leadership. They have made me the present instrument of their wishes. In the spirit of the gift I take it.
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.
Logging in, please wait...
0 General Document comments
0 Sentence and Paragraph comments
0 Image and Video comments
- In this context, what is meant by “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”?
- Why is FDR “thankful” about the current situation?
- What is the greatest task of the govt that FDR sees moving forward? How will it be accomplished?
- Why might FDR bring up the “spirit of the pioneer”?
- What commentary is FDR making about powers of the executive & legislative branches?
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
FDR firmly believes that hope and resolve with one another will save the country. To prevent drastic change like Bolshevism, FDR reassures the American people that while everything is bad, the panic (riots included) will only make things worse.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment Hide Thread Detail
New Conversation
New Conversation
Hide Thread Detail
He later states that the solution to a crisis caused by greed is to resurrect noble values; however, this must be done with the momentum and honesty that fear would prohibit.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
Hide Thread Detail
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
Hide Thread Detail
FDR’s sentiments are very similar to what Hoover aimed to do by attending the World Series game and making overly optimistic predictions. FDR’s more realistic, but hopeful, attitude may have garnered him more political support.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
New Conversation
I think when FDR talks about fear he is talking about how the fear of something is usually more scary than the thing itself. By him saying this he is sending the message that people need to be more aware of their feelings towards something and maybe this way some events will be less stressful and tramatic than they have to be.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Although he is confident in the nation’s ability to recover from depression, he still advises people not to let fear carry them away, realizing that it may bring the nation harm and unravel any progress the government might have succeeded in.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
(i.e the American Civil War originated from an extreme cultural debate that led to deadly civil war between the North and South)
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
FDR is thankful that the current situation “only” impacts the economic and financial well being of the country. Instead, he highlights the fact that America’s natural resources,government, and, most importantly the American people and spirit remain intact in this difficult time, an uplifting message drawing on the notion of American exceptionalism to encourage the population.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
FDR is also grateful that the situation is not worse. He tries to be an optimist and is grateful the country is not at war or struck with a pandemic
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment Hide Thread Detail
New Conversation
He does not try to deny that the issues in the American economy are serious (as shown by his words in the next paragraph) but he attempts to keep people thankful for all of the things they have outside of wealth. I think this mixture of optimism but not complete avoidance of the struggles faced by Americans is what made this speech so popular. He is being a good leader by seriously addressing the problem without spreading fear and panic.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment Hide Thread Detail
With this small reminder, he could be recalling memories of WWI and the lives lost during it or even the Civil War, when the country was completely split between ideologies. I think this makes the problem at hand seem more manageable and gives people more hope.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
However, in doing so, he does not dismiss the seriousness of the depression itself even though it may only concern “material” things. Additionally, through his comment, he attempts to calm the people and boost their confidence and subtly suggests that “material” concerns are more easily fixable than a moral concern like the slavery issue. He seems to be telling the American people, “if we were able to rise after the Civil War which stemmed from a moral issue, then this economic depression is a piece of cake”
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Obviously more likely to put FDR in a more favorable light than Hoover, who kept denying the dreadful state of the nation to the end. Through his acknowledgment of the issue at hand, FDR displays his capabilities since he realizes the first step to efficiently solve a problem, is to admit that there IS a (HUGE) problem in the first place. Only then the nation can move forward.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
FDR argues that the depression only concerned “material things.” Despite the depression, FDR reasons that compared with what Americans had to deal with in the past, Americans of the 1930s should be thankful that there is actually a surplus of goods, even though it was managed poorly by businesses. Thus, FDR showed that he remained hopeful that the situation was within the government’s capabilities to handle.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
Although the nation is in a dire situation, the founding fathers of the United States went through worse during the first years of the nation. The founding fathers overcame the struggles that they went through when establishing our nation. Their confidence and fearlessness helped them push through difficult times. FDR believes that we should be thankful for the nature and the plentiful opportunities that it has to offer to improve the nation and the situations of its citizens.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
New Conversation
With a root cause of the Depression being inequality of wealth, Roosevelt perceives this national crisis not only as a “dark reality”, but also as an optimistic chance to revert the state of the economy to prosperity. By understanding the severity of the situation as well as the importance of monetary gain, morality, and social efforts, Roosevelt believes he can fix the economic structure to be more equal to everyone.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
He criticizes the hunger for wealth and the get rich quick mindset that played a hand in causing the depression. FDR suggests that rather than considering material wealth as the end goal, happiness and joy in doing the work you love should be the goal. If people don’t abandon the dangerous materialistic mindset, he seems to warn, a similar depression is more than likely to happen again.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
He implies that truth and honesty should be universal in the function of all institutions; wealth does not measure success like high political offices do not measure pride. Lack thereof, in cases of greed and unhealthy profit, would inevitably lead to trouble, and thus this is an issue he wishes to tackle.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
I think that FDR is now realizing that he needs to be the one to bring America to the next level and get them out of this mess. He understands that what they were doing before to try and prevent this depression and manage it isn’t working and he needs to be the one to shed light on this dark time.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
FDR sees that the greatest task of the government is to employ people. FDR believes that this can be be accomplished by starting government funded projects that require the work of men. With Roosevelt’s plan the rate of unemployment will go down and the projects will improve the state of the nation’s natural resources.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
Roosevelt highlights the opportunity to accomplish greatly needed tasks (such as infrastructure projects) with such a large available workforce. FDR also emphasizes the importance of redistributing land to prevent overcrowding in cities. This would not over improve sanitation, but would increase opportunity for those looking to cultivate land (Don’t overproduce though…) or start businesses. He understands that the government can and must expand its size to serve its people. Specifically by expanding transportation, communication, and other utilities.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
Hide Thread Detail
New Conversation
This can be done by preventing foreclosures, unifying relief activities, national planning of transportation, etc.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
He is not only looking to boost the economic stance of the US, but the spirit of the people.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
Similarly, Roosevelt argues that Americans had every capability and spirit to overcome the depression.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
He proves that, yes, the challenges of the great depression will be hard for all Americans, but if met with the same vigor that American pioneers met their hardships with on the Oregon Trail, these hardships will be overcome.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
Since the pioneer spirit is still regarded positively in the minds of Americans(American exceptionalism and all), and by linking it with the issue of the depression, FDR attempts to boost the nation’s confidence.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
Interesting how Roosevelt now is appearing to reject the “responsibilities of a world power” to focus more on themselves, back to isolationism over imperialism? Or maybe American policy had always just cherry picked the excuse of world order when it suited them and rejected responsibility when they wanted to, demonstrated by how they acted when they were the main creditor nation.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
Although in an ideal situation the balance between the executive and legislative powers would be equal, the United States is in a dire situation and action needs to be taken immediately. The need for immediate action to improve the state of the nation may temporarily set off the balance between the branches of government.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
Despite the fact that Jefferson did not make any recommendations to Congress during his two terms, FDR claims that he has the “constitutional authority” to direct Congress. If Congress does not seek his help or use it, he will take executive action.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment Hide Thread Detail
New Conversation
FDR speaks in broad terms about “constitutional duty” or “constitutional authority” (he never defines what that actually means), suggesting that he will take a looser interpretation of the Constitution when exercising his powers. FDR emphasizes the executive branch’s role in government, arguing that he will take decisive action rather than idly approve Congress’s policies.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
New Conversation
New Conversation
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
Roosevelt pledges to offer legislation to Congress and approve any legislation that Congress develops. However, Roosevelt warns that if Congress is unable to either pass legislation of their own or that of the Executive Branch, Roosevelt will ask Congress for “broad Executive power” similar to those during wartime in order to resolve the depression.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
He assures them that despite their current plight, the American dream has not died. “The people of the United States have not failed” — they will persevere, as they always had with a pioneer spirit. Also, he again demonstrates optimism through a readiness to take the reins of government, prepared to make unprecedented decisions and perhaps tipping the balance of power of the federal branches if the crisis calls for it.
New Conversation
Hide Full Comment
General Document Comments 0