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By spring 1933 the country had been immersed in a terrible Depression for more than three years. Calm assurance had been widely replaced by anxiety, uncertainty, and despair. Roosevelt's charismatic personality helped change the mood of the nation almost overnight. With his election in November 1932, the country became hopeful. In his first inaugural address, on 4 March 1933, Roosevelt declared: "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself," and he proclaimed to the American people that he was asking Congress for "broad Executive power to wage a war against the emergency." In this speech, and in the frequent "fireside chats" he broadcast to the nation over the radio, the new president's strong, reassuring voice exuded confidence and heartened millions. His steady and encouraging words meant as much to some as the policies he promoted.
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This section contains 141 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) |
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