Question

“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.”

From this excerpt of Roosevelt’s 1933 inaugural speech, explain what message he is trying to get across to the American people.

Answer 1

In that excerpt from his 1933 inaugural speech, President Franklin D. Roosevelt attempted to establish a sense of confidence and determination in the American people by encouraging them to not allow fear to hold them back. He stated that the nation would remain strong and continue to thrive, even in the face of challenges, and that the only thing that could damage progress was an unfounded and irrational fear. He urged the American people to confront their difficulties head-on and use any fear they may have as a driving force for advancement.