Question

1. DETERMINING CONTEXT What were the fears that Roosevelt referred to in his
inaugural speech?

Answer 1

Roosevelt's inaugural speech addressed the fears associated with the Great Depression, encouraging Americans to overcome fear itself and restore confidence in the economy. He prioritized the stabilization of the banking system and called for unity in supporting his New Deal policies.

Step-by-step explanation:

The fears referred to by Franklin D. Roosevelt in his inaugural speech were the fears fueling the economic instability during the Great Depression. He spoke about overcoming fear itself, which he described as "nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror." Roosevelt urged the nation to unite in restoring confidence and taking collective action to rebuild and revitalize the economy. He promoted a spirit of optimism and a sense of community, setting a tone of strong presidential leadership and government intervention to steer the country away from the economic despair gripping it at the time.

The new president's immediate priority was to restore order in the banking system, which was characterized by widespread bank failures and foreclosures. By declaring a banking holiday and assuring the people of the fundamental strength of the nation's production capacity, Roosevelt aimed to stabilize the financial system, instilling confidence and courage among Americans to support his New Deal recovery initiatives.

Answer 2

"The only thing we [Americans] have to fear is fear itself," Roosevelt remarks.

He's behaving like a parent, aiming to alleviate the public's anxieties about the state of the country in the same way that a parent would quiet a child's fears.

By employing the word "we," he avoids a patronizing tone that might otherwise be implied. This phrase implies that the American people should be terrified solely of letting their dread obstruct their attempts to address the country's economic difficulties.

Before they can take physical action, they must overcome this psychological hurdle.

When the president states that the obstacles ahead aren't so difficult that they won't be able to conquer them, members of the audience should feel compelled to put aside their fears about what will happen next and focus on supporting others and the country's leadership.