The Four Freedoms

Norman Rockwell's Four Freedoms paintings. Source: The Dayton Art Institute.

Read or listen (scroll to bottom of page) to President Roosevelt's State of the Union speech from January 6, 1941. According to President Roosevelt, how is this moment different from any other historical period? In what ways does President Roosevelt attempt to prepare the country for war?

New Deal

Artist Alfred Castagne sketching WPA construction workers. Photo from FDR Presidential Library and Museum.

Find something created by one of the New Deal programs discussed in class or the textbook and provide a brief explanation of the thing and its New Deal origins in the comments. Consider buildings, public works of art, urban infrastructure or something else that you encounter between now and the end of Spring Break (April 4). Let us know how you discovered your object and why it is an important part of the New Deal.

Provide links and citations for any sources you consult in your research, and use only your own words. Keep an eye on the comments and avoid repeating an entry that someone else has already posted.

Have fun and enjoy the break!

Fireside Chat

A family listening to the radio. Source: Michigan Historical Museum

Listen to President Roosevelt's first "Fireside Chat" (Fireside Chat on Banking, March 12, 1933). What is President Roosevelt asking Americans to do to stop the Great Depression? How does this demonstrate a change in the federal government's approach to the Depression?

"I Want You to Write to Me"

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Read a biography here.

Read First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's column in Women's Home Companion asking readers to write to her to tell her their problems. What does this request suggest about the kind of problems people faced during the Great Depression? How is the relationship between the federal government and American citizens changing during this period?

1920s

Warren G. Harding, recording a speech. Photo: The Miller Center, University of Virginia

Senator Warren G. Harding of Ohio gave a speech in January, 1920 in which he discussed the idea of "Americanism."* According to Harding, what does "Americanism" mean? In what ways is this definition similar to or different from how you might define "Americanism" today?

* Go to the StudySpace section of the Give Me Liberty! website for a downloadable version of Harding's speech, as well as a transcript. The Harding speech is under the "Audio 2" tab.