Four Freedoms

Ramsis #53

Mon. 4:00-6:40 History 110

Nobiletti 12/12/13

Four freedoms

11 months before the United States of America would declare war on Japan, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a speech to the American people known as the “four freedoms” on January 6, 1941.1 The main purpose of this speech was to rally support to enter World War 2, however in order to declare war the United States Of America had to abandon the isolationist policies that emerged out of WWI. These four freedoms would establish human rights after the war, but more importantly they would resonate through the United States for decades after the war. Some of these freedoms have remained the same and some of these freedoms have changed throughout the years. We will be looking at three periods and comparing how the freedoms varied from each of the three periods.

Freedom of speech is the gift to speak one’s mind, challenge political figures, stand up for what you believe in, and most importantly never have a fear that the words you say can cost you your life.2 In the 1800s-1900s many inventions such as the television, radios, typewriter, and telephone were invented that have allowed ones speech to reach all of the United States within a turn of a switch.3

During the Gilded Age white were understood to be at the top and all other ethnicities were below them as well in the 1941, however during the 1950-1980 things were starting to change but not dramatically. White men in all three periods were allowed to speak their minds and say whatever they wanted because in their minds they understood that they were at the top.4 For example, white men joined forces and created the unions to go against the overbearing power of corporations.5 These corporations c...

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...Liberty! An American History. 4th ed. (W.W. Norton, 2012), 830.

20.) Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History. 4th ed. (W.W. Norton, 2012), 875.

21.) Ibid., 498

22.) Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History. 4th ed. (W.W. Norton, 2012), 690.

23.) Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History. 4th ed. (W.W. Norton, 2012), 874.

24.) Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History. 4th ed. (W.W. Norton, 2012), 759.

25.) Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History. 4th ed. (W.W. Norton, 2012), 840.

26.) Ibid., 875

27.) Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History. 4th ed. (W.W. Norton, 2012), 815.

28.) Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History. 4th ed. (W.W. Norton, 2012), 920.

29.) Ibid., 698

30.) Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History. 4th ed. (W.W. Norton, 2012), 599.

31.) Ibid., 741

32.) Ibid., 875