Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” said Franklin Roosevelt, the thirty-second president of the United States, in one of the most powerful political speeches never uttered by an American president. President Roosevelt assumed the presidency during some of the darkest times in American history. He addressed the nation in a time of uncertainty and in a time of great fear. American citizens were insecure about the economic situation of the United States, as they were in the midst of the Great Depression. The Great Depression was the result of the stock market crash of 1929, also known as Black Tuesday. After the crash, profits plummeted, prices plummeted, and incomes fell. In the United States, unemployment rose to 25%. The nation was starved for physical and emotional sustenance, and Roosevelt's speech came at just the right time to satisfy and ease the minds of many Americans. Roosevelt delivered his first inaugural address to the masses who needed reassurance. In his inaugural address, Roosevelt acknowledges the faults for which the government is responsible and highlights his confidence in himself to get the country back on track. He wanted to wage war on the Great Depression, and he needed all the executive freedom he could get to wage that war. By stating that we need not be afraid of fear, Roosevelt inspired a nation that was experiencing great economic and emotional hardship. In his speech, Roosevelt hopes to give Americans the courage to work to get the country back on track and to earn their trust as the newly elected leader. With his inaugural address, Franklin Roosevelt attempted to pacify the workers... middle of paper......the speech Roosevelt captured everyone's attention and managed to impose his influence from the beginning. By using metaphors and connecting with Jesus and as a leader of a greater cause there was a much greater religious connection. Roosevelt truly demonstrated that there are more important things in life than just materialistic things, and that family and purpose in life are much more valuable. stakes-of-standardized-tests/ http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/on_performance/2011/07/why_we_still_need_standardized_testing_post-scandal.html http://www.forbes.com/sites/danielfisher/2012/05/02 /poor-students-are-the-real-victims-of-university-discrimination/ http://ideas.time.com/2012/10/11/why-its-time-to-get-rid-of- standardized -tests/ http://www.american.com/archive/2007/july-august-magazine-contents/abolish-the-sat