
Documents in Detail: FDR's 1944 State of the Union Speech
In this month’s episode of Documents in Detail, TAH faculty members discussed the meaning, context around, and importance of Franklin Roosevelt’s 1933 State of the Union address, famous for its full-throated defense of FDR’s vision for a reformed America, what he called a “second” Bill of Rights, and how he worked with his political allies and adversaries to frame, present, and even sometimes misrepresent, his foreign and domestic policies. An ever-complicated man, FDR’s motives are often difficult to discern, although papers such as the 1944 SOTU offer a clear sense of his understanding of what America ought to be.
Focus Document
- 1944 State of the Union Address, Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1944
Complementary Documents
- First Inaugural Address, FDR, 1933
- Second Inaugural Address, FDR, 1937
Scholars
- Dr. John Moser, Ashland University
- Dr. Eric Pullin, Carthage College
- Dr. Alonzo Hamby, Professor Emeritus, Ohio University