What Was The Main Purpose Of President Roosevelt's Speech?

With the level of scandal and conspiracy surrounding our current presidential election, it may seem difficult to imagine an election where the candidates were barely divisive, and a photo of a presidential nominee skinny dipping in the Hudson River was not enough to cause scandal, or even interest in a major-party candidate. However, if we rewind the clock just 112 years to the election of 1904, we find a Cortland County native running as the Democratic Party candidate that no one could say anything bad about. Unfortunately for him, he was running against the very popular Theodore Roosevelt.

Every week, FDR addressed the nation in radio talks, known as Fireside Chats. One such chat on May 27, 1941 is where he discussed why and how the US should aid its allies that were involved in the war. To begin with, Roosevelt states that to Congress, he said “I should like to be able to offer the hope that the shadow over the world might swiftly pass. I cannot”. Because of an embargo on arms in a Neutrality declaration, the US was not permitted to send war materials to countries at war. This shows that Roosevelt’s vision for America was to help other countries because he asked Congress to repeal a provision that limited the aid the US could give. Roosevelt stated that a year after he said this to Congress, a deal was finalized with

“A date which will live in infamy” is a phrase most associated with this day. An unprovoked attack aimed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 left the nation vulnerable to various outside powers. Franklin Delano Roosevelt knew the vital importance of creating and leading a crusade, so his purpose in addressing the nation was to declare war against Japan and rally the support of the citizens of America. Until the devastating bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japan had been considered an ally. Roosevelt’s speech was about bringing justice to the nation and being honest with the people about the terrible events that had just occurred. Roosevelt, serving as the thirty-second president of the United States, was in his second term when the attack happened.

Throughout the speech FDR presented facts and evidence to prove that the attack was a surprise and to demonstrate that he was familiar with the events that took place. One of the reasons why FDR was declaring war against Japan was because the attack on Pearl Harbor was deliberately planned. He stated that the distance from Hawaii to Japan made it obvious that the attack was planned many days or even weeks in advance. He gave details about the time leading up to the attack when the Japanese government misled the United States by giving false statements of hope for continued peace. By presenting these facts in his speech, FDR proved to his audience that the attack was intentional. Many people would believe that someone knew about the attack, and the President clarified that the attack was a surprise by giving information on the events that took place leading up to the attack. Parts of his speech were logic driven to provide evidence for why the United States was declaring war.

Also in this speech there is a lot of repetition and parallelism to portray Japan as the enemy. Roosevelt does a very good job at this. He states, “Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night…” in which he is telling facts about the negative things Japan had done the day before. This is showing his audience in an indirect way how bad japan is towards other countries and not just America, which is proving his point on why they need to declare war on japan and stop their military from advancing

He got memos about a strike on the United States, which did not specify that it was going to be on Pearl Harbor exactly. We as a nation have gotten loads of threats, that does not mean we will always know when and where and it cannot guarantee our safety. Roosevelt did his best to insure that the U.S. was as secure as he could, because that is the job of a president. Saldy, FDR did not get hard evidence stating that the location of this vicious bombing was going to be Pearl Harbor or he would have set forth security insurance for the nation. No elected president would let thousands of people die, especially Franklin D.

The President continues his speech with talking about the “Deliberate” attack Japan planned. He says, “The Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace” (Lines 15-16). Once again, this is an example of Pathos. The US was misled by the Japanese into thinking they were allies, while in reality they were planning a massive attack on Pearl Harbor. This was a blatant lie by the Japanese. Roosevelt wants to emphasize this lie, which will create anger among the congressmen. This is another great technique Roosevelt uses to persuade Congress to go to war.

FDR knew that to connect with this audience and persuade them to see his point of view, he would have to appeal to them on every level possible. He uses ethos, pathos and logos in the speech to make these connections. He is a grand orator, often a bit dramatic even, but Roosevelt plays well on their sense of pride many times referring to “the greatness of our nation” ("Franklin Delano").

After Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor, FDR had been taken under extreme pressure. The day after the

Before reaching the personal conclusion about a one sided story, we shall consider the information provided in the last two chapters. Chapter twenty focused on the Spanish and how Hawaii’s annexation was provoked through war with the Spanish. Roosevelt was desperate for war; meanwhile, McKinley contemplated it, but attempted to avoid war: “McKinley had known war and did not want it. Roosevelt knew nothing about war firsthand, but was entranced by it” (Coffman 294). Demonstrating how past experiences shaped each individual’s solution and perception of how to address problems. While their views differed, McKinley did acknowledge that Roosevelt was right about how the US’ interests in Hawaii should not concern the Japanese. With a little bit of reassurance, Roosevelt began to devise war plans; he avoided the advice of Long, the attorney general, and even purposely waited till Long was out of office to act on certain ambitions. Roosevelt was sneaky, he wanted the war; he wanted the fight and nothing was going to stop him. With these

In his acceptance speech to the Democratic National Convention on June 27, 1936, President Franklin Roosevelt mentioned many challenges and concerns facing the United States during that time period. In his speech the President used short-hand phrases, brief references, and pejorative naming to make his larger, political and ideological points. FDR used terms like ‘economic royalists’, along with phrases like ‘new despotism wrapped in the robes of legal sanctions’, to identify the large corporations, investors and employers, who according to him are trying to influence policies and control the government for their own personal benefits. The President also uses phrases like ‘Necessitous men are not free men’, to reiterate his concerns and to point out how the working people of America are being deprived from their rights by these very same privileged employers. FDR compares 1936 to 1776, referring to the American Revolution and its significance in putting the power back in the hands of the average Americans, and how it is necessary to check the power of the corporations in order to protect the interests of the American people and restore the power back in the hands of the people.

Franklin D. Roosevelt became President of the United States during a time where there was great turmoil amongst the economy and organization of the country. America was just barely recovering from the Great Depression, and they finally had a trustable and strong leader, Franklin D. Roosevelt, to guide them. FDR took on a major role in the progression of America as a country, and that is due to his powerful leadership and speaking skills. Considering the excerpt was recorded through audio of a radio speech, FDR was not able to take advantages of writing strategies that can enhance his points and tones; he still manages to express his thoughts and ideas for the country in a very concise and well-spoken speech. Even though his speech was through his own words, Franklin D. Roosevelt utilizes rhetorical devices in order to reassure the American citizens and establish that he is a hardworking

The first rhetorical appeal that President Roosevelt uses in this speech is ethos. The ethos in Roosevelt’s speech is quite apparent. As the President of the United States, he is already viewed as a credible source for information. Roosevelt provides a significant number of details pertaining to the attack on Pearl Harbor and other attacks that the Japanese carried out in conjunction with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, further establishing his ethos as a good source of information. By sharing additional details about the events of December 7th, it lends credibility to what he was saying about the bombings of Pearl Harbor. Roosevelt also strengthens his ethos by flaunting his sizeable vocabulary, “[A] date which will live in infamy... / [A]t the solicitation of Japan... / [T]his premeditated invasion...” By Roosevelt’s determination to use these vigorous words, he is hinting at the fact that he is indubitably well educated, which adds to his credibility. Roosevelt also tells everyone,”As the commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have

It was done so to make a point that the "great war effort" cant be stopped by anything unless we are willing to face the consequences. He wants all the stated reasons "those who put their own selfish interests above the interests of the nation" to not be an issue and for them to stand down. " Must" is very demanding. this shows leadership. President Roosevelt throws words like American, attacked, and Sacrifice throughout his speech.

Roosevelt also uses this main topic for the mood of his entire speech; detailing the hopelessness that these families feel during this crucial time. Another great rhetoric device that Roosevelt utilizes in his speech is that of religion. In the closing statement of his inaugural speech, Roosevelt asks that, “In this dedication of a Nation we humbly ask the blessing of God. May He protect each and every one of us. May He guide me in the days to come.”  His reference to God was added in an attempt to bring together the American people even in the greatest despair by using the topic most relatable for people, especially at this time. Roosevelt also declares that, “These dark days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men.” Not only has he successfully engineered his speech in a way that puts audience members in the same state of mind, but he also goes on to enlighten these very same people to further instill hope and pride. Not only is this an effective rhetoric in his speech,