Franklin Delano Roosevelt: The Speech that Moved America

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It is a sunny, crisp December day in Oahu, Hawaii. All along the shore kids are putting quarters into viewfinders to get a better look at the massive ships in Pearl Harbor. December 7, 1941 is the date and it is a day just like any other. Then, off in the distance, the light buzz of a plane is heard. As those planes fly low over the heads of innocent observers, the Japanese rising sun can be seen on the wings of each one. People run in anxiety as the Japanese barrage goes on all around them. A couple of hours later, the smoke clears, and there lay thousands of americans dead in and out of the water, America on this day, was defeated. One man stepped up in America’s greatest time of need, and with one single speech, put the United States on a path, not just to recovery, but to a future that many Americans thought to be unreachable. “December 7, a day that will live in infamy” was followed the next day by a speech delivered from the well spoken Franklin Delano Roosevelt which took the United States from the Great Depression, to the world superpower that it is known as today. By using fear tactics, repetition, and strong emphasis on important points, FDR was able to persuade a country to go to war and pave the way for a new future. Born on January 30th, 1883 in Hyde Park, New York, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was raised from a large amount of wealth and prestige. His father, James Roosevelt was successful through investments in mining, railroads, and shipping. His mother, Sara Roosevelt came from a wealthy family as well. FDR grew up in a village of Springwood in Hyde Park. His family owned property there and it is where they resided (“Presidential Administration”). As a child, Roosevelt took education very seriously and had private ... ... middle of paper ... ...de a country to go to war and pave the way for a new future. This country altering speech not only helped America make a comeback, but made them stronger than ever before. When anyone looks at Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor address, they do not look at it as just a speech, for it is much more than just that. This one “pep talk” of sorts was really the turning point in American history, and made the country truly united. This is what instilled not only the United States in every history book across the world, but made Franklin Delano Roosevelt into the shining figure of American success that he is known as today. Without this one speech that gave Americans the power to fight back, who knows if Americans in this current day would even be able to label themselves as Americans anymore. That alone makes this speech, one of the most important in American history.

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