Franklin D Roosevelt's Response To The Great Depression

In the year 1929 the United States was on the verge of a huge change in the economy. The United States was getting out of the mentality of war from the fighting in World War I. Wall Street just had a massive collapse and millions of people were out of their jobs. On October 29, 1929 The stock market crashed and this was the beginning of what would be known as “The Great Depression”. This depression caused so much hardship for the American people and the countries that would do trade with the United States. This Depression would go on for 1929-1939 and the American people would feel and remember the effects for years to come. The American people do have a new hope coming their way. In 1932 Franklin Delano Roosevelt won the American presidential
Roosevelt also took it upon himself to better connect with the American people he represented. When morale and belief in this country was at a low Roosevelt would actually directly speak to the country on a regular basis. He would accomplish this by what were known as his “Fireside Chats”. The president would get on a microphone and speak to the American people directly over a radio broadcast. Roosevelt not only cared about the well being of the American people he cared about how they were doing psychologically as a nation. In a time where so many people have lost their jobs and income he understood that morale and patriotism were low he knew he had to be there for the American people. He had to be a leader to the people and have them understand that their government not only heard their cries for help, but that it was doing its best to get them the assistance to get back up on their feet. As quoted by History.com “Roosevelt was not actually sitting beside a fireplace when he delivered the speeches, but behind a microphone-covered desk in the White House. Reporter Harry Butcher of CBS coined the term “fireside chat” in a press release before one of Roosevelt’s speeches on May 7, 1933. The name stuck, as it perfectly evoked the comforting intent behind Roosevelt’s words, as well as their informal, conversational tone. Roosevelt took care to use the simplest possible language, concrete examples and analogies in the fireside chats, so as to be clearly understood by the largest number of Americans. He began many of the nighttime chats with the greeting “My friends,” and referred to himself as “I” and the American people as “you” as if addressing his listeners directly and personally.” (History.com Staff, 2010). This helped to keep the American patriotism and spirit in this dark time in the history of the United