Franklin D. Roosevelt: Four Freedoms Message to Congress

Audience

The annual message to Congress, mandated by the U.S. Constitution, conveys the president's agenda and concerns for the United States in the coming year. Roosevelt dubbed this speech the “State of the Union Address,” which became the official title of the speech under his successor, President Harry Truman. Since 1923, the public could hear the message live via radio broadcast. Therefore, although Roosevelt addressed his remarks to the members of the House and Senate, he also geared his statement toward the general public.

In many ways, Roosevelt's Four Freedoms Message mirrors his December 29, 1940, fireside chat, otherwise known as the “Arsenal of Democracy” speech. In essence, Roosevelt had made his case for increased American involvement directly to the public in his earlier radio address, structuring his argument in much the same way as his annual message to Congress. A master at using the media to reach the American public, Roosevelt broadcast his fireside chats, speeches in which he used a casual and down-to-earth style, over the radio on Sunday evenings. The December 29 speech was one of his most successful; 80 percent of Americans who heard it expressed approval of his plan to aid Britain.

Despite the positive public reaction, the congressional audience for Roosevelt's 1941 Four Freedoms Message was far from sympathetic to his cause. Roosevelt was well aware that ardent isolationists in both houses might undermine his plan. He did not consult with Congress regarding his decision to transfer World War I era destroyers to Britain in exchange for long-term leases on British military bases, for fear that isolationists would block the transfer. The America First Committee, an active isolationist organization, campaigned against any American assistance to Britain. Senators Gerald Nye of North Dakota and Burton Wheeler of Montana, as well as the renowned aviator Charles Lindbergh, were involved in this organization. During the debate over Lend-Lease, Senator Wheeler commented that the bill would “plow under every fourth American boy” (qtd. in Kennedy, pp. 472–473). Given this degree of dissent within Congress, it is clear why Roosevelt structured his address to counter the various objections raised by isolationists.

Roosevelt did not just face opposition from those who favored no involvement in the European conflict. He also faced criticism from those who felt he was power hungry and acting like a dictator. The Republican opposition was particularly displeased with his decision to run for an unprecedented third term, and Roosevelt's victory over Wendell Willkie in 1940 was decisive. Thus, although he was a popular president, Roosevelt had his critics, both in the legislature and among the American public. By framing U.S. aid to Britain in terms of preserving democratic freedoms for humanity rather than in terms of advancing America's particular agenda, Roosevelt removed himself personally from the fray. The Four Freedoms Message masterfully addressed the concerns of Roosevelt's critics by phrasing political matters in terms of universal morality.