Franklin Roosevelt Spoke Some Of The Most Famous Words Of The 20th Century

'The Only Thing We Have To Fear Is Fear Itself'.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt spoke those famous words On Saturday March 4, 1933 from the East Portico of the United States Capital during his first inaugural address.  Yes, Presidential inaugurations in 'those days' were held in March.

Many people mistakenly think Roosevelt must have been taking about Germany...or Hitler...or Japan...at least something having to do with World War II.  But this was 1933 and the Second World War was more than 8 years away.

No, he was speaking about something that, in some ways, was just as devastating as the upcoming war.

The Depression.

In 1933 the United States (and the world, for that matter) was in economic collapse. Millions of people out of work.  No jobs available. Agricultural prices for grain, hogs, cattle...nearly worthless.

And there was no end in sight.  Hope had vanished.  It wouldn't get better.  It couldn't get better.

And then this new President told the nation that it could.  And it would.  And it did, slowly, ever so slowly.  But here was a voice, a calming voice telling millions of people over the radio that 'The only thing you have to fear is fear itself'.

The nation didn't know, of course, on that Saturday morning in March of 1933 that the Depression wouldn't end for nearly a decade.  But they had something they didn't have the day before.

They had a glimmer of hope.