Who? Franklin D. Roosevelt
What? FDR's Fireside Chats
When? From 1932-1945
Where? In the White House
Why? The first President to utilize the radio was Franklin D. Roosevelt in his fireside chats. This meant that he could reach out and communicate with every American who had a radio. FDR took advantage of the radio by giving addresses to the American people about any new policies he was creating and putting into place. One example would be his fireside chat that he gave telling the American people about the Social Security program. All in all, FDR gave 30 fireside chats between 1933 and 1944.
Why is this event or element important in American Pop Culture? FDR's fireside chats are important in American Pop Culture because they set the standard for which presidents communicate with the American people. Through his fireside chats, FDR was able to give Americans updates on the bills he had proposed to help combat the Great Depression that were progressing through Congress. In FDR's first fireside chat on Sunday, March 12, 1933, he discussed the bank crisis. In his first fireside chat, FDR explained what the reason was for the banks closing and losing all of their money. He then explained clearly and exactly what the banks did with the money by reinvesting it in loans, mortgages, commercial paper, bonds, and credit. What FDR managed to do in just his first fireside chat was restore confidence in people that the banks were safe after they reopened on the bank holiday.
Whenever there’s a horrible event like the Great Depression, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, 9/11, etc., there needs to be strong leadership to restore confidence in people that everything will be okay. For FDR's first fireside chat, 64% of Americans had tuned in and responded by sending him half a million letters (Matviko 175). When FDR gave his "Day of Infamy" speech on December 8, 1941, 73% of the country tuned in to listen. Roosevelt's cheery voice and demeanor played him into the favor of citizens and he soon became one of the most popular presidents ever. On radio, he was able to calm the rumors and explain his reasons for social change slowly and comprehensibly.
http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/franklin-d-roosevelt/videos/fdr-a-voice-of-hope
What impact has the event or element had on Pop Culture over time? The impact that FDR's fireside chats have had on American Pop culture are that they brought the president into everyone's homes. He set the standard for how the president communicates and reaches out to people. He made the expectation that not only presidents, but all politicians since FDR strive for and that is to appeal to the common man or Middle Class. President John F. Kennedy used the television to reach out to the American people during his addresses. Kennedy used the television to appeal to the average person and keep them informed about foreign events during the Cold War including the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Today, President Barack Obama uses the internet to broadcast weekly addresses over YouTube and the White House website. Both JFK's and Obama's addresses dealt with many of the same issues that FDR had during World War II and the state of the economy. The purpose of both of these ways to address the American people is to keep them informed about the current happenings around the country. Even though many people of the millennial generation that I know don't really care about politics or news, it is still important that our leaders make an effort to reach out to us so we know what is going on.
I am interested in FDR's fireside chats because they are a part of history. I have always been very good at history. I have a great passion for American History and I guess you could call me a "history buff." I sometimes feel that history has a tendency to repeat itself if we are not careful. I feel it is very important that we look back at history and see where we made mistakes so we can prevent them in the future.
Works Cited:
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/fireside.php
http://books.google.com/books?id=exnm6T0ALvsC&pg=PA64&lpg=PA64&dq=fireside+chats+impact+on+popular+culture&source=bl&ots=pjk7UR15sI&sig=8D8-MYOSMzEHnHM8iaIvn4tJtlw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=lpwXU9XmH8KRygHdxIBg&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=fireside%20chats%20impact%20on%20popular%20culture&f=false
http://books.google.com/books?id=xavpmPflWygC&pg=PA176&lpg=PA176&dq=fireside+chats+impact+on+popular+culture&source=bl&ots=eb-WjBfZJ6&sig=7jfQfuKXPYxPwxhRLc_bXnnyIl4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=e50XU_DCPMfayAH4jYCwCw&ved=0CGUQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=fireside%20chats%20impact%20on%20popular%20culture&f=false
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbqCquDl4k4 (Bush W)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjDtwcgbnUo (Clinton)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFrnQHaQWoA (Bush H W)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa7icmqgsow (Reagan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tPePpMxJaA (Carter)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM9dGr8ArR0 (Ford)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEOGJJ7UKFM (Nixon)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-FibDxpkb0 (Johnson)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgdUgzAWcrw (Kennedy)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWiIYW_fBfY (Eisenhower)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iipnhLTdh-0 (Roosevelt)
What? FDR's Fireside Chats
When? From 1932-1945
Where? In the White House
Why? The first President to utilize the radio was Franklin D. Roosevelt in his fireside chats. This meant that he could reach out and communicate with every American who had a radio. FDR took advantage of the radio by giving addresses to the American people about any new policies he was creating and putting into place. One example would be his fireside chat that he gave telling the American people about the Social Security program. All in all, FDR gave 30 fireside chats between 1933 and 1944.
Why is this event or element important in American Pop Culture? FDR's fireside chats are important in American Pop Culture because they set the standard for which presidents communicate with the American people. Through his fireside chats, FDR was able to give Americans updates on the bills he had proposed to help combat the Great Depression that were progressing through Congress. In FDR's first fireside chat on Sunday, March 12, 1933, he discussed the bank crisis. In his first fireside chat, FDR explained what the reason was for the banks closing and losing all of their money. He then explained clearly and exactly what the banks did with the money by reinvesting it in loans, mortgages, commercial paper, bonds, and credit. What FDR managed to do in just his first fireside chat was restore confidence in people that the banks were safe after they reopened on the bank holiday.
Whenever there’s a horrible event like the Great Depression, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, 9/11, etc., there needs to be strong leadership to restore confidence in people that everything will be okay. For FDR's first fireside chat, 64% of Americans had tuned in and responded by sending him half a million letters (Matviko 175). When FDR gave his "Day of Infamy" speech on December 8, 1941, 73% of the country tuned in to listen. Roosevelt's cheery voice and demeanor played him into the favor of citizens and he soon became one of the most popular presidents ever. On radio, he was able to calm the rumors and explain his reasons for social change slowly and comprehensibly.
http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/franklin-d-roosevelt/videos/fdr-a-voice-of-hope
What impact has the event or element had on Pop Culture over time? The impact that FDR's fireside chats have had on American Pop culture are that they brought the president into everyone's homes. He set the standard for how the president communicates and reaches out to people. He made the expectation that not only presidents, but all politicians since FDR strive for and that is to appeal to the common man or Middle Class. President John F. Kennedy used the television to reach out to the American people during his addresses. Kennedy used the television to appeal to the average person and keep them informed about foreign events during the Cold War including the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Today, President Barack Obama uses the internet to broadcast weekly addresses over YouTube and the White House website. Both JFK's and Obama's addresses dealt with many of the same issues that FDR had during World War II and the state of the economy. The purpose of both of these ways to address the American people is to keep them informed about the current happenings around the country. Even though many people of the millennial generation that I know don't really care about politics or news, it is still important that our leaders make an effort to reach out to us so we know what is going on.
I am interested in FDR's fireside chats because they are a part of history. I have always been very good at history. I have a great passion for American History and I guess you could call me a "history buff." I sometimes feel that history has a tendency to repeat itself if we are not careful. I feel it is very important that we look back at history and see where we made mistakes so we can prevent them in the future.
Works Cited:
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/fireside.php
http://books.google.com/books?id=exnm6T0ALvsC&pg=PA64&lpg=PA64&dq=fireside+chats+impact+on+popular+culture&source=bl&ots=pjk7UR15sI&sig=8D8-MYOSMzEHnHM8iaIvn4tJtlw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=lpwXU9XmH8KRygHdxIBg&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=fireside%20chats%20impact%20on%20popular%20culture&f=false
http://books.google.com/books?id=xavpmPflWygC&pg=PA176&lpg=PA176&dq=fireside+chats+impact+on+popular+culture&source=bl&ots=eb-WjBfZJ6&sig=7jfQfuKXPYxPwxhRLc_bXnnyIl4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=e50XU_DCPMfayAH4jYCwCw&ved=0CGUQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=fireside%20chats%20impact%20on%20popular%20culture&f=false
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbqCquDl4k4 (Bush W)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjDtwcgbnUo (Clinton)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFrnQHaQWoA (Bush H W)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa7icmqgsow (Reagan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tPePpMxJaA (Carter)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM9dGr8ArR0 (Ford)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEOGJJ7UKFM (Nixon)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-FibDxpkb0 (Johnson)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgdUgzAWcrw (Kennedy)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWiIYW_fBfY (Eisenhower)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iipnhLTdh-0 (Roosevelt)