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Summary

This video script explores the significance of analyzing primary sources, using Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1933 Inaugural Address as a case study. It distinguishes between primary and secondary sources, emphasizing the importance of understanding the context and claims within historical speeches. The discussion highlights Roosevelt's candid acknowledgment of the Great Depression's severity and his call for unity against fear, setting the stage for the New Deal policies aimed at economic recovery.

Takeaways

• 📜 The script discusses the importance of analyzing a primary source, such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1933 Inaugural Address, to understand historical context and political claims.
• 🕵️‍♂️ A primary source is defined as a document or artifact that provides a first-hand account of an event, such as photographs, diaries, speeches, or even shopping lists.
• 🔍 In contrast, a secondary source is an interpretation or analysis of primary sources, often created by historians or scholars who were not present at the event.
• 👤 The script emphasizes the subjectivity of secondary sources, as they reflect the perspectives and interests of the interpreter, not the actual historical figures or events.
• 🗣️ Roosevelt's speech is identified as a primary source, delivered during his inauguration and set against the backdrop of the Great Depression.
• 🗓️ The historical context of 1933 is highlighted, including the ongoing Great Depression, Prohibition, and the Dust Bowl, which contributed to widespread economic and emotional distress.
• 💬 Roosevelt's speech acknowledges the severity of the situation, calling for honesty and frankness in addressing the nation's problems.
• 📣 The famous phrase 'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself' is analyzed, suggesting that irrational panic is the real enemy, not the economic problems themselves.
• 🛑 The speech calls for a united national response to the crisis, emphasizing the need to convert retreat into advance through collective effort and resolve.
• 🔑 Roosevelt's approach is contrasted with Herbert Hoover's, who did not acknowledge the severity of the economic situation or the government's role in addressing it.
• 📚 The script concludes by setting up the next video, which will delve deeper into analyzing the speech and constructing arguments based on this primary source.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of analyzing a presidential speech like Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Inaugural Address?

The main purpose is to understand the claims made by the politician and how they are made, which can provide historical context and help in analyzing the speech as a primary source.

What is the definition of a primary source according to the script?

A primary source is a document or artifact that provides a perspective of someone who was present during an event, such as a photograph, diary, speech, or even a shopping list.

How does the script differentiate between a primary and a secondary source?

A primary source is an original document or artifact from the time of the event, while a secondary source is an interpretation or analysis of primary sources by someone who was not present at the event, such as a historian.

What is the significance of the phrase 'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself' in FDR's speech?

This phrase emphasizes that the greatest obstacle to overcoming the challenges of the Great Depression is not the problems themselves but the panic and terror they cause among the people.

What was the context of the United States in 1933 when FDR gave his Inaugural Address?

In 1933, the United States was in the midst of the Great Depression, with massive unemployment, the Dust Bowl, and Prohibition still in effect.

What does FDR suggest as the approach to deal with the Great Depression in his speech?

FDR suggests that the American people should face the situation with candor, decision, and national will, turning retreat into advance by addressing the problems with vigor.

How does the script describe the difference in perspective between historians when interpreting primary sources?

The script describes that historians may have different interests and therefore different interpretations of the same primary sources, such as focusing on different aspects of Abraham Lincoln's life.

What does the script suggest about the reliability of secondary sources?

The script suggests that while secondary sources provide valuable interpretations, they should be taken with a grain of salt because they are influenced by the historian's perspective and are not firsthand accounts.

What does FDR mean by 'frankness and vigor' in the context of his speech?

FDR means that the country needs honest and strong leadership to confront the challenges of the Great Depression, which includes speaking the truth about the situation and taking decisive actions.

How does the script relate the stock market crash of 1929 to the concept of fear in FDR's speech?

The script relates the stock market crash to fear by explaining that the crash was caused by a loss of confidence, which led to panic and a global banking collapse, highlighting the importance of not letting fear dictate the nation's response to the crisis.

What is the role of national will in FDR's vision for overcoming the Great Depression?

According to the script, FDR believes that an up-welling of national will is essential for overcoming the Great Depression, suggesting that unity and determination among the people are key to turning the situation around.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Understanding Primary and Secondary Sources

This paragraph introduces the concept of primary and secondary sources in historical research. A primary source is defined as a document or artifact from someone who was present during an event, such as a photograph, diary, speech, or even a shopping list. These sources provide direct evidence of what people at the time were thinking. In contrast, a secondary source is an interpretation of primary sources by someone who was not present, such as a historian. It is an analysis or summary of the primary sources, reflecting the author's perspective and potentially their biases. The conversation highlights the importance of critically assessing both types of sources to gain a comprehensive understanding of history.

05:00

🗣️ Analyzing Roosevelt's Inaugural Address as a Primary Source

The second paragraph delves into the analysis of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1933 Inaugural Address as a primary source. It establishes the context of the speech, given during the Great Depression, and emphasizes the importance of understanding the speech's historical significance. The speakers discuss the speech's content, noting Roosevelt's candid acknowledgment of the dire economic situation and his call for honesty and national resolve to overcome the crisis. The paragraph also touches on the contrast between Roosevelt's approach and that of his predecessor, Herbert Hoover, highlighting the shift in leadership and the promise of a new direction under Roosevelt's administration.

10:01

🔑 'The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself': Roosevelt's Message

In this paragraph, the focus is on the famous line from Roosevelt's speech, 'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.' The speakers explore the meaning behind this phrase, suggesting that it is a call for calm and rationality in the face of the Great Depression's challenges. Roosevelt is interpreted as urging the nation not to succumb to panic, which could exacerbate the economic crisis. The paragraph also discusses the role of confidence in the stock market and how a lack of it led to the crash of 1929. The speakers conclude by emphasizing the importance of unity and a strong national will to combat the economic and emotional depression, aligning with the themes of Roosevelt's New Deal policies.

Keywords

💡Primary Source

A primary source is a document or artifact that provides firsthand evidence or direct experience of an event or time period. It is crucial for historical research as it offers a direct perspective from those who were present. In the video, the term is used to describe the significance of analyzing Franklin Delano Roosevelt's speech as a primary source, which provides insight into the historical context of the Great Depression.

💡Secondary Source

A secondary source is a work that interprets or analyzes primary sources. It is typically created by historians, scholars, or researchers who synthesize information from primary sources to form their own perspectives or narratives. In the script, the term is contrasted with primary sources, illustrating how historians like the voiceover character might interpret FDR's speech differently based on their research interests.

💡Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, often referred to as FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States, known for his leadership during the Great Depression and World War II. The video script discusses his inaugural address in 1933, which is a key primary source for understanding the historical context and the challenges America faced during that time.

💡Inaugural Address

An inaugural address is a speech given by the President of the United States upon taking office. It is traditionally used to outline the president's vision and goals for their term. In the video, FDR's inaugural address is the central primary source being analyzed, with a focus on its historical significance and the message it conveyed during the Great Depression.

💡Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that took place mostly during the 1930s, beginning in the United States. It led to widespread unemployment and economic hardship. The video script discusses the Great Depression as the backdrop against which FDR's inaugural address was given, highlighting the dire circumstances that the speech aimed to address.

💡Fear Itself

The phrase 'fear itself' comes from FDR's inaugural address and has become a part of American lexicon. It is used in the script to illustrate the idea that irrational fear can be more harmful than the problems it is based on. FDR's message was to encourage the nation not to be paralyzed by fear but to confront the challenges of the Great Depression with determination.

💡Candor

Candor refers to the quality of being open, honest, and sincere in expression. In the video, FDR's call for candor signifies his commitment to transparent communication with the American people about the state of the nation during his inaugural address, setting the tone for his presidency.

💡Herbert Hoover

Herbert Hoover was the 31st President of the United States, serving before FDR. He is mentioned in the script in contrast to FDR's approach, as Hoover did not fully acknowledge the severity of the Great Depression or the role of government in addressing it, which FDR criticized and sought to change.

💡New Deal

The New Deal refers to a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States during the 1930s. It was a response to the Great Depression and aimed at relief, recovery, and reform. The video script alludes to the New Deal as the type of vigorous action FDR proposed in his speech to combat the economic crisis.

💡National Will

National will refers to the collective determination or resolve of a nation's citizens. In the context of the video, FDR called for an up-welling of national will to meet the challenges of the Great Depression, emphasizing the need for unity and strength in the face of adversity.

💡Stock Market Crash of 1929

The Stock Market Crash of 1929, also known as Black Tuesday, marked the beginning of the Great Depression. It was a major event where stock prices on the New York Stock Exchange collapsed, leading to a loss of confidence in the economy. The script uses this event to explain how a loss of confidence can lead to economic panic and the importance of addressing such fear in FDR's speech.

Highlights

Introduction to analyzing a historical speech by Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Importance of understanding primary and secondary sources in historical analysis.

Definition of a primary source as a document from an event's perspective.

Examples of primary sources, including photographs, diaries, and speeches.

Explanation of a secondary source as an interpretation by a historian or scholar.

The role of personal perspective in the interpretation of historical events.

The significance of Roosevelt's Inaugural Address as a primary source for the Great Depression.

Roosevelt's candid acknowledgment of the dire economic situation in 1933.

The historical context of the Great Depression, Prohibition, and the Dust Bowl.

Roosevelt's message of hope and the need for national unity to overcome the crisis.

The famous quote 'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself' and its meaning.

The impact of the stock market crash and the role of confidence in economic stability.

Roosevelt's call for a collective effort to prevent a recurrence of panic.

The importance of historical speeches in understanding the mindset of a nation.

The methodological approach to analyzing a speech as a historical document.

Upcoming discussion on using the speech to construct historical arguments.

Transcripts

- [Voiceover] Hello David.

- [Voiceover] Hello Kim.

- [Voiceover] So today what we're doing

is taking a look at this speech

by one of my favorite Presidents,

Franklin Delano Roosevelt which he gave

at his inauguration in 1933.

And I think what's really important

about looking at a speech like this

is not only that we can learn to analyze this

as a primary source, which will be helpful

for thinking about it historically,

but also because I think it's really useful

to be able to look at a Presidential speech,

or a speech given by any politician,

and understand what kind of claims they're making

and how they're making them.

- [Voiceover] So, Kim, before we go any further,

what even is a primary source?

What's the difference between a primary

and a secondary source?

- [Voiceover] Great question.

So a primary source is a document

that takes a look at an event

from the perspective of someone who was there.

So, a primary source could be lots of things.

It could be a photograph

taken by someone who was, perhaps,

attending a political rally.

It could be a diary of, maybe,

someone who was active in the women's rights movement

in the 19th century.

Certainly any speech,

or even, let's say, like a oral history conversation,

and I've mentioned a lot of significant things here,

but it also doesn't even have to be something that is

connected with a significant person or a famous event.

It could be a shopping list, right,

if you are studying the consumption habits

of someone who lived in the 1950's.

What they bought at the grocery store would tell you a lot

about what they ate, what they could spend.

So, a primary source is kind of the real meat

of research material that shows you what people,

at the time, were thinking.

- [Voiceover] Okay, so a primary source is an artifact

left behind by someone who was there.

- [Voiceover] Exactly.

- [Voiceover] What is a secondary source?

- [Voiceover] So a secondary source is an interpretation.

So, say I'm a historian,

which I happen to be.

- [Voiceover] Oh my goodness!

(laughter)

What a coincidence.

(laughter)

- [Voiceover] So I have done the work of digging up

a bunch of primary sources, and, then,

you look at all of them and see what they have in common,

for example.

So maybe I'm writing about Abraham Lincoln,

and I get a lot of photographs of Lincoln,

I get a lot of writings by Lincoln and his contemporaries

and I go through all of them and I come up

with my interpretation of what was going on

in Lincoln's life.

So, I write a book on Lincoln by Kim.

- [Voiceover] Until now...

(laughter)

- [Voiceover] And that's my interpretation.

- [Voiceover] Okay.

- [Voiceover] Right?

So the things that I'm interested in

say Lincoln's religion, or lack thereof,

might not be the same things

that another historian would be interested.

Say, they're interested in Lincoln's foreign policy.

So, my interpretation is just one way

of looking at those primary sources

where another historian might have

a completely different interpretation.

What's also important about secondary sources is

that I wasn't there, right?

I never talked to Lincoln.

He, you know, died more than 100 years before I was born,

which means that you can only trust me so much.

You can, instead, maybe get a much clearer picture

of what Lincoln was really thinking

by reading his own words.

- [Voiceover] So, trust secondary sources

about as far as you can throw them?

- [Voiceover] Well, maybe trust all sources

about as far as you can throw them, right,

because everyone at every time

has their own perspective.

And so, the ideas of someone who lived in the 19th century

are gonna be different than the ideas

of someone who lives now,

and you only know as much as you can know, right?

You're only as informed as the information that you have.

So, you really have to take everything with a grain of salt

and compare it with other sources from its time period,

and other sources later on, to get a sense

of what's important.

- [Voiceover] So you're saying that you might have

a different perspective on Lincoln

than another Lincoln scholar, but

that Lincoln's writings, themselves, also contain

Lincoln's own biases from his lifetime.

- [Voiceover] Right.

- [Voiceover] Okay, so what are we doing

with Roosevelt's Inaugural Address, here?

- [Voiceover] All right.

So, let's take a look at this Inaugural Address

as though we're historians, right?

We're gonna sit down and really get into the...

- [Voiceover] The feeling of the Great Depression?

(laughter)

All right.

- [Voiceover] We're gonna get depressed.

- [Voiceover] All right, I'm ready.

So we've determined that because he was there

and because this is a speech delivered by him,

that this speech of Franklin Delano Roosevelt

is a primary source.

- [Voiceover] Right, and it's a great way to look

at the Great Depression, right?

If we want to know what people are thinking about,

it's very important to see what the President

of the United States has to say when he's been elected.

So David, I know that you've been dying to read this

in your terrific impression of Roosevelt,

so I'm gonna turn it over to you to get a sense

of what Roosevelt has to say.

- [Voiceover] Okay, I'm gonna scoot back from the mike.

"I am certain that my fellow Americans expect

"that on my induction into the Presidency

"I will address them with a candor and a decision

"which the present situation of our people impel.

"This is preeminently the time to speak the truth,

"the whole truth, frankly and boldly.

"Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions

"in our country today.

"This great Nation will endure as it has endured,

"will revive and will prosper.

"So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief

"that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself -

"nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror

"which paralyzes needed efforts

"to convert retreat into advance."

- [Voiceover] That was beautiful (laughter).

Thank you so much.

- [Voiceover] You're welcome.

- [Voiceover] All right.

So how do we analyze this as a primary source

and as a speech.

And I think the first thing we want to do,

step one if you will, is just identify what's going on, and

thankfully, that's pretty easy for us, right now.

- [Voiceover] Right, this is a speech given by the President

of the United States in the moment

that he becomes President.

- [Voiceover] Right, so we know when it was,

in March 4th, 1933.

We know who gave this speech,

Franklin Delano Roosevelt,

just about to be inducted as President.

We know why he gave it, right, very important

for Presidents when they take office

to make an Inaugural Address.

So, we've got some basics here.

We can even infer from the Inaugural Address

where this was given, right, in Washington D.C.

All right so in our identification,

we've got that it's a speech, it's in D.C.,

happened in 1933, by FDR.

So that's our identification stage.

So to get at a little deeper level for this,

let's move on to a second step

which would be, kind of giving some context.

So it's 1933. What's going on?

- [Voiceover] Let's see.

So, the Great Depression has been going on for four years.

- [Voiceover] Uh-hmm.

- [Voiceover] Prohibition has not ended yet, right?

- [Voiceover] Right.

- [Voiceover] Repeal has not come,

so liquor is still illegal in the United States,

for sale and transport.

There's massive unemployment.

The Dust Bowl is still raging.

America is not in the greatest place!

- [Voiceover] No, it's a depression,

and it's a depression in all sorts of ways, right.

People are emotionally depressed

and there's an economic depression.

All right, so we've got the general gist now

that this is a speech from 1933

confronting the Great Depression.

So let's get into a little bit more of the specifics.

What is he actually talking about in this speech?

- [Voiceover] Well, if you look at this speech,

you can kind of see that he's acknowledging

that things are bad.

- [Voiceover] Right.

- [Voiceover] Right. It's time to speak the truth.

So he keeps talking about how, you know,

"It's time to speak the truth.

"We'll address the American people with candor.

"It is time to speak the truth, the whole truth,

"frankly and boldly.

"We will not shrink from honestly facing conditions

"in the country today."

So Roosevelt is really priming everyone to say,

"Like okay, you have not been told the truth

"from your head of government for the longest time,

"and now it's time to deal frankly

"with just how bad things have gotten."

And what's interesting, is that he says,

"Things are not, you know, great,

"but in every dark hour of our National life

"a leadership of frankness and vigor has met

"with that understanding and support

"of the people themselves which is essential to victory."

And he's saying that there's no need to be afraid

of anything except just malaise.

He's saying that Americans need to meet the problem

of the depression with like an up-welling of national will.

- [Voiceover] Right, and I think, you know, it's nice

that he's saying, "Look, I'm gonna tell it like it is.

"Things are bad.

"I recognize that things are bad."

And that's pretty important,

because up until this point, Herbert Hoover hadn't really

done much to recognize that things were bad.

You know, he saw that people were suffering, and, yet,

he said this is not necessarily the responsibility

of government to deal with this crisis.

- [Voiceover] So Roosevelt, actually, calls it,

"a dark hour of our National life."

Right, like this is an acknowledging

that things are not great is a big part of this speech.

But he's also saying that it's possible for us

to bounce back if we are honest about the problems,

and we address it with vigor,

and that is kind of the New Deal, right,

is addressing the problems honestly

and with national exuberance.

- [Voiceover] Yeah, and I think

this is such a fascinating speech

because, for one thing, this phrase has kind of come

into our national lexicon, right.

"There's nothing to fear but fear itself,"

which is kind of strange.

It's one of those things,

like "Have your cake and eat it too."

That you're like, "Wait how is that possible?"

So, what does he mean by,

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

- [Voiceover] I think he's saying

that this is no time to panic,

and that the only thing that we should be afraid of

is unreasoning terror.

We shouldn't be running around like chickens

with our heads cut off.

Right, like this is the time to stand firm

against nameless terror and focus on making the problems

that we are facing into small,

like accessible, combatable chunks.

- [Voiceover] I think that another thing that's important

about what he's saying there is

that the Great Depression is caused by something

that is very new in American culture,

which is the stock market.

And the stock market doesn't play by the rules

of straight supply and demand.

Instead, they play on confidence.

And so, the reason that the stock market crash

of 1929 happens is because people stopped having confidence

that stocks are worth as much as the stock market

says they are.

So, everyone pulls out.

There's a panic, and global banking

pretty much collapses.

And that's a really hard thing to deal with, right?

I mean it's not like you're taking your money

out of the bank or me taking my money out of the bank

at any one time could cause an international depression.

- [Voiceover] Right.

- [Voiceover] But when there is a large group

of people who all get panicked at the same time

and take their money out of the banks,

the banks fail.

- [Voiceover] Right, and so what I think Roosevelt is saying

is that we cannot allow a sweeping wave of panic

to come over the nation again.

- [Voiceover] Exactly.

- [Voiceover] So, that's the context for this speech

is things are bad.

The reason things are bad is because of this wave

of nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror,

and "America, I need your support

"to make sure we don't let that happen again,

"so we can turn this retreat into an advance."

- [Voiceover] In our next video, we'll go more

into how we can analyze this source

and use it to construct an argument of our own.