The Fireside Chats

Franklin D. Roosevelt, who took office for the first time in early 1933, would become the only president in American history to be elected four consecutive terms. He would go on to lead the nation through two national crises: the Great Depression and World War II. During his presidency, he greatly expanded the role and power of the federal government through his New Deal policies. From 1933 to 1944, Roosevelt directly addressed the American people via radio, being the first president to take advantage of this brand new technology. Millions of people tuned in to these speeches, eventually becoming known as the "fireside chats."

In 1921, Franklin D. Roosevelt, a young politician from New York, was stricken with polio, completely paralyzing him for a period of time. He remained permanently confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life, but he didn't give up his dreams of a political career, and in 1928, he was elected governor of New York. Four years later, he won the Democratic nomination for president and went on to win the presidential election with some 23 million popular votes, 7 million more than his Republican counterpart Herbert Hoover.

When Roosevelt took office in March 1933, the Great Depression had leveled the nation's economy, with banks in failure and industrial production crippled. Over 13 million Americans were unemployed, and many voted for him in hopes that we would save the economy and lift the country out of the Depression. In his first inaugural address, Roosevelt declared that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself," hoping to instill upon the public a new sense of confidence in his administration. His first several months as president, famously dubbed "The Hundred Days," Roosevelt and his administration proposed a wide variety of policies to Congress that aimed to jumpstart America's economic recovery.

Roosevelt called on Congress to develop a new banking legislation that would provide aid to the failing financial institutions of America. On March 12, 1933, he delivered an informal address on the banking crisis that was broadcasting over the radio, becoming the first of many to come during his years in office. Roosevelt would go on to give around 30 total radio addresses from 1933 to 1944, and the topics he talked about ranged from economic policies of the New Deal to America's involvement in World War II.

Despite what the name implies, the "fireside chats" were actually conducted behind a microphone-covered desk in the White House. The phrase actually comes from Harry Butcher, a CBS reporter who coined the term in a press release before one of Roosevelt's speeches. The name stuck, as it perfectly described the informal and conversational tone that Roosevelt used during these speeches. In these talks, Roosevelt purposely used the simplest possible language and concrete examples and analogies, making it easy to understand for a large number of Americans. Through depression and war, the reassuring nature of the fireside chats boosted the public's morale and contributed to Roosevelt's unprecedented political success.

Source:
http://www.history.com/topics/fireside-chats