A Guide to Primary Resources for U.S. History : Fireside Chat on National Defense (5/26/40) Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum In 1940, as Hitler's armies marched across the face of Europe, President Roosevelt faced the formidable task of persuading a nation wedded to a policy of isolation and pacificism that events in Europe warranted American attention and, possibly, American aid. This "Fireside Chat" demonstrates both FDR's persuasive rhetoric, and by implication, the mindset of most Americans during the rise of fascism in Europe. Teachers can project the opening section of FDR's Fireside Chat onto an overhead screen and ask the students to write down answers to or discuss the following questions: a) What were the purposes of FDR's fireside chats and whom was he addressing? b) What sympathies/fears was FDR playing off of? c) What does this excerpt tell us about the mood of the American public towards the war at the time of the chat? Students could compare the similarities and differences between FDR's Fireside Chat: On National Defense and FDR's "Four Freedoms" speech in a Venn diagram. What do the two sources say about the reasons for US involvement in WWII? Who is FDR addressing in each document? How is the tone of each document different?

(a) identifying the causes and events that led to American involvement in the war, including military assistance to Britain and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor;

Fireside Chat on National Defense (5/26/40)
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum

Description: In 1940, as Hitler's armies marched across the face of Europe, President Roosevelt faced the formidable task of persuading a nation wedded to a policy of isolation and pacificism that events in Europe warranted American attention and, possibly, American aid. This "Fireside Chat" demonstrates both FDR's persuasive rhetoric, and by implication, the mindset of most Americans during the rise of fascism in Europe.

Teaching Tips:

"Do Now" Suggestion

Teachers can project the opening section of FDR's Fireside Chat onto an overhead screen and ask the students to write down answers to or discuss the following questions: a) What were the purposes of FDR's fireside chats and whom was he addressing? b) What sympathies/fears was FDR playing off of? c) What does this excerpt tell us about the mood of the American public towards the war at the time of the chat?

Suggestion for Using this Resource as Part of a Lesson

Students could compare the similarities and differences between FDR's Fireside Chat: On National Defense and FDR's "Four Freedoms" speech in a Venn diagram. What do the two sources say about the reasons for US involvement in WWII? Who is FDR addressing in each document? How is the tone of each document different?