Fireside chats were informal addresses made to the people of the United States. Fireside chats were started by Franklin D. Roosevelt. It is said the Roosevelt first started using fireside chats in 1929, when he was serving his first term as Governor of New York. He used them to make people aware with bills and things such as that in which he wanted to be passed in congress.
Roosevelt made his first fireside chat over the radio in 1933 as President during the Great Depression. It was broadcasted live on March 12 to people all around the nation. This particular chat was on the bank crisis. The chat was entitled, “An Intimate Talk with the People of the United States on Banking.” The chats were made so that every American could clearny understand what he was talking about, and people felt like he was talking directly to them.Roosevelt presented many fireside chats during his time. The vast majority were to comfort the people of the United States during this time of crisis. He wanted to reassure people about the economy, and he wanted them to trust him more. His way of speaking to the people like this was extremely effective. It meant a lot more to the people to feel like they were being talked to directly by the president, and for the most part they always took the advice he gave in order to get through the great depression.The fireside chats were greatly listened to. It was quite obvious because after each broadcast thousands of letters would be sent into President Roosevelt.
Here is an exerpt from Roosevelt's first fireside chat as president, on the banking crisis."I do not promise you that every bank will be reopened or that individual losses will not be suffered, but there will be no losses that possibly could be avoided; and there would have been more and greater losses had we continued to drift. I can even promise you salvation for some at least of the sorely pressed banks. We shall be engaged not merely in reopening sound banks but in the creation of sound banks through reorganization. It has been wonderful to me to catch the note of confidence from all over the country. I can never be sufficiently grateful to the people for the loyal support they have given me in their acceptance of the judgment that has dictated our course, even though all of our processes may not have seemed clear to them.After all there is an element in the readjustment of our financial system more important than currency, more important than gold, and that is the confidence of the people. Confidence and courage are the essentials of success in carrying out our plan. You people must have faith; you must not be stampeded by rumors or guesses. Let us unite in banishing fear. We have provided the machinery to restore our financial system; it is up to you to support and make it work.It is your problem no less than it is mine. Together we cannot fail. "I think that things like this presented by the president to the people was a great thing, especially at a time as sorrowful as the Great Depression. The fireside chats really gave people hope, and I'm sure that they had a huge impact on the people.sources:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireside_chatshttp://www.mhric.org/fdr/fdr.htmlhttp://www.answers.com/topic/fireside-chats
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