Document A Roosevelt's Convention Speech

Document A Roosevelt's Convention Speech

This is an excerpt from the speech President Franklin Roosevelt delivered upon accepting the Democratic Party nomination for president in 1936.  He eventually would win a second term. 

Multiple Choice

A convention speech is all of the following EXCEPT

• delivered to the party the speaker belongs to

• is given to decline the nomination

• is given every four years

• clarifies the party's platform

Multiple Choice

Franklin Roosevelt is speaking to

• The Democratic Convention

• The Republican Convention

Franklin's Acceptance Speech begins...

For too many of us the political equality we once had won was meaningless in the face of economic inequality. A small group had concentrated into their own hands an almost complete control over other people's property, other people's money, other people's labor—other people's lives. For too many of us life was no longer free; liberty no longer real; men could no longer follow the pursuit of happiness.

Multiple Choice

Which line do you think is the more important?

• For too many of us life was no longer free; liberty no longer real; men could no longer follow the pursuit of happiness.

• A small group had concentrated into their own hands an almost complete control over other people's property, other people's money, other people's labor—other people's lives.

Multiple Choice

When Roosevelt says "A small group had concentrated into their own hands an almost complete control over other people's property, other people's money, other people's labor—other people's lives" he is referring to

• The Progressives

• The Robber Barons

• The U.S Government

Multiple Choice

What is the tone of this speech so far?

• negative

• positive

• confused & uncertain

• cheerful

He continues in paragraph #2

The royalists of the economic order have conceded that political freedom was the business of the Government, but they have maintained that economic slavery was nobody's business. They granted that the Government could protect the citizen in his right to vote, but they denied that the Government could do anything to protect the citizen in his right to work and his right to live.

Multiple Choice

What is the best summary of paragraph 2?

• Gov't should protect the right to vote

• The right to work with dignity is as important as voting

• Gov't has provided a good economy for the working class

Multiple Choice

What is Roosevelt referring to in this line: "The royalists of the economic order have conceded that political freedom was the business of the Government, but they have maintained that economic slavery was nobody's business"

• He is calling the elites of today the King George's of yesterday

• He is referring to the Robber Barons as Kings

He finishes his speech:

The brave and clear platform adopted by this Convention, to which I heartily subscribe, sets forth that Government in a modern civilization has certain inescapable obligations to its citizens, among which are protection of the family and the home, the establishment of a democracy of opportunity, and aid to those overtaken by disaster.

Multiple Choice

Look at the emotional words, what is his tone now?

• pessimism

• fear

• hope

• ambivalence

Multiple Choice

What word describes a speech made to Congress on years s/he is not being inaugurated?

• Convention Acceptance Speech

• State of the Union Address

• Inauguration Ball

• Special Session to Congress