President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 6, 1941

“The Four Freedoms” was a famous speech delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 6, 1941, during his State of the Union Address to Congress. At the time, World War II was raging in Europe, but the United States had not yet entered the war. FDR used this speech to outline a vision for a better world and to justify support for the Allied nations.

He declared that people “everywhere in the world” ought to enjoy four essential freedoms:

🌎 The Four Freedoms:

  1. Freedom of Speech and Expression

    • Meaning: The right to speak your mind and express opinions freely, in public and private.

    • Globally: Not just for Americans — this freedom was meant to apply to all humans.

  2. Freedom of Worship

    • Meaning: The right to practice any religion — or none at all — without persecution.

    • Globally: A world where people aren’t punished for their beliefs.

  3. Freedom from Want

    • Meaning: The right to an adequate standard of living — food, clothing, housing, healthcare.

    • Globally: A world without poverty or hunger, where economic security is a human right.

  4. Freedom from Fear

    • Meaning: A world where people live in peace and safety, without threat of violence or war.

    • Globally: Disarmament and security for every nation.

🕊️ Why It Mattered

  • It was not just a war speech — it was a moral framework for what the post-war world should become.

  • Inspired the creation of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).

  • Artist Norman Rockwell later illustrated these four freedoms in a series of iconic paintings.


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