What was Roosevelt trying to achieve with this speech, particularly with his opening discussion of American history from 1789 to the end of World...

The Four Freedoms Speech was Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union address. At this time, the United States had not entered World War II.

Roosevelt recalled U.S. history from 1789 to 1914 because he wanted to emphasize that the U.S. had, all through our history, gotten involved in a number of conflicts outside our borders. Although George Washington in his Farewell Address had advised Americans to mind their own business and not get involved in...

The Four Freedoms Speech was Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union address. At this time, the United States had not entered World War II.

Roosevelt recalled U.S. history from 1789 to 1914 because he wanted to emphasize that the U.S. had, all through our history, gotten involved in a number of conflicts outside our borders. Although George Washington in his Farewell Address had advised Americans to mind their own business and not get involved in Europe's affairs, Roosevelt knew that the United States would almost inevitably get pulled into the second World War. Therefore, he wanted to position the U.S. as having had a non-isolationist history. He hoped for it to seem natural for our country to involve itself in yet another war.

Roosevelt also used the speech to champion the U.S., and democracy in general, as the guardians of freedoms worldwide. He listed the four freedoms as freedom of speech, of religion, freedom from (economic) want and from fear. These freedoms would have been understood as a rebuke to the tyranny of Adolph Hitler in Germany.