Four Freedoms

What were the Four Freedoms and how could they be used to build an argument for U.S. intervention in World War II?

Learning Objectives

I can explain President Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms and how they were used to promote U.S. involvement in World War II
I can annotate a primary source speech to identify rhetorical techniques and historical purpose
I can use evidence from the Four Freedoms to evaluate U.S. foreign policy decisions

Standards

NYS Social Studies Framework 11.7a
C3 Framework D2.His.4.9-12
Hess Cognitive Rigor Matrix Level 4: Analyze historical purpose, connect political rhetoric to foreign policy, and evaluate national interest

Materials

Warm-up prompt
Full excerpt of Roosevelt’s 1941 Four Freedoms speech
Close Read annotation guide
Four Freedoms interpretation chart
Exit ticket

FFW (5 min, 10 sentences min): What do you believe are the basic rights every human being should have, no matter where they live?

In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt asked Americans to consider what kind of world they wanted to defend. He named four freedoms that he believed every person deserved, not just in the United States, but everywhere. Today we will examine that speech and ask: How did Roosevelt use the Four Freedoms to make a case for U.S. involvement in the war?

Historical Context

Roosevelt delivered this speech to Congress in January 1941, almost a year before the attack on Pearl Harbor. He wanted to convince Americans to support aid to Britain and prepare for war. In the speech, he defined four freedoms he believed were under threat.

Primary Source: Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms Speech (Excerpt)

Delivered before Congress, January 6, 1941

"In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.

The first is freedom of speech and expression — everywhere in the world.

The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way — everywhere in the world.

The third is freedom from want — which means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants — everywhere in the world.

The fourth is freedom from fear — which means a worldwide reduction of armaments to such a point that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor — anywhere in the world.

That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation.”

Students annotate the speech using the Close Read Annotation Guide.

Close Read Annotation Guide (Student Handout)

Instructions:

Number each paragraph
Underline key phrases that describe the four freedoms
In the margin, explain what each freedom means in your own words
Star the sentence you believe Roosevelt used to inspire Americans the most
Write at least one question that this speech raises about U.S. foreign policy

Students complete the Four Freedoms Interpretation Chart

This chart asks students to summarize each freedom, explain why it was important in 1941, and evaluate how it might have been used to support U.S. action in World War II.

Four Freedoms Interpretation Chart

Freedom	What it Means	Why it Mattered in 1941	How it Could Justify U.S. Involvement
Freedom of Speech	People can express opinions without fear	Totalitarian regimes silenced opposition	The U.S. could defend democratic values
Freedom of Worship	People can choose their religion	Nazi Germany persecuted Jews and others	The U.S. could protect religious freedom
Freedom from Want	Everyone should have basic economic security	War caused suffering and poverty	The U.S. could help create stable postwar peace
Freedom from Fear	No one should live under threat of violence	Military expansion by Germany and Japan	The U.S. could reduce global military threats

Exit Ticket

FFW (5 min, 10 sentences minimum): How did Roosevelt use the Four Freedoms to persuade Americans that the U.S. should take a larger role in world affairs? Use at least one quote from the speech and explain how it connects to U.S. foreign policy in 1941. Write at least five complete sentences.