On March 4, 1933, at the height of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 32nd U.S. president. In his first inaugural address, he promised “prompt, vigorous action,” famously declaring, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” and immediately launched the “New Deal” to guide the nation..
Key Details of FDR’s First Inauguration:
- Context: The country was in the worst part of the Depression, with a
unemployment rate, a banking crisis, and 32 of 48 states having closed their banks by inauguration day. - The Address: Roosevelt focused on restoring confidence and proposed the “New Deal”—an expansion of federal power to provide relief, recovery, and reform.
- Historical Significance: This was the last inauguration held on March 4, before the 20th Amendment moved it to January 20.
- Legacy: FDR went on to lead the U.S. through the rest of the Depression and into victory in World War II.