Fireside chats

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The fireside chats were a series of 30 evening radio talks given by United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt between 1933 and 1944.

Originally an attempt to garner support for his New Deal policies during the Great Depression, Roosevelt gave these evening radio talks to the American public straight from the White House. The addresses gave people a sense of hope and security during difficult times, and helped keep Roosevelt popular despite the continuing depression.

Because nearly every home in most working-class neighborhoods would have the radio on and windows are open in summertime, in many city neighborhoods it was possible to take a long walk without missing many of the president's words.

During World War II, the Great Depression wound down but Roosevelt continued giving fireside chats, explaining major wartime policies and events to the American people.

Chronological list of FDR's fireside chats

• On the Bank Crisis - Sunday, March 12, 1933
• Outlining the New Deal Program - Sunday, May 7, 1933
• On the Purposes and Foundations of the Recovery Program - Monday, July 24, 1933
• On the Currency Situation - Sunday, October 22, 1933
• Review of the Achievements of the Seventy-third Congress - Thursday, June 28, 1934
• On Moving Forward to Greater Freedom and Greater Security - Sunday, September 30, 1934
• On the Works Relief Program - Sunday, April 28, 1935
• On Drought Conditions - Sunday, September 6, 1936
• On the Reorganization of the Judiciary - Tuesday, March 9, 1937
• On Legislation to be Recommended to the Extraordinary Session of the Congress - Tuesday, October 12, 1937
• On the Unemployment Census - Sunday, November 14, 1937
• On Economic Conditions - Thursday, April 14, 1938
• On Party Primaries - Friday, June 24, 1938

FDR signs declaration of war against Japan.