United States
On January 6, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his State of the Union address outlining the Four Freedoms. He articulated freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear as universal goals. The address prepared Americans for the challenges of a world at war and emphasized democratic values. It helped frame U.S. support for allies through programs like Lend-Lease before formal entry into World War II. The speech influenced wartime propaganda and postwar human rights thinking. Norman Rockwell’s later paintings further popularized the Four Freedoms in American culture.
