The title of this speech is a snoozefest. "FDR's First Inaugural Address"? Not exactly a catchy one.

But what it lacks in pizzazz, it makes up for in sheer presidential power. Savvy readers of history know that this is just the first of four (!) inaugurations for the 32nd president, an unprecedented and unrepeated run.

However, the stakes in the 1932 election were beyond anything that had faced the United States since Lincoln's (literally) divisive win in the election of 1860. The country was in the grip of a terrible economic depression that touched every level of society. The people were demanding change.

And President Roosevelt delivered.

After witnessing the crowd's reaction to the speech, Brain Trust leader Raymond Moley exclaimed, "Well, he's taken the ship of state and turned it right around" (source).