The Call for Freedom
As you saw in the previous video, the concept of freedom as a guiding principle of foreign policy evolved and grew during the 1940s. Read excerpts from each of these primary sources and consider how it discusses and defines “freedom.”
Eleanor Roosevelt holding Spanish version of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1949
“Four Freedoms”
In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his “Four Freedoms” speech to Congress, urging it to provide support to the European nations under attack from Nazi Germany.
Atlantic Charter
The Atlantic Charter was a policy statement created by the leaders of the United States and the United Kingdom in 1941. In it, they defined the world they wanted to exist after the war and what freedom would mean for this world.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
In 1948, the newly formed United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, written by a committee led by Eleanor Roosevelt. All of the now 192 member nations of the UN have signed their agreement to the declaration.
Reading: Excerpts from "Four Freedoms" speech, Atlantic Charter, and Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Take Notes
Summarize how the concept of freedom is discussed or defined in each speech or document.
Calderwood Writing Course: U.S. History
