Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal reignited the debate over the meaning of American liberty.
Write a paper in which you analyze the dialogue between FDR and Hoover as a microcosm of this larger clash. You must formulate an analytical thesis, which is a statement (or series of statements) that lays out your argument (not your topic) in the introduction of your paper. Then make sure you offer to support your argument by directly quoting the texts throughout the paper.
Begin by reading the two document whose arguments and dialogue you will be analyzing. Now think about the context of this debate: (The Election of 1936. FDR was running for re-election and was speaking at the Democratic National Convention that would nominate him to be the Democratic nominee for president. Hoover was the last Republican president and he was speaking at Republican National Convention that would nominate Alf Landon to run against the incumbent FDR in the fall).
Think about what each man was arguing about that particular moment in American history (1936) and what were their agendas?
Now you’re ready to formulate a thesis (argument). Here are two topics that you can use to answer as your argument. Don’t just tell me WHAT they argued, a good argument analyzes WHY.
In what ways do FDR and Hoover’s definitions of freedom differ? Why do they define freedom differently? What form of tyranny does each man fear threatens liberty as he defines it?
What should the role of government be in the lives of ordinary citizens according to the two men? Why?
Note that your thesis does NOT need to be a single sentence. If you need 2-3 sentences to lay out your argument please, by all means, do so. The alternative is either a vague factual statement which offers no
analytical argument or a run-on sentence from hell.
Also no outside sources just the documents.
