Four essential human freedoms — Franklin D. Roosevelt

All quotations

In the future days which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression — everywhere in the world.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Source: State of the Union Address (the Four Freedoms speech), 6 January 1941
Written: 1941

About this quotation

Roosevelt gave the speech to Congress while the United States was still officially neutral in the Second World War. The other three freedoms he listed were freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

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