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Franklin D. Roosevelt Quotes

32nd U.S. President

Franklin D. Roosevelt was the 32nd President of the United States, serving for 12 years, the longest tenure in U.S. history. He led the nation through the Great Depression and World War II, implementing a series of reform measures known as the New Deal.

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Famous Franklin D. Roosevelt Quotes

“I think that both here and in England there are two schools of thought--those who would be altruistic in regard to the Germans, hoping that by loving kindness to make them Christian again--and those who would adopt a much tougher attitude. Most decidedly I belong to the latter school, for though I am not blood-thirsty, I want the Germans to know that this time at least they have definitely lost the war.”

Thinking Knows Want Two War Would Be School Christian Lost Attitude Kindness Blood Victory England Regard Surrender Latter Thirsty Loving Kindness

Author:Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Frankly, I do not know how to effect a permanency in American foreign policy.”

Knows Leadership Know How Effects Policy Foreign Policy American Foreign Policy

Author:Franklin D. Roosevelt

“We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob.... [The organized moneyed people] are unanimous in their hate for me and I welcome their hatred.... I should like to have it said of my second administration that these forces met their master.”

People Knows Should Said Government Hate Force Dangerous Masters Mets Hatred Welcome Administration Organized

Author:Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Since I am used to speaking in public, I know that it is useless.”

Knows Used Useless Speaking In Public

Author:Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Since becoming President, I have come to know that the finest of Americans we have abroad today are the missionaries of the cross. I am humiliated that I am not finding this out until this late day the worth of foreign missions and the nobility of the missionaries.”

Knows Today President Becoming Findings Late Crosses Missions Finest Nobility Humiliated Becoming President

Author:Franklin D. Roosevelt

“We know that there are chiselers. At the bottom of every case of criticism and obstruction we have found some selfish interest, some private axe to grind.”

Knows Found Interest Cases Criticism Bottom Selfish Grind Obstruction Selfish Interest

Book:Fireside chats

Source: Fireside chats

“One thing is sure. We have to do something. We have to do the best we know how at the moment... If it doesn't turn out right, we can modify it as we go along.”

Ifs Knows Moments Action Turns Business Know How One Thing Failure Decision Making Problem Solving Do The Best

Author:Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Books can not be killed by fire. People die, but books never die. No man and no force can abolish memory... In this war, we know, books are weapons. And it is a part of your dedication always to make them weapons for man's freedom.”

People Knows Men Book War Dies Force Memories Freedom Fire Weapons Dedication Can Not Abolish Book Burning

Author:Franklin D. Roosevelt

“We have always known that heedless self interest was bad morals, we now know that it is bad economics.”

Knows Self Interest Business Known Moral Economics Greed Self Interest

Author:Franklin D. Roosevelt

“The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the larger centers has owned the Government ever since the days of Andrew Jackson...”

“We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace - business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering. They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob. Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me - and I welcome their hatred.”

“We know that equality of individual ability has never existed and never will, but we do insist that equality of opportunity still must be sought.”

Knows Stills Opportunity Individual Ability Equality Disability Equality Of Opportunity

Book:Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: F.D. Roosevelt, 1936, Volume 5

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: F.D. Roosevelt, 1936, Volume 5

“We know that enduring peace cannot be bought at the cost of other people's freedom.”

People Knows History Cost Endure World War 2

Author:Franklin D. Roosevelt

“We all know that books burn, yet we have the greater knowledge that books cannot be killed by fire. People die, but books never die. No man and no force can put thought in a concentration camp forever. No man and no force can take from the world the books that embody man's eternal fight against tyranny of every kind.”

People Knows Men World Kind Book Dies Fighting Force Forever Fire Greater Eternal Tyranny Concentration Camps Censorship Concentration Camp

Author:Franklin D. Roosevelt

“We have faith that future generations will know here, in the middle of the twentieth century, there came a time when men of good will found a way to unite, and produce, and fight to destroy the forces of ignorance, and intolerance, and slavery, and war.”

Knows Men Way War Fighting Found Force Generations Middle Century Produce Ignorance Slavery Have Faith Intolerance Twentieth Century Future Generation Good Will

Author:Franklin D. Roosevelt

“We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is bad economics. Out of the collapse of a prosperity whose builders boasted their practicality has come the conviction that in the long run economic morality pays.”

Knows Long Self Running Political Interest Pay Known Moral Economic Morality Economics Prosperity Conviction Collapse Long Runs Self Interest Builder Practicality

Book:The Essential Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Source: The Essential Franklin Delano Roosevelt

“The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the larger centers has owned the Government ever since the days of Andrew Jackson - and I am not wholly excepting the Administration of W. W. The country is going through a repetition of Jackson's fight with the Bank of the United States - only on a far bigger and broader basis.”

Knows Real Country Matter Government Fighting President United Elements Bases Bigger Financial Administration Repetition Andrew Real Truth

Author:Franklin D. Roosevelt

“We can see now that we Americans were caught unprepared, because we were ordinary human beings, following the best advice we had at the time. No one would have guessed in 1941 that we would be attacked in such an unsportsmanlike manner as we were. No one could have visualized Pearl Harbor, either out there or in Washington. But if we had known then what we know now, we would have expected an attack in 1941.”

Ifs Knows Humans Would Be Time Human Beings Known Advice Ordinary Caught Following Expected Pearls Harbors Best Advice Unprepared

Book:Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: F.D. Roosevelt, 1944-1945, Volume 13

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: F.D. Roosevelt, 1944-1945, Volume 13

“A nation, like a person, has a mind - a mind that must be kept informed and alert, that must know itself, that understands the hopes and needs of its neighbors - all the other nations that live within the narrowing circle of the world”

Knows World Needs Mind Persons Nations Neighbor Circles

Book:The Essential Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Source: The Essential Franklin Delano Roosevelt

“If you hold your fire until you see the whites of his eyes, you will never know what hit you.”

Ifs Knows Eye History Fire His Eyes

Book:Fireside chats of Franklin Delano Roosevelt: radio addresses to the American people about the Depression, the New Deal, and the Second World War, 1933-1944

Source: Fireside chats of Franklin Delano Roosevelt: radio addresses to the American people about the Depression, the New Deal, and the Second World War, 1933-1944

“We know now that government by organized money is just as dangerous as government by organized mob.”

Knows Government Dangerous Organized New Deal Corporatism

Book:Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: F.D. Roosevelt, 1936, Volume 5

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: F.D. Roosevelt, 1936, Volume 5

“Those of you who have been there [Haiti] know it is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. It has everything. It has everything above the ground, and everything under the ground.... It is an amazing place. I strongly recommend that whenever you get a chance, if you haven't been there, that you go to Haiti. I think it was a certain Queen of England who said that after her death "Calais" would be found written on her heart. When I die, I think that "Haiti" is going to be written on my heart.”

“Any Government, like any family, can for a year spend a little more than it earns. But you and I know that a continuation of that habit means the poorhouse.”

Knows Years Mean Littles Government Habit Continuation

Book:Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: F.D. Roosevelt, 1937, Volume 6

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: F.D. Roosevelt, 1937, Volume 6