Four Freedoms Monument
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State of the Union (Four Freedoms) (January 6, 1941)
 Franklin Delano Roosevelt's January 6, 1941 State of the Union Address introducing the theme of the Four Freedoms (starting at 32:02) |
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The Four Freedoms Monument was commissioned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt following his articulation of the "Four Freedoms" in his 1941 State of the Union Address. This was yet before the participation of the US in World War II. Roosevelt felt that, through the medium of the arts, a far greater number of people could be inspired to appreciate the concept of the Four Freedoms. According to Roosevelt, the four fundamental freedoms are:
- Freedom of speech and expression
- Freedom of worship
- Freedom from want
- Freedom from fear
The statue was created by sculptor Walter Russell later that year, and was dedicated in 1943 before a crowd of 60,000 people at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was dedicated to Colin P. Kelly, one of the first recognized American heroes of World War II. On June 14, 1944, the monument was re-dedicated in Kelly's hometown of Madison, Florida, with a speech by Governor Spessard Holland.
Other related monuments and art
Another American artist, Norman Rockwell, was inspired by Roosevelt's vision to create his own visual depiction of the Four Freedoms — in his case, through a series of four paintings completed in early 1943.
In Evansville, Indiana there is another Four Freedoms monument designed by Rupert Condict built in 1976, four Indiana Limestone columns. It has become the de facto photo image of the city.
Another monument to the Four Freedoms stands in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. It is a single column, with one of the Freedoms printed on each side. On top of the column is a sculpture of two hands holding a globe of the Earth.
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Coordinates: 30°28′10.55″N 83°24′45.96″W / 30.4695972°N 83.4127667°W