Franklin Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms” set out his vision for what the US would fight for in World War II and then what the subsequent peace would look like. Norman Rockwell’s famous illustrations of the Four Freedoms made FDR’s vision concrete and were, frankly, propaganda. But there is much more to the story: the illustrations were published with accompanying essays by highly visible writers that add depth to the American vision. The Four Freedoms later shaped the federal government’s desegregation efforts and the international understanding of human rights. Rockwell’s vision of rights and responsibilities took new forms later in his career and challenge us to understand the Four Freedoms in our current context.

Topics: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Norman Rockwell