"The Blizzard of 1888," and "FDR's First Fireside Chat," - This Day in History – Mar 12th

The Blizzard of 1888 dumps 40-50 inches of snow

Back in 1888, a 36-hour blizzard hit the eastern regions of the U.S, dumping excessive up to 40 to 50 inches of snow throughout these states, and stranded millions of people.  Known, as “The Great White Hurricane,” cities such as New York lost 400 people within these devastating snowdrifts within this snowstorm. 

According to celebrateboston.com, “Weather forecasting was inaccurate in 1888. Weather stations dotted the country, and prevailing conditions were telegraphed to downstream locations. The Blizzard of 1888 was essentially not predicted, and as people went about their normal lives, a massive storm struck with little warning. Rain quickly turned to sleet then heavy snow. Trains loaded with passengers were stranded on the tracks. People weary of losing their jobs went to work in defiance of the storm, and a few were frozen to death while attempting to return home. In some rural areas people were stranded inside their homes for nearly two weeks.”

FDR Discusses Banking at First “Fireside Chat”

Back in 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, gave his first fireside chat from the White House.  The president discussed the topic of banking in the U.S. 

The “fireside chat,” was coined by journalist, Robert Trout to describe an image of the president sitting by the fireplace in the living room while speaking to the American people to calm the fears of the nation.

According to history.com, “Roosevelt began that first address simply: "I want to talk for a few minutes with the people of the United States about banking." He went on to explain his recent decision to close the nation's banks in order to stop a surge in mass withdrawals by panicked investors worried about possible bank failures. The banks would be reopening the next day, Roosevelt said, and he thanked the public for their "fortitude and good temper" during the "banking holiday."

The President’s speech was during the Great Depression at a time when 25 to 33 percent of the current work force was unemployed.  The people of the U.S. listened intently to this fireside chat from a radio, which 90 percent of American household owned at this time. 

History.com stated that, “Over the course of his historic 12-year presidency, Roosevelt used the chats to build popular support for his groundbreaking New Deal policies, in the face of stiff opposition from big business and other groups. After World War II began, he used them to explain his administration's wartime policies to the American people. The success of Roosevelt's chats was evident not only in his three re-elections, but also in the millions of letters that flooded the White House. Farmers, business owners, men, women, rich, poor--most of them expressed the feeling that the president had entered their home and spoken directly to them. In an era when presidents had previously communicated with their citizens almost exclusively through spokespeople and journalists, it was an unprecedented step.”

All History facts provided from the link below:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/new-york-highlanders-join-american-league?catId=10