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Primary sourceSpeech9 August 1920

Vice Presidential Nomination Acceptance Speech

Franklin Delano Roosevelt · 9 August 1920

Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1920 speech accepting the Democratic nomination for vice president.

FDR delivered this speech himself in 1920, accepting the vice-presidential nomination.

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What it is

This is the text of the speech Franklin D. Roosevelt gave on 9 August 1920 accepting the Democratic Party's nomination for vice president. In it he speaks alongside presidential nominee James M. Cox, praising his leadership and outlining the challenges facing the next administration.

Why it matters

This speech marks an early milestone in Roosevelt's political career, more than a decade before he became president himself. It reveals his early views on America's role in the world and domestic progress, and shows the political partnership between Roosevelt and Cox in the 1920 election.

Look closer

  • What does Roosevelt say are the two great problems facing the next administration?
  • How does Roosevelt describe his relationship with James M. Cox, and why might that matter to voters?
  • What tone does Roosevelt strike in accepting this honor — confident, humble, something else?

This speech is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Franklin D. Roosevelt on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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