Bonus: Eleanor Roosevelt "Over Our Coffee Cups"

Today Professor Jackson tells the story of Eleanor Roosevelt’s “Over Our Coffee Cups” weekly radio show. Starting in the fall of 1941, the First Lady took to the airwaves with this cafe-style program to provide information and comfort as the nation began mobilizing for war. This short story is an example of the extras you can get as an HTDS premium member. HTDS will always be widely available, supported by ads. However, our membership program offers ad-free episodes delivered early, plus extra stories just like this one. Click here to start a free seven day trial https://htds.supercast.com/. Cancel anytime. Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com https://www.htdspodcast.com/ and go deep into episode bibliographies https://www.htdspodcast.com/bibliography and book recommendations https://www.htdspodcast.com/volume-15 join discussions in our Facebook community https://www.facebook.com/groups/257926761619618/ get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette https://www.htdspodcast.com/newsletters-1 come see a live show https://www.htdspodcast.com/live-shows get HTDS merch https://htds-team-shop.fourthwall.com/ or become an HTDS premium https://htds.supercast.com/ member for bonus episodes and other perks. HTDS is part ofAudacy media network. https://www.audacy.com/ Interested in advertising on the History That Doesn't Suck? ContactAudacyinc.com https://audacyinc.com/contact

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:01Greg Jackson?

  History that doesn't suck is supported by Indeed. I'm not afraid to say this. As HTDS has grown, the business requires skills I know I don't naturally possess. If I need to hire, I think this is a job for sponsored jobs. When you sponsor your job on Indeed, you'll find the candidates with the skills you're looking for. Indeed is genuinely all you need to find quality talent. Instead of putting a post out there and praying the right people see it, Indeed sponsored jobs proactively connects you with candidates who match your precise criteria, whether that's location, software experience, or industry experience. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Less stress, less time, more results. When you need the right person to cut through the chaos, this is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs.

• 0:45Greg Jackson?

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• 1:14Greg Jackson?

  Hello, my friends. This is a special bonus episode. Why? Well, to be honest, I'm at the finish line with a book I've been writing for the past two years. And at this particular moment, that's made it difficult to keep up with podcast writing. But fear not, HTDS episodes are my first priority. There's a new one coming next week with a fascinating interview with Ken Burns about the American Revolution and his World War II documentary, The War. Also this month, a new narrative episode will take us to the Pacific, where we'll experience a date that will live in infamy, to quote FDR. Speaking of Roosevelt, FDR wasn't the only one to give radio addresses to the nation. Today, I'd like to tell the story of Eleanor Roosevelt's

• 1:59Greg Jackson?

  "Over Our Coffee Cups" weekly radio show. Starting in the fall of 1941, the first lady took to the airwaves with this cafe-style program to provide information and comfort as the nation began mobilizing for war. This short story is an example of the extras you can get with an HTDS Premium Membership. HTDS will always be widely available, supported by ads. However, our membership program offers ad-free episodes delivered early, plus extra stories, just like this one. You can learn more at htdspodcast.com/membership, or click the link in the episode notes to start a free seven-day trial. And to now, here's Madam First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, giving a coffee talk.

• 2:40Greg Jackson?

  It's Sunday, September 28th, 1941. Eleanor Roosevelt is preparing for her first radio broadcast in a soon-to-be weekly series. It seems like the First Lady is getting her own form of a fireside chat, and she's going to talk about real American issues, like politics, or the state of threatening world war, or perhaps she'll interview other important leaders. We're not sure yet, so let's listen in on the first of these broadcasts to see what they're about.

• 3:20Greg Jackson?

  Over NBC airwaves, famed radio host Ernest Carroll introduces Eleanor, and reminds listeners of their duty to keep sipping their coffee. After all, this whole thing is sponsored by the Pan American Coffee Bureau. But enough of that, it's time to listen to the First Lady.

• 3:38Speaker 01

  Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight I am beginning again a weekly talk with unseen listeners throughout the United States. I've been asked to comment on current event topics during the coming weeks. Sometimes we will do this through discussion, so I may bring some people to the microphone with me who are especially interested in various phases of what's going on in the world today. And you may hear more than one point of view. Sometimes I shall insist on having the chance to talk without interruption, or a difference of opinion.

• 4:15Greg Jackson?

  Eleanor attempts to clarify misconceptions that Americans may have about words that are floating around the news and public discourse: Pan-Americanism, service, defense, and democracy. And it's on that final word, "democracy," that the first lady pontificates. Wrapping up a discussion of the Gettysburg Address, she reminds countrymen and countrywomen that "just as Lincoln suggested, at that hallowed ground, America must rededicate itself to its ideals in order to ensure that a democratic government shall not perish from the earth," to quote her.

• 4:52Speaker 01

  "One can forgive these sincere idealists, but one cannot forgive those who, for personal and selfish reasons, insist on being blind and advocate a course which would destroy us as a nation, and which seems to endorse the principles which hold sway in other nations because their leaders consider them necessary to their national life. Sometimes I think that some of the isolation leaders forget that if they begin to break up this country into self-conscious racial and religious groups, they will destroy the nation which they profess to want to preserve.

• 5:34Speaker 01

  For we are made up of racial strains from every part of the world, and we allow people to practice whatever religion they wish. We have built a nation around this word: democracy. And it will melt away if certain of these so-called leaders are acceptable to any appreciable number of people. We may hope the human race will be wise enough this time to join together in a real effort to eliminate war, but in the meantime we do again what we have done in the past: dedicate ourselves to the fulfillment of the promise that this nation, under God, shall not perish

• 6:19Speaker 01

  from the earth. Democracy shall triumph."

• 6:41Greg Jackson?

  History That Doesn't Suck is supported by VistaPrint. This podcast is a small business passion project, and seeing our vision come to life offline is cool too, thanks to our expert partner, VistaPrint. On my recent book tour, we were able to order custom, high-quality banners for book readings. It also added a nice professional polish. It also made the events more memorable because readers and I could pose together in front of the banner for selfies to post online. And that's just one of the countless premium products VistaPrint offers to elevate your brand identity. From postcards and posters to tumblers and t-shirts, VistaPrint makes high-end, custom printing accessible to everyone, giving you exceptional quality and results that make every single dollar go further. With real people on standby and seamless tools, VistaPrint guides you through every

• 7:24Greg Jackson?

  step of the process so you always look completely polished. There's a reason over 17 million small businesses trust VistaPrint to elevate their vision. VistaPrint: Print Your Possible. Right now, new customers get 20% off with code NEW20 at vistaprint.com. That's 20% off at vistaprint.com using code NEW20.

• 7:53Greg Jackson?

  HTDS is supported by fans at htdspodcast.com/membership. My gratitude to you kind souls providing funding to help us keep going. Thank you. And a special thanks to our patrons whose monthly gift puts them at producer status. Adam Goran, Ahmed Chapman, Amy and Ross Hensman, Andrew Nissen, Andrew Sherwin, Anna M. Huta, Art Lang, Baby Nico, Bob Stinnan, Bonnie Brooks, Brian Gavigan, Brian Boils, Brian Goodson, Bruce Hibbert, Kayden Hallitz, Charles Clanden, Charles Starkey, Charlie Majes, Christopher Merchant, Christopher Lyle, Christopher Pullman, Christopher Young, Cody Brown, Colleen Martin, Colin Ferris Pennington, Connor Hogan, Craig Burhost, Dan G., Daniel Beacham, Daniel

• 8:35Greg Jackson?

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• 9:17Greg Jackson?

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• 10:02Greg Jackson?

  Edwards, Thomas Sabbath, Tim and Sarah Turner, Todd Curran, Tom Bostovka, Travis Cox, Walter M. Ames, Wesley McKee, William Durham, William Curry, William Thompson, and Zach Jackson. Join me in two weeks where I'd like to tell you a story.