British Columbia - Documents - War

  1. Home
  2. Documents
  3. War
  4. The Atlantic Charter

1941 W. S. Churchill and F. D. Roosevelt The Atlantic Charter

Placeholder image

1941 W. S. Churchill and F. D. Roosevelt The Atlantic Charter

Date: 1941

Source:

The Atlantic Charter was a joint declaration issued by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 14, 1941, during World War II. The document laid out a vision for the post-war world and outlined a set of principles that would guide the Allies in their efforts to build a more just and peaceful world order.

The eight-point charter affirmed the right of all nations to self-determination and pledged that the Allies would work to promote free trade, disarmament, and the protection of human rights. It also called for the establishment of a new international organization to maintain peace and security after the war.

The Atlantic Charter was significant for several reasons. First, it helped to solidify the alliance between the United States and Great Britain and provided a common set of goals for the Allies to pursue during the war. Second, it set out a broad vision for the post-war world that would serve as the basis for the establishment of the United Nations and the development of international law and human rights norms. Finally, the charter was a powerful statement of the shared values and aspirations of the United States and Great Britain, and it helped to inspire people around the world who were fighting for freedom and democracy.

In conclusion, the Atlantic Charter was a joint declaration issued by Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941 that laid out a vision for the post-war world and established a set of principles to guide the Allies in their efforts to build a more just and peaceful world order. The charter was a significant document in the history of international relations and helped to inspire people around the world who were fighting for freedom and democracy.

August 14.1941

The President of the United States of America and the Prime Minister, Mr. Churchill, representing His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, being met together, deem it right to make known certain common principles in the national policies of their respective countries on which they base their hopes for a better future for the world. First, their countries seek no aggrandizement, territorial or other;

Second, they desire to see no territorial changes that do not accord with the freely expressed wishes of the peoples concerned;

Third, they respect the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live; and they wish to see sovereign rights and self government restored to those who have been forcibly deprived of them;

Fourth, they will endeavor, with due respect for their existing obligations, to further the enjoyment by all States, great or small, victor or vanquished, of access, on equal terms, to the trade and to the raw materials of the world which are needed for their economic prosperity;

Fifth, they desire to bring about the fullest collaboration between all nations in the economic field with the object of securing, for all, improved labor standards, economic advancement and social security;

Sixth, after the final destruction of the Nazi tyranny, they hope to see established a peace which will afford to all nations the means of dwelling in safety within their own boundaries, and which will afford assurance that all the men in all lands may live out their lives in freedom from fear and want;

Seventh, such a peace should enable all men to traverse the high seas and oceans without hindrance;

Eighth, they believe that all of the nations of the world, for realistic as well as spiritual reasons must come to the abandonment of the use of force. Since no future peace can be maintained if land, sea or air armaments continue to be employed by nations which threaten, or may threaten, aggression outside of their frontiers, they believe, pending the establishment of a wider and permanent system of general security, that the disarmament of such nations is essential. They will likewise aid and encourage all other practicable measure which will lighten for peace-loving peoples the crushing burden of armaments.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Winston S. Churchill

Cite Article : www.canadahistory.com/sections/documents

Source:

Reference: Article by (Staff Historian), 2023

i

History & Heritage

Tel: 1 604 833-9488

Email: info@canadahistorysociety.ca

Access History creates and posts content, articles, and subject matter relating to history and heritage
Copyright 2025 to Access history. All rights reserved and images and logos are created and presented for the general use of the public and educational institutions All content is the responsibility of Access.
Use of this website constitutes acceptance of Access terms and conditions
Placeholder image

All content and images are protected by copyright to Access History