On April 11, 1945, President Roosevelt worked on his upcoming Jefferson Day speech and went for a car ride in the mountains nearby.

Here is an excerpt of the unfinished speech. “Americans are gathered together this evening in communities all over the country to pay tribute to the living memory of Thomas Jefferson-one of the greatest of all democrats; and I want to make it clear that I am spelling that word “democrats” with a small d. I wish I had the power, just for this evening, to be present at all of these gatherings…Let me assure you that my hand is the steadier for the work that is to be done, that I move more firmly into the task, knowing that you—millions and millions of you—are joined with me in the resolve to make this work endure.

The work, my friends, is peace. More than an end of this war —an end to the beginnings of all wars. Yes, an end, forever, to this impractical, unrealistic settlement of the differences between governments by the mass killing of peoples.” Read the full text at The American Presidency Project transcription archive.