She Wasn’t Just The Wife Of Our 32nd President; She Was A Diplomat, Activist, Speaker, And Author
One of America’s most legendary first ladies was Eleanor Roosevelt. Other than being the wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States, Eleanor was a diplomat, activist, speaker, and author.
Born in New York City in 1884, Eleanor was born to Anna Hall and Elliott Roosevelt, the younger brother of the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. Although her family was wealthy and well-known politically, a lot was going on in their personal lives that was rather unfortunate.
Her mother died when she was eight years old, and her father struggled with alcoholism and passed away soon after. After the death of her parents, Eleanor was raised by her grandmother.
In 1899, Eleanor began studying at London’s Allenswood Academy in England, where she became acquainted with politics and the power of social change. After spending three years at the academy and gaining a better sense of self, Eleanor returned to New York for her social debut in 1902.
This was when she began her courtship with distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt. They married in March 1905 in New York City.
After settling in the city, Eleanor and Franklin began having children. Eleanor often struggled in her relationship with her controlling mother-in-law, Sara Ann Delano, and spent most of her time at home taking care of her and Franklin’s children.
In 1911, everything changed when their family moved to Albany as Franklin was elected to serve in the New York State Senate. Eleanor had a great interest in politics and began acting as a political helpmate.
Two years later, their family moved to Washington, D.C., where Franklin served as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. During this time, Eleanor became even more politically aware and gained an understanding of how things worked in the nation’s capital.
The dynamic with her husband significantly changed after discovering he had been having an affair with a secretary in 1918. Although Eleanor became much more independent, she stood by Franklin and remained a devoted supporter of him politically.
Refrina – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
Throughout the 1920s, after the passing of the 19th amendment, Eleanor became an advocate for women’s rights and political engagement amongst women. She did work for the women’s division of the State Democratic Committee and the Women’s Trade Union League.
When Franklin was elected president, and she entered the White House with him in 1933, she became one of the most influential first ladies the country had seen with her political knowledge.
She was a very busy first lady and often took advantage of mass media by writing thousands of articles, holding press conferences that promoted women reporters, donating to charities, traveling all around the country, etc. Eleanor became known as a very passionate humanitarian and inspiring author.
Eleanor was often criticized for being such an involved and active first lady, as she truly did transform the role. Despite that, she kept working, creating opportunities, and remaining a close advisor to her husband. She also remained passionate about activism, emphasizing civil and women’s rights.
When Franklin suffered a stroke and died in 1945 during his fourth term as president, Eleanor remained an active political figure outside the White House. President Truman appointed her to become a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly in 1946. She was an excellent speaker and was influential in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Eleanor worked for the United Nations until 1962. She passed away that November in her Manhattan home at 78. She was truly a trailblazer and an influential woman whose impact on American history is enormous.
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