Eleanor Roosevelt: The First Lady

The qualities that have made Michelle Obama unique are her strong personality, compassion, and her serenity. Michelle is not like many others. Her achievements go beyond just being the president’s wife. She works for the social issues that require her concern. The first lady of America doesn’t shy away from raising her voice for a cause. Even though Michelle is at the top of the world she doesn’t let the success and popularity get to her head. She thinks before speaking and maintains her composure at all

When Franklin became the president of the United States, Eleanor had to accept her role as the first lady. Mrs. Roosevelt was not like the First Ladies before her. She made her mark on society. She got involved in politics. Franklin saw her as his "eyes and ears" for she would tell him what was going on throughout the country with "real" people she had met while Franklin remained in Washington D.C. She was a very important part of the presidential team.

Although Eleanor Roosevelt served as first lady from 1932 to 1945, her influence lasted much longer than expected. Eleanor became her husband’s ears and eyes during her husband’s presidency and aided human rights during her entire life. She did what no other First Lady, or woman had dared to do before; she challenged society’s wrong doings. Many respected her; President Truman had called her “the First Lady of the World (Freedman, 168).” Eleanor Roosevelt was an amazing first lady who helped her husband, Franklin D. Roosevelt, run the country.

Instead of being dormant like a typical First Lady in her time, Roosevelt was determined to support human rights. As she held press conferences, Roosevelt was judged harshly by some people. Although this happened, she did not waver in her job to make change to the world.

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962), one of the most admired women in American history, acted as first lady from 1933 until 1945, longer than any other presidential spouse, and put that position on the nation’s political map. Yet, ironically, Eleanor did not want the job because she thought it would hamper her own self-development as an independent person. Through her own path-breaking efforts she transformed her role from official hostess to important spokesperson for her husband’s administration. In the process she became a role model for millions of Americans who applauded her activism on behalf of social causes.

“Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of husbands. Remember all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies, we are determined to foment a Rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice, or representation” (C-SPAN First Ladies: Influence & Image). This is a quote from Abigail Adams, one of the most important first ladies of all times. She was not only the first lady to live in the White House but she was also the mother of a president, her son John Quincy Adams. She has contributed much influence on the country and is utterly distinct from other first ladies. Although she was not a complete feminist she did believe in women’s education, which was not common at the time, and she also believed in protecting women’s rights.

Eleanor Roosevelt set a precedent for first ladies by purposefully establishing herself as a political figure.

When one thinks about the tile of First Lady of the United States, images of Jackie Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, and Michelle Obama begin to materialize. In today’s world, the title can be associated with the President’s wife working eloquently towards the good will of the United States either through social services, community service, and even through getting children active within our schools. Additionally, the First Lady of the United States is rarely under the scope of scrutiny. However, in 1828, with the election of President-Elect Andrew Jackson, the First Lady-Elect Rachel Jackson was regarded entirely different. The campaign that allowed for Andrew Jackson against the incumbent, John Quincy Adams, was a very robust campaign that allowed for Jackson to gain control of the executive, but only after he was tainted with sorrow. Because of the fierce campaign ran by John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson charged him for the death of his beloved wife. Therefore, because of the harmful campaign rhetoric against Rachel Jackson deeming her as a bigamist, the extreme sorrow that Jackson has for his wife after her death, and ultimately the apprehension and anxiety that came about as a result of her death, Andrew Jackson has gone down as one of the most notorious presidents in American History.

Some kids know about the Presidents, but do they know about the people that help him every day. The first lady, the wife of President, is always helping the President in many ways. One of the earliest first ladies is Jane M. Pierce. Jane Pierce was the wife of the fourteenth President, Franklin Pierce.

     Before Eleanor Roosevelt, the role of the first lady was not a political role; it was merely just a formal title of the president’s wife. Eleanor Roosevelt paved the way for all presidents’ wives to come by being active in politics during and after her husband’s presidency. Of course, she did not have instant success; she had many trials which helped her become an important and influential role model. Eleanor Roosevelt’s dedication to her husband, her activeness in politics, and her volunteer work enabled her to change the role of the First Lady.

The title First Lady of the United States is not a constitutional role but rather an unofficial title given to the official White House hostess1. The first “first lady” was Dolley Madison in 1809. The first ladies usually are confidantes and advisors2. The first lady does not always have to be a spouse and can be, if the president was never married or is a widower, be a related family member3. The responsibilities of the first lady is to be a good public figure and control certain things that go on in the White House. The First Lady is responsible for any of the media appearance of their kids4.

Because of the celebrity status of modern first ladies, many view the first lady to be a symbol for how the American woman should behave. Modern first ladies must be well-educated and well-spoken. One trend found in the First Ladies: Influence and Image series seems to be that first ladies (even the pre-1885 first ladies) are generally better educated than most American females of their time, and occasionally, even better educated than their husbands. Caroline Harrison, whose father was a professor and supporter of women’s education, was extremely well-educated for her time (First Ladies: Caroline Harrison). Furthermore, Ida McKinley was educated in Ohio, the haven for the women’s movement at the time, and went on to become the most educated first lady that the nation had ever had in office (First Ladies: Ida

Many people usually spend the majority their time comparing the past and present presidents against each other. They always talk about the things the presidents have accomplished leaving behind a great legacy, but they never consider the great women behind the man. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama are both very different accomplished First Ladies.

Last week, Amy Ducy won the election and proved America that women are just as strong as men in leadership. We got exclusive detail on our first lady Ducy which helps explain how she came to such a victory. She will be the first ever female president in the United States of America in history. When we started the interview with our first lady we decided to focus on her childhood first. What we learned about her was that she was naturally born a strong, good hearted leader. Her leadership qualities and good character started when she first got her dog. That day not only did she learn how to take care of a living thing and love it but she also learned how to appreciate the small things in life and watched how one thing can help shape who you are.

Roosevelt spoke out for an abundance of causes including women’s rights, poverty, discrimination, children’s issues and foreign affairs. Being the President’s wife came with certain privileges and she utilized them on several occasions to further her agendas. According to an article in Women’s America “ER increasingly bypassed State Department restrictions; she worked, often covertly, with private groups and individuals. She campaigned for a less restrictive refugee policy, pursed visas for individuals, and answered and passed on to government officials every appeal sent to her” (Kerber 532). Being of the highest possible social class, Roosevelt found power in her status and leveraged it to further her own itinerary.