How Did Eleanor Roosevelt’s Personal Life Relate to Her Choice of Dedicating Her Life to Helping Others?

However that didn’t stop him from his political life. Wherever Franklin had to be, Eleanor would go instead to help her husband. (Taylor 31). She became a huge help for Franklin, especially when he became the governor of New York in 1928 (“Eleanor Roosevelt”). Later on Eleanor found out that Lucy and Franklin were having an affair.

Eleanor was surrounded and active in politics at a very early age. Before she turned ten both of her parents and one of her brothers had died. After, she was sent to a boarding school where she was tremendously impacted by her head governess. Eleanor was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and watched his wife play the role of hostess as the First Lady. Instead of running around with the elite, at age 17, Eleanor volunteered at a social service house meant to provide help to women and children in need. After seeing all the heartache they had been through, Eleanor joined the National Consumers League to protect women from employers looking to utilize them (One). In 1905. Eleanor married her fifth cousin Franklin D. Roosevelt, an aspiring

She also liked to attend meetings at the Capitol building and listen to speakers (Morey, 30). In the winter and spring of 1917-1918, Franklin came down with pneumonia and Eleanor discovered that Franklin was having an affair with their good friend, Lucy Mercer. During this time they saw each other very little, but did not get a divorce (Cook, 222-224, vol. 1). In fact, Franklin’s mother threatened that if he got a divorce, she would “cut him out without a cent” and he needed her money for his campaign, so they did not get a divorce (Morey, 33). After Franklin got over his pneumonia, Eleanor still stayed dedicated to him even after his affair and they tried to work on their relationship. They even began to travel together again. Eleanor still went through some periods of depression but through this she developed independence and leadership (Morey, 35-36).

Franklin D. Roosevelt, born January 30, 1882 in Hyde Park, New York, was the 32nd president of the United Sates. He was the only child of James and Sara Roosevelt. Roosevelt was home schooled until he was fourteen. He then went to Groton School for boys, an Episcopal preparatory school in Massachusetts. After Roosevelt graduated he went to Harvard University, where he received his degree in three years. He then went to Columbia University Law School. Although he passed the bar exam he didn't receive a degree. In 1905 Roosevelt married Eleanor Roosevelt, his fifth cousin. Roosevelt had an affair with his wife's secretary, Lucy Mercer. Eleanor found out about the affair and told Roosevelt to end it or she would divorce him. Although, he agreed,

When some people think of Eleanor Roosevelt, they think of “woman” and “unpowerful.” Others think “feminist” and “world changer.” She is more of a feminist and world changer. Her life started on October 11th, 1884 in New York City with the name Anna Eleanor Roosevelt. Today, she is known as Eleanor Roosevelt. She had tough teenage years due to the passing of her mother, father, and brother. Years after, she married the future thirty second president, Franklin D. Roosevelt on March 17th, 1905. In 1920, FDR acquired polio. She “persuaded him to continue his career in politics. Her political activism helped his campaign for governor of New York” (Facts). She had many accomplishments as well. "Roosevelt became a United States delegate the United Nations and chaired the committee on human rights making her instrumental on drafting the

When her husband, Franklin took office, the United States was in the midst of the Great Depression. Because FDR had polio, he was paralyzed from the waist down. Because of this impairment, Eleanor was his eyes and ears. She crisscrossed the U.S., observing living conditions of the working class poor. She returned to the White House with information and ideas on how to better improve the lives of the American people.

History both nationally and internationally have been greatly impacted by significant and ordinary people such as Eleanor Roosevelt, through exercising both power and influence. Eleanor Roosevelt through her husband’s election to president gained considerable power and influence. She transformed the role of first lady, it was no longer about staying in the background but becoming active in political and social issues. Her championing of humanitarian causes such as women’s movement, human and civil rights demonstrates her impact on national and international history.

Without a doubt, she revolutionized the role of First Lady and continued to influence American’s lives. Being a First Lady, Eleanor created many firsts within the public role. Eleanor started to hold press conferences for women reporters only (“Eleanor Roosevelt”). Her everyday tasks included writing her newspaper column, giving lectures and speeches, writing books, responding to mail for the White House, visiting battlefields, and attending her many meetings with the different organizations she was involved. Eleanor was the first President’s wife to make her life more public and open. She became an international lady, often being referred to as the “First Lady of the World” (Bolton 295). Eleanor traveled as a representative for her husband, working as his eyes and ears. Often times, Eleanor would appear at different places unexpectedly to see what was really going on. At the end of her trips, she would report back to the President what her issues and concerns were and what the people she encountered thought (Gibo). While in the White House, Eleanor worked for people having equal rights. This also applied to the people that worked in the White House. The first thing that Eleanor actually did as the First Lady, was improve the working conditions of the servants in the White House (Bolton 304). One of her

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was an amazing lady. Think about it though, what comes to mind when you hear her name? For most people you think first lady, but there is a lot of information in her childhood that led up to her becoming all that she was. She was born on the 11th of October in New York in 1884. Her parents were Anna Hall Roosevelt and Elliott Roosevelt. But little Eleanor didn’t have the greatest childhood. She was always known as a shy and observant girl and she often noticed her parents fighting. In one of her books she talks about how she can remember her mother laying on the bed crying while, she ran her fingers through her mother's hair to calm her down (www.gwu.edu).

Eleanor Roosevelt is one of the most famous First Ladies in history. Although she was awkward and shy as a child, she married Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an influential figure to the world as well as an inspiration to women everywhere in her own right. Eleanor was more than a president’s wife; she was an eloquent speaker, delegate of the United Nations, and overall an independent woman.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was born on January 30th, 1882 in Hyde Park, New York to James and Sara Delano Roosevelt. He was the only child but had an older half brother, James Roosevelt from his father’s first wife Rebecca Howland but she died in 1876. Roosevelt’s stepmother died on September 7, 1941 and his father died four years later. “Franklin married Eleanor Roosevelt on St. Patrick’s Day March 17, 1905 in New York City. “ (Franklin D. Roosevelt and The Third American Revolution 2011 Pg. 202)

She nursed her husband back to walking after he was a victim to a nearly fatal attack of polio and was paralyzed. Once World War I came around in the year of 1914, Eleanor decided to become involved with Navy Department and Red Cross relief efforts (Stevenson, Keira). She also decided that she would volunteer within hospitals and soldier’s canteens (7). Eleanor, being the caring woman she was, would often visit wounded men as much as she possibly could. Eleanor Roosevelt tried her absolute best to have personal relationships with the men during the World War I, and tried to help them and make them just as important even while they were injured and shell-shocked. In the summer of 1921, the Roosevelt family went on a vacation to their summer house that was on Campobello Island in New Brunswick. While the family was vacationing, her husband, Franklin, was a victim to a nearly disastrous attack of polio, an infectious disease. Franklin survived, but the sickness from the attack left him with an infantile paralysis that he would have for the rest of his life. Once he realized that he could no longer walk, Franklin felt as if his world was falling apart right in front of his eyes. He thought that he could longer succeed in politics. Soon though, this all changed (8). Eleanor nursed her husband as he was paralyzed, and she also became more politically active so franklin would feel inspired to not let go of his

Eleanor Roosevelt was born in 1884, the niece of Theodore Roosevelt. By the age of 10, she was orphaned and at 14, went to a boarding school that taught women’s rights. She married Franklin D. Roosevelt and had six children with him. Even though she was busy, she worked for the American Red Cross during World War I. After her husband became paralyzed, she encouraged him to continue in politics and he became the President of the United States. Since he was unable to get around, she became his eyes and ears around the country. Instead of being satisfied doing little, as First Ladies before her, she became an outspoken leader who used mass media to drive her point home to everyone in America. She spoke out against racism while speaking out for women’s rights and equality for all. After F.D.R. died, she was asked to take a position in the United Nations where she was active in writing and passing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (Biography.com Editors)

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.

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.