Eleanor Roosevelt: A Remarkable First Lady

Today we would like to tell you about Eleanor Roosevelt, a remarkable woman. She was a key figure in many of the most important events of the past century. Not only as a diplomat, but also as a defender of human rights. Eleanor was undoubtedly one of the most influential people of the 20th century.

She was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt Jr. and later married her distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt. When he became president of the US, she in turn became First Lady. This position was the platform from which she provided institutional support to social justice issues in the women’s liberation movement and universal human rights.

While the women who preceded her as First Lady had only roles as presidential hostesses with ceremonial duties, Eleanor Roosevelt added substance to the position.

Not just for the government, but for American citizens as well. It went even further after her work as a US delegate to the United Nations. After her stay in the White House while her husband was president, she left an important legacy.

Her early years

Eleanor was born in New York City into a wealthy and politically prominent American family. Some people say she didn’t have a happy childhood because she lost both her parents before she was ten.

She studied at a private boarding school in London. There she met the one who would be the most influential figure in her life, a teacher who gave her confidence and helped her become a strong and charismatic young woman.

Back in the United States, she kept in touch with her distant second cousin, the promising Franklin Delano Roosevelt. They then married in 1905. After he was named a senator, they moved to Albany, New York. They had six children, but lost one of them at a young age.

Despite her many family responsibilities, Eleanor was also involved in politics. She was a member of several organizations, including:

• League of Women’s Voters
• Women’s Trade Union League
• head of the women’s division of the Democratic National Committee.

She also ran a furniture factory and chaired the literature and history departments of a secondary school. During the First World War she worked with the Red Cross.

Eleanor Roosevelt Becomes First Lady

Her promotion to First Lady occurred in 1933 when her husband was first elected President of the United States. He was president for 12 years, and Eleanor Roosevelt was First Lady all along.

She was quite a strong-willed woman at a time when women had little interest in public life, let alone in public office. She gave more than 300 lectures to female journalists and participated in all kinds of political events, especially those for women’s rights, especially African American women.

Eleanor fought for the rights of the most underprivileged people. She promoted them through the newspapers she wrote for. She wrote more than 3,000 articles that were published in newspapers and magazines, including a monthly column in Woman’s Home Companion , encouraging people to share their stories. She has also published four books.

During World War II, she was responsible for civil defense affairs. In addition, she publicly objected to her husband’s decision to detain thousands of Japanese immigrants.

The Important Legacy of Eleanor Roosevelt

Her husband died while serving a fourth term as president. However, her activism did not end there. Rather than withdraw from public life, Eleanor joined President Truman as a delegate to the United Nations.

She helped write the United Nations Magnum Opus: The 1948 Declaration of Human Rights. Her influence is present in the constitutions of many different nations, where she has helped protect the rights of all men and women around the world.

President Truman once named her The First Lady of the world  in tribute to her achievements in the field of human rights. In addition, John F. Kennedy considered her the archetype of the American woman.

She left a legacy that will continue to inspire every First Lady after her. It was Eleanor who opened up the political field to women. She died at the age of 78 on April 23, 1962, in New York City.

Eleanor continues to be an inspiration to many women around the world. Anyone who is currently fighting for the rights of women and minorities recognizes her great influence on the cause.

The Dignity of All Human Beings

After she died, her admirers published many accolades. One of them, Adlai Stevenson, a United States representative to the United Nations, said of her: “I have lost more than a dear friend. I’ve lost an inspiration. She would rather light a candle than curse the darkness, and her glow has warmed the world.”

That quote defines her personality and strength. It seems Eleanor Roosevelt lit a flame in everyone who knew her.