Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt was a prominent figure in history because she changed the role of the first lady. She was a renowned advocate of liberal causes and humans rights, becoming a hero of the civil rights movement and long time advocate for the United Nations. Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11, 1884, in New York. She was the niece of Theodore Roosevelt. Eleanor experienced great loss as a child with the death of her mother in 1892 and then her father two years later when she was just ten years old. She was sent to a school in England when she was a teenager which helped her be more independent and outgoing.

Eleanor married her distant cousin Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1905. They had six children together leaving Eleanor to a busy life at home. Despite this, she became active in her public service during World War I by working for the American Red cross. Franklin D. Roosevelt suffered a polio attack in 1921. This caused Eleanor to step up and help her husband with his political career. When Franklin D Roosevelt became the President of the United States in 1933, Eleanor became the first lady. Mrs. Roosevelt showed America that the first lady was an important part of politics and not just someone who can stand in the background sorting domestic matters. She gave speeches on human rights, children and women’s issues, and also worked on behalf of the League of Women Voters. Eleanor focused deeply on helping America’s impoverished community and also stood against racial discrimination. She traveled abroad to visit U.S troops and was greatly involved in the public life of Americans. Eleanor was criticized by some for differences in political ideology. However, for others she was a symbol for the new role that women were going to play in the world.

After her husband died on April 12, 1945, Eleanor told the public that she did not have any plans to continue her service. However, this was not true. President Truman appointed Eleanor as a delegate of the United Nations General Assembly. She served in this position from 1945-1953. She later became the chair of the U.N.’s Human Rights Commission, helping to write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She was reappointed by John F. Kennedy to the United States delegation to the UN in 1961. She also wrote multiple books about her life experiences.

Eleanor Roosevelt died at the age of 78 from heart failure on November 7, 1962. Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the most influential first ladies, setting the stage for the many more to come. While she was criticized by some, she was greatly appreciated by many for her humanitarian work and dedication to political and social change.