Eleanor Roosevelt Served Effectively As the First Essay

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 1630 words ( 5 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 5

Page 1 of 5

Eleanor Roosevelt served effectively as the First Lady in the administrations of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but her legacy goes far deeper than her advocacy activities as First Lady. This paper briefly reviews Eleanor Roosevelt's career, her advocacy as First Lady, and more fully her profoundly important involvement in the creation and adoption of the United Nations' Declaration of Human Rights.

Eleanor Roosevelt's Brief Biography -- and Involvement as First Lady

Eleanor Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 11, 1884 (she died November 7, 1962). Her father was Elliott Roosevelt (brother of President Theodore Roosevelt) and her mother was Anna Hall. She lost both her parents when she was a child and lived with her grandmother, Mrs. Valentine G. Hall; she was tutored privately until the age of 15 when she attended a boarding school for girls in England, according to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

Eleanor and Franklin were married in 1905 and parented six children; when Franklin was stricken with polio (in 1921) Eleanor -- who had already become heavily involved in volunteer work for the American Red Cross during WWI -- she became "…increasingly active in politics" to help her husband cover all the necessary political bases. Her passion for service became very obvious to the American public even before she became first lady; she was involved with the League of Women Voters, Women's Trade Union League, and she taught at a private girl's school in New York City (Todhunter School) (FDR Presidential Library).

Stuck Writing Your "Eleanor Roosevelt Served Effectively As the First" Essay?

View All Our Example Eleanor Roosevelt Served Effectively As the First Essay

Have A Custom Example Essay Written



During her husband's service as president, Eleanor traveled extensively around the nation as "the president's eyes, ears, and legs"; she advocated for the poor, for minorities, and for women's rights. There had never been a First Lady who held her own news conferences but Eleanor did just that. Moreover, only female reporters were allowed to attend, "who were traditionally barred from presidential press conferences" (FDR Presidential Library).

She was bold and steadfast when it came to racial justice, and when the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) (of which she was a member) refused to allow African-American icon Marion Anderson to sing in their auditorium, she resigned. In her letter to the DAR she wrote: "…I am in complete disagreement with the attitude taken in refusing Constitution Hall to a great artist. You have set an example which seems to me unfortunate, and I feel obliged to send in to you my resignation. You had an opportunity to lead in an enlightened way and it seems to me that your organization has failed" (American Decades Primary.....

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Eleanor Roosevelt Served Effectively As The First" (2012, December 15) Retrieved June 4, 2026, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/eleanor-roosevelt-served-effectively-first-83646

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Eleanor Roosevelt Served Effectively As The First" 15 December 2012. Web.4 June. 2026. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/eleanor-roosevelt-served-effectively-first-83646>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Eleanor Roosevelt Served Effectively As The First", 15 December 2012, Accessed.4 June. 2026,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/eleanor-roosevelt-served-effectively-first-83646
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example