The Impact of Eleanor Roosevelt as First Lady Essay -- biographies bio

The Impact of Eleanor Roosevelt as a First Lady   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  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.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11, 1884 to Elliot and Anna Hall Roosevelt. Her mother was very beautiful and thought of Eleanor as a disappointment and would even make fun of her and call her mean nicknames like â€Å"Granny† (Cook, 21, vol. 1). Her father adored her and she adored him but he was never around due to the fact that he was an alcoholic and a drug addict (Morey, 14). When Eleanor was seven years old, her parents got a divorce; which left her mother, Anna, to raise the children alone (Spangenburg, 4). Eleanor’s parents both died shortly after, her mother when she was eight, and when she was ten she learned that her father had died as well. Eleanor and her two younger brothers were sent to live with their Grandmother Hall (Morey, 16-17).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Eleanor did not have a pleasant childhood, things started to look up when she started dating her fifth cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. They were married on March 17, 1905 (Cook, 162, vol. 1). Eleanor’s Godfather, Theodore Roosevelt, the current president, agreed to walk her down the aisle at her wedding (Morey, 25-27). After their wedding, Franklin and Eleanor’s house was still not ready, so they lived with Franklin’s mother, Sara, who was not very fond of Eleanor. Once Eleanor started having children Sara even insisted on helping raise them because she considered herself to be a better mother than Eleanor (Morey, 28). Eleanor gave birth to 6 children, but lost one and from this became depressed. This was a hard time for her especially living with Sara. Finally, in 1910 they moved away from Sara to Albany, New York so Franklin could run for Senator (Cook, 184-186, vol. 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eleanor Roosevelt was dedicated to Franklin and was always helping him out behind the scenes. When Franklin became... ...er own experiences and observations. Eleanor also said, â€Å"I had really only three assets: I was keenly interested, I accepted every challenge and every opportunity to learn more, and I had great energy and self-discipline.† (Spangenburg, 99) Eleanor Roosevelt changed the role of the first lady by her dedication to her husband through everything, her involvement in politics, and her willingness to help others through her volunteer work. Works Cited Black, Allida M. Courage in a Dangerous World. The Political Writings of Eleanor Roosevelt. New York: Coumbia University Press, 1999. Cook, Blanche Wiesen. Eleanor Roosevelt 1884 1993. Vol. 1. New York: Penguin Books Ltd, 1992. Eleanor Roosevelt 1933 1938. Vol. 2. New York: Penguin Books Ltd, 1999. Lash, Joseph P. â€Å"Eleanor Roosevelt.† Encylopedia Americana. 1997 ed. Levy, William Turner, and Cynthia Eagle Russett. The Extraordinary Mrs. R. A Friend Remembers Eleanor Roosevelt. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1999. Morey, Eileen. The Importance of Eleanor Roosevelt. San Diego: Lucent Books, Inc., 1998. Spangenburg, Ray, and Diane K. Moser. Eleanor Roosevelt A Passion to Improve. New York: Facts on File, 1997.