Eleanor Roosevelt: Most Iconic First Lady - Fast Facts | History

Summary

Eleanor Roosevelt, born in New York City on October 11th, 1884, overcame a challenging childhood and transformed into a pivotal figure in both American history and politics. Despite a life of privilege, she faced tragic losses early on with her parents dying by age 10, making her an orphan. Her time at a London boarding school, led by a radical feminist headmistress, shaped her leadership ambitions. After marrying Franklin Roosevelt, she played a significant role during his presidency and beyond. Eleanor redefined the role of First Lady, championed equal rights, and actively used mass media to reach the public. Her work during and after her husband's presidency, especially with the United Nations and human rights, left a lasting impact. Eleanor passed away on November 7, 1962, yet her legacy as a pioneering figure endures.

Highlights

• Eleanor Roosevelt's early loss of her parents turned her into an orphan at just 10 years old, setting the stage for her transformative journey. 🌱
• She met Franklin Roosevelt, her father's fifth cousin, in 1902, and despite familial opposition, they married in 1905. 💍
• Eleanor redefined the First Lady's role through her active involvement in public policy and mass media engagement. 📰
• She took a stand for equal rights, notably during WWII, when she supported the deployment of African-American pilots. ✈️
• Eleanor continued her political contributions post-White House, significantly influencing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 🕊️

Key Takeaways

• Eleanor Roosevelt transformed the role of First Lady, setting a new standard for her successors with her political activism and media engagement. 🌟
• Her challenging early life, including the loss of her parents, instilled resilience and a determination to lead and advocate for change. 💪
• Eleanor's work with the United Nations and the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains one of her greatest legacies. 🌍

Overview

Eleanor Roosevelt's life began with privilege, but took a challenging turn with the early loss of both parents. Sent to a boarding school in London, she was influenced by a feminist headmistress who instilled the importance of leadership in her. This education paved the way for her future engagement in socio-political issues.

Her marriage to Franklin Roosevelt in 1905 was the fusion of two influential paths. As Franklin battled polio, Eleanor's activism grew, propelling her to redefine the role of First Lady. She took advantage of mass media to communicate with the public, laying the groundwork for future celebrities and political figures.

After Franklin's presidency, Eleanor didn't slow down. Her involvement with the United Nations, particularly in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, showcased her enduring commitment to global equality and justice. Eleanor Roosevelt's legacy is a testament to her courage, resilience, and unwavering dedication to human rights.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Early Life Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 11, 1884, into a privileged but challenging life. Her mother died suddenly when Eleanor was eight, and her father succumbed to alcoholism two years later, leaving her an orphan by the age of ten. Eleanor's unique approach transformed the role of the First Lady, setting a benchmark for her successors.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Education and Marriage Eleanor attended a boarding school in London, which marked a significant turning point in her life. The headmistress, Marie Sylvestra, was a radical feminist who educated girls to become leaders rather than just preparing them for marriage. In 1902, Eleanor met Franklin Roosevelt, a young and handsome Harvard student and her father's fifth cousin.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Family and Political Involvement Franklin and Ellena Roosevelt fell in love despite opposition from Franklin's mother, who unsuccessfully tried to separate them by sending Franklin to Europe. The couple married on March 17, 1905, in New York City and had six children. During World War I, while serving as assistant Navy secretary, a rumor spread about Franklin having an affair with his secretary Lucy Mercer, after Ellena found love letters from Lucy.
• 01:30 - 02:30: Role as First Lady Franklin Roosevelt contracted infantile paralysis in 1921, which led to a loss of mobility in his legs. Elanor Roosevelt cared for him and played a crucial role in encouraging him to return to politics. Despite this personal struggle, Elanor began to explore political causes on her own, starting with the League of Women Voters, as Franklin's condition inadvertently gave her more freedom to pursue her interests.
• 02:30 - 04:00: World War II and Later Years The chapter discusses how Franklin Roosevelt's election as President of the United States in 1933 was a significant event. Elanor Roosevelt, seeing her role as First Lady as a continuation of her social work, innovatively created a constituency of her own, crafting a unique position that had not existed previously, despite facing criticisms.

Eleanor Roosevelt: Most Iconic First Lady - Fast Facts | History Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 [Music] I think every first lady since Ellena Roosevelt is measured against elanar Roosevelt because she did completely transform this role Anna Elanor Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 11th 1884 she was born into a life of privilege but it was a difficult childhood when elener was 8 years old her mother died very suddenly and 2 years later her father died of alcoholism so she was an orphan by the time time she was 10 years old at age 14
• 00:30 - 01:00 Eleanor was sent to a boarding school in London The Experience would be a major turning point in her life the head Mistress of this school a woman named Marie sylvestra was actually a radical a feminist and she wasn't educating these girls just to go off and get married she was educating them to be leaders in 1902 Elanor met her father's fifth cousin a young Harvard student named Franklin Roosevelt he was dashing and handsome
• 01:00 - 01:30 and was considered a very good catch for her Franklin and Ellena Roosevelt fell in love but Franklin's mother was not very happy about the relationship she sent Franklin off on a trip to Europe to try and break them up but of course it didn't work the couple married on March 17th 1905 in New York City they had children right away and six of them while Franklin was serving as assistant Navy secretary during World War I a rumor surfaced that he was having an affair with his secretary Lucy Mercer elanar Found Love Letters From Lucy she
• 01:30 - 02:00 did at one point consider leaving but that would have ended his political aspirations in 1921 Franklin Roosevelt contracted infantile paralysis losing mobility in his legs Elanor cared for him and encouraged his return to politics in an odd way his inability to get around freed her she started to get involved in political causes she got involved with the leg Women Voters she
• 02:00 - 02:30 got involved with the Democratic Party The Great American public has its say at the polls and the result is a Roosevelt victory of amazing proportion when Franklin Roosevelt was elected president of the United States in 1933 Elanor saw the office of first lady as a way to expand on her previous work the first thing she did was create a way of having a constituency of her own so she created a role that simply hadn't existed before IA Roosevelt was criticized pretty
• 02:30 - 03:00 heavily by some for her active role in public policy as first lady Elanor pioneered the use of mass media to communicate directly with the public by having a women only press Corp which she did she was able to reach across the country elanar Roosevelt leveraged mass media as a way to connect with the people at a time when the nation was Bleak literally coming out of the Great Depression Elanor Roosevelt further strengthened her Legacy in her fight for
• 03:00 - 03:30 equal rights during World War II during the war she famously went to the Tuskegee air base because black officers they weren't being deployed and she insisted on going up with one of the African-American pilots and that after that they did get deployed on April 12th 1945 Elanor Roosevelt's husband died after suffering a stroke early in his fourth term as president she wasn't there and she learned some time afterwards that Lucy Mercer was there she told reporters after he died when
• 03:30 - 04:00 they said to her Mrs Roosevelt what are you going to do now she said the story is over but of course it wasn't in the Years following the White House Elanor Roosevelt remained an active political figure in 1945 President Truman asked Elanor to be a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly Elena Roosevelt was very active she really tried to force the United Nations to take a very hard strong active role in combating abuses toward human rights alen
• 04:00 - 04:30 Roosevelt chaired the committee that drafted and passed the universal Declaration of Human Rights she considered that her greatest achievement Elanor Roosevelt died at her Manhattan home on November 7th 1962 she was 78 Mark Twain is now thought of as America's first celebrity because he was so good at capturing the public imagination and it became important to him to have a Public Image