Eleanor Roosevelt: The First Lady Of Franklin D. Roosevelt

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Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it.” She worked very hard during her time as the first lady to accomplish peace and justice (brainyquote.com). When Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn in as president in March 1933, his wife Eleanor began to transform the conventional role of first lady from social hostess to that of a more visible, active participant in the President’s administrative activities. In the White House, Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the most active first ladies in history, she worked towards political, racial and social justice. Mrs. Roosevelt encouraged her husband to appoint more women to federal positions. Significantly expanding the role of the political wife, she became a powerful voice in the 1930s for civil rights, women's rights, and employment programs for young people as she fought for the powerless. Eleanor Roosevelt forever changed the role of the First Lady to be more active in social, political, and economic activities.
The first lady, before Eleanor Roosevelt, was generally very ornamental. She would act as the hostess of the United States and would stay out of political activities. After Eleanor Roosevelt came to the White House the first lady was changed forever. At first, first lady Eleanor Roosevelt fulfilled the social obligations then incumbent upon the President’s spouse, including the making and hosting of social calls among other important persons on specified days at specified times. However, soon after Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected, he was diagnosed with polio, which paralyzed him from the waist down containing him to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Eleanor soon ...

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...ady before. She gave press conferences, lectures, and radio broadcasts, and she even had her own column ("My Day"). Because of Franklin's limited mobility, she traveled extensively, representing the President in various capacities, including meeting with foreign dignitaries and visiting U.S. troops. In addition, her social and political sympathies fueled her increasing involvement in civil rights and labor issues, as well as the plight of the poor and of women” ("Eleanor Roosevelt"). Eleanor worked for political, racial, and social justice in and out of the office. “Even the new First Lady worried about breaking with tradition. ‘It was new and untried ground, and I was feeling my way with some trepidation [fear],’ Eleanor Roosevelt wrote” (Price). Before Franklin D. Roosevelt came to office the first lady was very ornamental and acted only as a gracious hostess.

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