Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor on her appearance

"I was a solemn child without beauty"

Eleanor on Marie Souvestre

"Madame Souvestre shocked one into thinking, and that on the whole was very beneficial'

Eleanor displaying confidence, wrote at age 14

"No matter how plain a woman may be, if truth and loyalty are stamped upon her face all, will be attracted to her'

Anna Hall on Eleanor's appearance

"granny"

On moving to Albany in 1911

'For the first time I was going to live on my own. I wanted to be independent. I was beginning to realise that something within me craved to be an individual'

Eleanor on Sara Roosevelt

'I was beginning to be an entirely dependent person with someone always to decide everything for me... for the first year of my married life I was completely taken care of'

Allida Black on Marie Souvestre

'One of the most important intellectual influences of Eleanor's youth'

Friend and biographer Ruby Black on Eleanor in WW1

'The war pushed Eleanor into the first real world outside her family"

Blanche Wiesen Cook

'feminist of bold conviction who disdained the patriarchal mind'

Made debut into society in the summer of 1902 Rekindled poor self-confidence and anxiety

'near nervous collapse', 'deeply ashamed' by her lack of suitors

FDR, later told a friend that their time in Albany

'was the beginning of my wife's political sagacity and co-operation'

FDR Affair

1918- FDR and Lucy Mercer Affair discovered Began seeing each other again in the 1930s Lucy was with Franklin when he died at Warm Springs, Georgia, in April 1945

Louis Howe

A man Eleanor credits for her 'political education', encouraging her to engage in political life, particularly in the field of public speaking

Suffragette

Became a suffragist when her husband displayed favour for the right of women to vote Suffrage was a deeply controversial issue by 1912 Eleanor later confessed 'while I realised that if my husband was a suffragist I probably must be too, I cannot claim to have been a feminist in those early days'

Republicans such as John Foster Dulles and distinguished democrats including Senator William Fulbright opposed her nomination because she was too liberal and too inexperienced

Belief that she would be a "loose cannon in her new environment" Doubted due to her inexperience and lack of background In international meetings Reservations about her qualifications shared by many members of foreign policy establishments Prominent republicans: John Foster Dulles; regarded her as too liberal Distinguished Democrats: Senator William Fulbright; regarded her as too inexperienced, was concerned her presence on delegation would signal a lack of seriousness about the UN A public storm raged around ER: Americans were offended by the unconventional nature and scope of her activities ER was widely criticised - un-American, communist, "black blood", too progressive, by African Americans for telling them to be patient

Pulitzer Prize winning biographer Joseph Lash

Described as "insecure" and "starved for affection" considered herself "ugly" during early years of her life

Eleanor's desire for praise

Developed 'an inordinate desire for affection and praise'

November 22, 1903

Eleanor engaged with FDR

Marie Souvestre Description

Feminist educator Encouraged independent and critical thinking, Concern for humanism and social justice, Political and social consciousness Well rounded education

Eleanor on returning to New York

For the first time, she was 'totally without fear'

June, 1920

Franklin received the Democratic nomination for vice-president Stimulated Eleanor to become further engaged in political life Forging a close relationship w Franklin's intimate advisor and press liaison Louis Howe

Following FDR's affair

Inspired Eleanor to develop a separate social and political life, asserting her own personal goals and ideals Developed friendships w individual women of various political and social reform circles Eg Marion Dickerman, Nancy Cook Asserted that the modern wife should 'develop her own interests and carry on a stimulating life of her own'

FDR and Eleanor's wedding

March 17, 1905

WW1

Navy hospitals, successful prompting gov inquiry into treatment of shellshock victims Involved in Red Cross Engaged in Navy League activities

WW1 2

US entry into WWI in April 1917 prompted a cessation of social activities amongst the wives of prominent politicians • Eleanor became highly involved in the war effort on the homefront o Engagement w the war effort became a manifestation of Eleanor's growing independence

The party saw her opening up so many new avenues of thought and work o Through the party, she came to know her state, the people who lived in it, and rural and urban conditions extremely well

Women's democratic committee

Gained from Allenswood

considerable self-confidence and intelligence, Politically and social consciousness Developed an interest in political and social issues, history, languages and literature

• Franklin acquired poliomyelitis in the summer of 1921

o Eleanor nursed and cared for Franklin throughout the period of his illness prompted Eleanor to become a more astute familial and political force, prompting her to become more involved in New York State Democratic politics o Joined Louis Howe in convincing Franklin to not be defeated by his illness, regain his health and re-enter the political world w renewed rigour oMarked the commencement of Eleanor's new role; the 'eyes and ears' of Franklin •This role redefined the relationship between the pair as politically orientated •This involved some travelling whereby Eleanor acquired a love of travelling

Women's Division of the New York State Democratic Party

o Formed in 1917, when women were granted suffrage in New York State The purpose of Eleanor's participation in the Women's Division of the New York State Democratic Party was threefold: o To maintain Franklin's public and political profile through his illness and to allow him to return to a return to a political career with his recovery o To gather popular information about the common people to assist Franklin in his future political pursuits o To assert her newly confident and politically astute personality and aspirations, thereby forming her own identity w the shocking discovery of Franklin's extramarital affair and the birth of her children • Eg to mark her transition from timidity and insecurity to moral courage and resolution Became vice president

Role in WW2

• Efforts made to improve the prospects of European refugees o Proposed changes to immigration laws were met w strict resistance • Eleanor received hundreds of petitions from people trying to enter the US as refugees in recognition of her public aspect • Eleanor proceeded to promote democracy and foster the morale of the home front in order to correct the mistakes of WWI • Support for women working outside the home, particularly in national defence industries • Achieved through: active petitioning to establish child care centres, adequate pay, equal pay, take-out kitchens within factories • Lobbying FDR to establish the Fair Employment Practices Commission • This was instituted as an executive order by FDR in 1941 • This required all companies under government contracts not to discriminate on the basis of race and/or religion • Support for the equal treatment of African Americans in the armed forces • Achieved through: active endorsement of the Tuskegee Airmen, an African American unit of the American Air Force successful in hosting the first black combat pilots o Eg arranged a White House meeting for representatives of the school to petition for their cause in July 1941 • Lobbying FDR for continued social reforms • Active use of the press to promote democracy and strengthen the morale of the home front • This included her daily column 'My Day', radio broadcasts and press conferences • Eg ER addressed the nation on the day of the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbour • Petitioning against the internment of Japanese Americans five week trip to the Pacific

• 'Like her Uncle Theodore, she was an activist — delighted to be on the move, among people, dealing directly with causes and crises' Blanche Wiesen Cook

•Eleanor consequently became involved in New York political life

• Member and later leader of the Women's Division of the New York State Democratic Party (1922)

•Encouraged Franklin to run for the New York Governorship in 1928 o Stimulated by Al Smith, the Democratic candidate for president, who was unable to seek re-election as the governor of New York State o Franklin was the election narrowly and was appointed Governor of New York State