Eleanor Roosevelt
“A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it's in hot water.”
Background
Eleanor was born on October 11, 1884 and is the oldest of three children. She was tutored privately until she was 15 and was then sent off to Allenswood Academy in England. She returned to New York City when she was 18 and made her debut at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. She became involved with social reform, volunteer teaching, and the National Consumers League.
Family
Eleanor married Franklin on March 17, 1905 on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Eleanor and Franklin had six children, but only five survived to adulthood.
First Lady
Eleanor began to change the role of the First Lady to be actively involved in her husband's administration. She traveled around the country and reported back to franklin about government institutions and programs. She encouraged Franklin to appoint more women to federal positions. During World War II, Eleanor boosted soldiers morals and pushed for the continuation of the New Deal. Although Franklin died on April 12, 1945, Eleanor remained an active citizen.