Eleanor Roosevelt

As wife of a politician who became president of the United States,

Eleanor Roosevelt used her high profile and spirited personality to

become a renowned international activist, speaker, and author.

Eleanor Roosevelt was born into privilege and wealth. Her family had plenty of money
and was part of New York high society, and her uncle Teddy was president of the United
States.
But Eleanor’s early life was hard; her mother and brother both died of illness when she
was very young, and her father drank himself to death. She was a lonely, quiet, shy girl
with no confidence, despite the fact that she was very intelligent.
It was only as a teenager that Eleanor began to blossom. She started doing well in school,
volunteered to do social work in the poor neighborhoods of New York, and began to
believe in herself. Even though she knew that she was no great beauty, Eleanor decided
that honesty and loyalty would show in her face and make her attractive from the inside
out.
It seems she was right - she attracted the attention of a distant relative named Franklin, a
tall, handsome man who seemed destined for great things in politics. But again, fate set
out a hard road for Eleanor Roosevelt. Her husband had an affair, then developed polio
and was very ill for a long time.
This is when Eleanor Roosevelt’s real character came out, and her determination and
spirit only grew stronger. She began to be a force in politics herself, stepping in for her
sick husband in public appearances while getting him back on his feet again at home.