ROOSEVELT, ELEANOR.   Term Paper ID:18817 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Childhood, education, personality, family, marriage to FDR & activities in White House, human rights, miniority issues.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Childhood, education, personality, family, marriage to FDR & activities in White House, human rights, miniority issues. Paper Introduction: To many, Eleanor Roosevelt is considered the most liberated woman of the 20th century. A study of her life shows her to be a woman of mercy, whose greatest joy was being of service to others. As one who witnessed incredible changes throughout the country politically, socially, technologically and economically. Eleanor was to play an indispensable role in these changes. The purpose of this paper will be to discuss one of America's greatest citizens, touching on her childhood and educational background; her introduction to politics; and her marriage and move to the White House. Further, the report will review her significant role in human rights issues, with particular attention paid to her interest in minorities and the underprivileged. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was born in New York City on October Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Eleanor still used words like"darky" and "pickaninny," but she had strong feelings about the issue andknew it needed changing. Life Was Meant to Be Lived. Rather, she believed it was her role totake care of the household and the babies. Theaggressions of Hitler, Mussolini and the Japanese military drove away hersympathies for their countries. And, while Eleanor listenedintently to her husband's plans for the future, she never really thoughtshe would play a part in them. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 11, 1884,into the socially prominent Hall and Rooseveltfamilies. Always havingbeen a very healthy person this experience caused her to reflect later inher autobiography that "Otherwise, I am afraid I would have been moreinsufferable than I am--for I always think we can do something to conquerour physical ailments."[xvi] Politics had long been a part of the Roosevelt family and afterFranklin graduated from law school and was admitted to the bar, he wasencouraged by Theodore Roosevelt to follow his desire for public service.Franklin's branch of the Roosevelt family had been Democrats until theCilvil War when they became Abraham Lincoln Republicans. However, he had a specialplace in Eleanor's heart; she always had seen him as "he and I." Shebelieved that one day she would make a home things. Feeling an urgent sense of duty, she explored manydifferent schemes to find solutions to help the downtrodden. Now she was resolved towork with or without him when necessary, to cook, to type, to takeshorthand, to drive and to understand the world's business.[xx] Thus, at atime when women were awakening to the challenges of voting and otherliberating actions, Eleanor began a new life of her own. Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity, without discrimination. it might be poor because you might not have much within you to give, or to help other people with, or to live your life with. In fact, she was usually in advance of Franklin when itcame to pushing for progressive legislation, but it was always done knowingthat her husband was there to pull her up short when generosity andcompassion caused her to push beyond what was politically possible. The experience taught Eleanor much aboutthe nuts and bolts of the democratic process and, as a result, she becameactive in the League of Women Voters, the Women's Trade Union League, andthe women's division of the Democratic Party. Among theother causes she advocated were women's rights, youth, blacks and otherminorities, the abolition of poverty and above all, peace. Uncle Ted did come in ahead of his successor Howard Taft,however, demonstrating that reform or liberal or progressive politics had amainstream following. Franklin had supported Wilson and, with his eye seton Washington, went to the inauguration with hopes of moving ahead in hiscareer. Infact, in 1943, Roosevelt sent Congress the report of the National ResourcesPlanning Board which listed nine basic guarantees that the American citizenshould possess under a new Bill of Rights. That was not to be the case, however. It wasan exciting time to be a young woman in Europe, especially since she wasable to travel across the continent before leaving. Eleanor was pleased with the reaction, but in the end she wantedmore, a change in the consciences of men toward all, but especially towardthose discriminated against for one reason or another. "By the beginning of the twentieth century theRoosevelt family was one of the oldest and most distinguished in the UnitedStates."[i] Having played a major role in the development of New York City andthe country, the Roosevelts had a firm sense of their heritage. Eleanor's views were the sameas her husband's except that she hated war and the suffering inflicted.However, she also declared she was not a pacificst, a position shemaintained all her life. However, broughtup to regard the marriage bed as a duty and burden, she has alluded in herwritings that the element of sensuality was lacking on her side. It was also during this time that Eleanor tasted her husband's defeatfor the first time. However, she was the one person close to the president who didnot encourage the efforts to draft him for a third term. War and the belief inpacifism were issues that were to follow her throughout her life. "Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? .. The eleven years that Eleanor bore children were ones filled withlearning, in particular, the gaining of more understanding and sympathy forthe illnesses mankind is subjected to. Franklin, nominated as Vice President with GovernorCox of Ohio at the Democratic convention in 192 , lost the election.Consequently, he lost his position in the administration and was forced tolay low for a while until "this bunch in Washington show either that theycan make good or that they are hopeless failures, he wrote at thetime.[xxi] Eleanor had joined him on the campaign trail and it was thefirst election that women voted. Theyhoneymooned in Europe in the grand tradition and Eleanor then settled downto raise a family. And, so, in early July 1932, the"New Deal" concept was born, when Roosevelt, upon accepting the Democraticparty's nomination, declared: "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a newdeal for the American people."[xxiii] This was not a particularly happy time for Eleanor. His margin-thin victory was overshadowed inEleanor's mind by the loss of Al Smith for president. Franklin's bout with polio at the start of the 192 's was the finalact to Eleanor attaining a life independent of her husband and mother-in-law. Fearful that a move to the White House would make her a prisoner,Eleanor took the attitude that she had to do what she believed in no matterwhat the criticism might be. The purpose of this paperwill be to discuss one of America'sgreatest citizens, touching on her childhood and educational background;her introduction to politics; and her marriage and move to the White House. Her liberalideas led the World Telegram in 1933 to welcome a "connubial Presidency" asa safeguard against the dangers of presidential isolation.[xxxii] Manybelieved she had stronger convictions on the subjects of social welfare andprogress than her husband. . As the crippled president's "eyes and ears," she became Franklin'spublic persona. As a result, she transformed the first lady'srole into a new force, one Joseph Lash, author of many books on theRoosevelts, called "a unique force for good."[xxvi] In this positon,Eleanor broke many precedents. Dealers and Dreamers. Like his father, he seemed to compartmentalize his life withease."[xiv] Eleanor did have a keen awareness of her own abilities and a greatpride in her family, however. She also foresaw that domestic well-being for America wasclosely tied to the stability of the international economic order thatwould come about from the war. Consequently, Eleanor began to relish her independence. Only a few years are left to work in. The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt. She accepted the position with misgivings, knowing thatas First Lady she carried greater authority than anyone else in theposition and would become the target of her husband's enemies. The Roosevelt second generation, Nicholas VanRoosevelt, had two sons, Johannes or John, who founded Oyster Bay and wasthe branch of the family Eleanor was born into, and the other Jacobus orJames, of Hyde Park, and the direct ancestor to Franklin D. Lash, Life Was Meant To Be Lived, (New York: W.W. , 148.[xlix].Ibid., 154.----------------------- 1 The Roosevelts were originally from Amsterdam and came toAmerica in the 17th century. Asubsistence homestead development in West Virginia, Arthurdale was createdby the federal government to rescue and rehabilitate hundreds of miners andtheir families in the coal towns of Appalachia. It became her special project. . . The Roosevelt family like many others throughout America were tornby the differing philosophies of whether the country should participate inthe war or keep from getting dragged into it. New York: W. Eleanor was eight when her mother died ofdiptheria and 1 when her father succumbed. She wrote further: . Later most ofthem returned to the Democratic party. And, asexpected, the national spotlight on her was relentless. Her husband's New Deal programs in largepart reflected her commitment to social welfare and social reform. , 197.[xli].Anthony J. Norton & Company, 1971.Lash, Joseph P. Everywhere over there is the dread of this war that may come."[xxviii] By the end of Roosevelt's first year in office, the country's moodwas changing for the better and Eleanor was a big part of this change. And, at the age of 15 she was sent off to Allenswood, afinishing school near London. And asa young girl attending the highly fashionable Roser classes, she wrote thatmediocre looks in a woman might be offset by her "truth and loyalty." Sheargued that the ability to do good to all who come in contact with a personis a manifestation of "one of the greatest gifts that God has given men,the power of friendship."[vi] This would be the course of action shefollowed all her life. Secondly, that December she was appointed a member of the U.S. During this difficult period, whileFranklin marked time as a beginning lawyer, Eleanor concentrated on makingher marriage successful. . However, she found it more difficult to persuade the presidentto introduce an anti-lynching bill. . Eleanor's appointment to the United Nations was not only a gesture ofgoodwill toward all she and her husband had stood for, but was inrecognition of her many years of fighting for the rights of peopleeverywhere. Part of her work here includedinvestigating garment factories and department stores. The pressmade much about her "willingness to work." As the war wound down, Eleanor's insecurities were brought to theforefront again. While most of the students, who were from England's upperclass, were interested in the Boer War in South Africa and rooting for theBritish, Eleanor and Mlle.Souvestre gathered to mourn the Boer defeat. New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1937.Roosevelt, Eleanor. As a result, anew period of growth began, for with this success, Franklin, ambitious,agressive and gregarious, began to pattern himself on Theodore Roosevelt ina climb toward the presidency. Further, sheturned away from power for herself but fully uinderstood its uses for goodpurposes, especially in the world of politics. To a fewfriends she expressed the thought that new leadership might be needed forthe future. . Badger, The New Deal (New York: Hill and Wang, 1989),256.[xlii].Ibid., 257.[xliii].Lash, Life . . In his element, Franklin wasextremely prepared, a friend of the Allies, particularly the British, andbelieved firmly in America's participation. And, the fact thatFranklin's win was due in large part to Eleanor was never acknowledged byhim or claimed by her. Eleanor's introduction topolitics was to come in 191 and to remain part of her life forever after.Beginning with Franklin's election to the New York state Senate that year,her life shifted from the private citizen to public figure. Her access to the president gave her a power no otherFirst Lady had ever used before. This meantfinally moving to Washington D.C. Eleanor spenta total of six years working with the United Nations. She sponsored White House conferences on consumers and theNational Recovery Act (NRA), the emergency needs of women and camps forunemployed women, which heretofore were concerns that had failed to receivea response from the government and its agencies. Though dragged into his campaign for re-election whenFranklin became ill in 1912, she was content to remain in the background, aposition Franklin preferred as well. . . But as long as you did the very best that you were able to do, then that was what you were put here to do and that was what you were accomplishing by being here.[xl]With this creed in hand, Eleanor went on to fight a lifetime of battles onbehalf of those in need. "But her son was firm and diplomatic. While mostwere not practicing ProtestantEpiscopalians, they were faithful churchgoers and believedstrongly in the Protestant work ethic. New York: Hill and Wang, 1989.Burns, James MacGregor. The other area where Eleanor failed was in the area of healthinsurance, which was considered a key factor in helping the poor anddisabled. However, she also recognized that any movementrequired caution, even with her husband: "He wanted to improve the lot ofthe Negroes, but their second emancipation was not among his highpriorities."[xxxiv] He preferred to let Eleanor take the lead while heavoided commiting himself. Further, the report will review her significant role in human rightsissues, with particularattention paid to her interest in minorities and the underprivileged. For a woman who had grown up in the very conservative, upperclass world of New York society at the turn of the century, she had come along way to be known as a champion of the underdog. and becoming involved in Wilson's NewFreedom plan. Authorizations to create such resettlements were built into theNational Recovery Act at Franklin's request and Eleanor placed herself atthe disposal of the homesteaders. This had been a long wish of her mother's.It is here that Eleanor under the wing of the headmistress, Mlle.Souvestre, blossomed from shy school girl to school leader. Eleanor was toplay an indispensable role in these changes. . All ofthe "coming-out" festivities filled her with terror though she appeared theimage of calmness.[ix] As a form of escape from all this activity shebecame interested in the Consumers League. Eleanor returned to America in 19 2 and was immediately swept up intoNew York society. "Though he gave his wife and family warm affection .. In the end, she and Franklin reconciled and the family remainedintact. At the timeapproximately 3,3 , young people between the ages of 18 and 3 were outof school and out of work. .' he wrote her."[xii] She finally gave in on March 17, 19 5 Franklinand Eleanor were married with "Uncle Ted," the newly elected president,giving her away. W. The New Deal. Norton & Company, 1984.Roosevelt, Eleanor. Early on atAllenwood, Souvestre wrote Mrs. Hall that Eleanor showed a rare "purity ofheart" and added, "I have not found her easily influenced in anything thatwas not straightfoward and honest."[viii] It was the start of a new century and the United States, under theleadership of her uncle, was becoming a major player on the world scene.It was a situation that allowed Eleanor to play a special role atAllenwood. But Franklin hadfallen in love with the now tall, willowy Eleanor with her sweet,expressive face under a great mass of hair.[xi] And much against hismother's will, he proposed and Eleanor accepted. Over the next 11 years she gave birth to six childrenof which one died in infancy from the flu, all the while submitting to thedomination of her mother-in-law. A handsome man, he wasbanished from the family because of alcoholism. She promoted the belief that the firstorder of business should be the doing away with hunger in the world and,secondly, that nations everywhere should be able to build their economies"on a scale of plentiful production in order that there may be fullemployment for all people and a rising standard of living throughout theworld."[xlvi] Eleanor was to know many failures in her efforts as a reformer andutopian thinker, however. . It is always easier to compromise, always easier to let things go. Urged to serve as Franklin's surrogate in Democratic politics, shefound success and learned to fight for what she believed in. As one who witnessed incredible changes throughout the countrypolitically, socially, technologically and economically. At about this same period Franklin Roosevelt, handsome, sophisticatedand an upperclassman at Harvard, entered Eleanor's life. While the Roosevelt men went on tobecome bankers, sportsmen, financiers and in two cases president of theUnited States, the women were essentiallyprivate individuals mainly concerned with managing largehouseholds and seeing their daughters entered into society.[ii] "With afew notable exceptions, they led lives of genteelconformity and escaped public notice--until the advent of a girl who was tobecome known as the First Lady of the World."[iii] Rather plain-looking as a child, Eleanor was to know much sadnessgrowing up. At the end of the thirties, she still believed there was much stillto be done. Caught up in the social whirlwind of federal politicsEleanor wrote to her Aunt Maude: "There seems to be so much to see andknow and to learn to understand in this big country of ours, and so few ofus ever try to even realize that we ought to try when we've lived in theenvironment that you and I grew up in."[xvii] It was during Franklin's appointment that World War I broke out inEurope. This was a fact thatFranklin was well aware of though he never acknowledged it. In fact, theattacks on her were particularly savage and in February 1942 she resignedfollowing criticism of some of her appointments all the while hoping tosave the volunteer participation program. The role of New York'sFirst Lady also gave her a respite from her mother-in-law. His passing left herwith fears of loneliness and abandonment, emotions that would rule herlife.[vii] Her feelings of inadequacy and insecurity left her in need ofpraise and affection. In speakingto a woman's group she said: "It is always disagreeable to take stands. The year was 19 3 andEleanor, who was 19, was hungering for home and family. One effortin particular--Arthurdale--illusstrated her strengths and weaknesses. First, she didnot think it was the job of the president's wife to do so, and secondly, itwas the kind of decision she felt he must make on his own. She began weekly press conferences withwomen reporters, lectured across the country, had her own radio program andwrote a syndicated newspaper column called "My Day" which was publisheddaily for many years. She believed mento be superior beings and was opposed to women's suffrage, which by 191 had a great deal of support across the country. In 1934 Eleanor said: "I havemoments of real terror when I think we may be losing this generation."[xlv] She was a big booster of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and soughta broader solution such as universal youth service. Early on in Franklin's administration she becameinvolved in efforts to resettle workers from exhausted mines. It was a trauma that was to affect her permanently.Though she rarely spoke about the affair, she wrote one time, "& the bottomdropped out of my own particular world & I faced myself, my surroundings,my world, honestly for the first time."[xviii] As a result, Eleanorunderwent a period of intensive education in new realities. And, when America finally declared war onGermany, instead of making the social calls of before, Eleanor foundherself working with the Red Cross and the Navy Relief Scoiety. . Throughout thethirties Eleanor had been the peace movement's spokesman within the WhiteHouse. The discovery of Franklin's romance with Eleanor'ssecretary, Lucy Mercer, caused terrible anguish reviving the lonelinessfrom childhood. AsEleanor would write later: "It had never occurred to me that no seats wereprovided for them (the workers) if they had time to sit down and rest."[x]It was her first introduction to anything of this kind and proved veryunsettling. Roosevelt,Eleanor's futurehusband. Eleanor was to find her work on the Human Rights Commission the mostimportant and rewarding task of her life.[xxxix] In the time that sheserved as chairman of the Commission, most of it was spent trying to writethe Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Covenants. Consequently, she not only spearheadedlaws to assist them such as new labor laws and health insurance, which hada direct bearing on the poor and disabled, but also promoted experimentalefforts such as homesteading. . During this time Eleanor, now a mother of three, though one died ateight months, considered politics to be man's business. Eleanor had very strong ties with the women in the administration,however, and achieved much power in her own right. However, by 1917 it looked as if the country would be drawn into warand the Navy had to be ready for action. In addition, he called for abolishing "uselessoffices" and eliminating "unnecessary functions of government." These wereall issues the public wanted to hear. But atthis time smaller events such as the spread of the use of the electricbulb, the telephone and the horselesscarriage were transforming everyone's life in dramatic little ways. She encouragedtheir organizations, the Workers Alliance and the American Youth Congress,to undertake hunger marches and demonstrate for more support. New York: W. And, as much as Sara tried to haveFranklin's family dependent on her, she was never able to subordinateEleanor completely to her wishes. . The discrimination against blacks was a problem that confronted herfrom the beginning of her White House days. As mentioned earlier, Eleanor had to go through major changes in herthinking as a result of her upbringing when it came to racialdiscrimination. Sara tried to convince Franklin that he was too young(22 years old). In fact, shedid not want him to marry, and especially not to Eleanor. W. Theodore's administrationbelieved America should get involved; Wilson, on the other hand, wasdetermined to keep the nation out of the conflict, realizing the cost inmen and money might be too high a price. Franklin's re-election in 1912 also signified the end of TheodoreRoosevelt's career, losing to Wilson at the Republican convention andunsuccessfully running on his own ticket called the Progressive or BullMoose ticket. A study of her life shows her to be a woman of mercy,whose greatest joy was being of service toothers. In fact,she finally believed that one must never stop learning. Included in this list wasdecent medical care. It was a time she remembers with great anxiety. She tried to learn to drive and took upgolf until he told her to quit due to her poor game. In the depths of the depression, she called for nourishing butinexpensive dishes and had the White House set an example. Eleanor was part of the New Deal women who were college-educated andwho had gone into social work at a time when social work training had notyet been professionalized: "Participants in the suffrage movement andWorld War I relief activities, they were prominent in voluntaryassociations like the National Consumers League and the Women's Trade UnionLeague which did so much to keep social reform issues alive in the192 s."[xli] As a matter of fact, Eleanor, as spiritual leader and rolemodel to these women, placed a higher priority on social reform rather thanon women's issues. To many women, and I am one of them, it is extremely difficult to care about anything enough to cause disagreement or unpleasant feelings, but I have come to the conclusion that this must be done for a time until we can prove our strength and demand respect for our wishes."[xxii]Encouraged and tutored by Louis Howe, Roosevelt's close advisor, Eleanorkept Franklin's name in front of the public for seven years until 1928,when he had finally recovered as much as possible from the disease.Roosevelt then entered the political arena again as a candidate forgovernor of New York. Among Eleanor's other causes were the unemployed. However,even with Eleanor's best efforts the experiment failed. Her public persona was such that she was perceivedas a woman for whom doing good was second nature. Her positionsreached "to the borderlands of political, social and culturalchange."[xxxi] Consequently, officials were always trying to guess whichof her memoranda, telephone calls and visits were initiated by thepresident. We are in an ideal position to lead, if we will lead, because we have suffered less. The depression and its desperate results were what seemed to driveEleanor's actions. Norton & Company,1971), xvii.[ii].Ibid., xviii.[iii].Ibid.[iv].Joseph P. That was, unless the international crisis made himindispensable: "In such circumstances only a person in whom the people hadfaith could be the stabilizing force."[xxxv] Eleanor continued to hold this view as the spring of 194 arrived andthe Nazis and the Germans moved against their neighbors. Roosevelt has solved the problem of living better than anywoman I have ever known."[xxx] Always available to people and to causes, she soon became one ofWashington's legends. Along with her strong participation in the Democratic Party and otherpolitical action groups as well as her outspokenness on the issues ofpacifism, Eleanor was extremely visible during World War II bolstering thetroops' morale. And, in 1932, without telling Eleanor, Franklinannounced his intention to run, recognizing the country's need for newenergy to deal with the terrible economic times of the 1929 stock marketcrash. . As the electionday came closer, Franklin was forced to make many compromises on suchissues as prohibition, the League of Nations, child labor and evenunemployment relief, and, as a result, Eleanor's ideas became a liabilityto his election potential.[xxiv] He began to distance himself from her.However, as the repercussions from the Republican-led 192 s plunged thecountry further into economic turmoil, she continued to speak her mind."She did not deliberately set out to become America's conscience asFranklin, his advisors, and the Democratic party approached national power,but that was what her sense of duty and strength of charactermandated."[xxv] And, on election night in 1932, Franklin was electedpresident and Eleanor's new career as the nation's First Lady began. . Franklin approached the job of president with many objectivesincluding championing balanced budgets, even though the government wasalready in debt and at the same time, proposing that jobs be providedthrough public works. There were manystruggles, successes and failures, and in the end she resigned with thechange of leadership in Washington, a move that allowed the new presidentthe freedom to appoint who he wanted to serve in the organization. Sheas much as her husband had come to personify the Roosevelt period. Beginning with her ownstruggle for independence in the early 192 s following Franklin's bout withpolio and the repercussions from his affair, Eleanor was to extend thisright for equal treatment and justice under the law to all members ofsociety, particularly women, children, the unemployed, blacks and otherminorities as well as the disabled. A time of anguish for Eleanor, she sought comfort in her work.The closer the country moved toward war, the more she wanted to play a partin its mobilization. Eleanor and Franklin. Eleanor's growing liberal views when it came to racial issues werecause for concern for many in the White House since most were from theSouth: "They feared 'I might hurt my husband politically and socially';and, indeed, by the mid-thirties leaflets were being distributed in partsof the South that portrayed her as a 'nigger-lover.'"[xliii] However, herpassion for racial causes were not stopped by these attacks. New York: Doubleday, 1988.Lash, Joseph P. She alsocampaigned against sweatshops and urged women to shop where decent workingconditions were provided.[xxvii] In addition, she called for theelimination of child labor and argued for more money for teachers' wages.And, on the eve of the World Economic Conference, with foreign dignitariescoming into the White House, she spoke to her press conference calling foran anti-isolationist plea: "We've got to find the basis for a more stabilized world . On My Own. However, Eleanor was forced to sacrifice certain marriage claimson her husband, and that for her loving nature was the hardest of alldisciplines to master.[xix] As a woman of strength and grace, she had beenhumbled and was forced to face for the first time that being born in theupper class does not protect one from such a fate. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere." BibliographyBadger, Anthony J. Her sixth cousinonce removed, he was the only child of James Roosevelt and Sara Delano.Now widowed, Sara was devoted and very possessive of her son. It was not for lack of the president's support, however. When America finally went to war, all four Roosevelt sons were calledto duty. His tremendous victory in 193 for re-election caused him to eye thepresidency most seriously. He was concerned, and rightly so, thatsince white southerners controlled the strategic committees in Congress,any anti-lynching legislation would cause them to "block every bill" hesent them. 'I know my mind . Eleanor's early involvement as First Lady in thedesegregation issues led to blacks' participation in the New Deal's aidprograms. On the other hand the fact that the peopleof Arthurdale would not take their share of responsiblity disappointed hertoo. Eleanor pressed for a national youth agency,and after much criticism, Franklin supported her with the creation of theNational Youth Administration (NYA). The most dramatic example of her stand for racial justice came whenshe resigned from the Daughters of the American Revolution when it deniedthe use of its Constitution Hall for a Marian Anderson concert.[xliv] As aresult of this action and many others on behalf of the black community, shebecame instrumental in keeping the Black vote Democratic. While all the rest of the family's women were considered"belles," Eleanor was forced to suffer the shame and humiliation of beingcalled "granny" by her mother.[iv] In fact, Eleanor writes in herautobiography that if a visitor was there, her mother might turn and say,"She is a such a funny child, so old-fashioned that we always call her'Granny'."[v] This secret wound drove her to excel in other areas. The Republicansdenounced it as "socialistic" and succeeded in stopping all efforts tocreate industry for the town. Aware that their decision to marry had shockedher mother-in-law, Eleanor went out of her way to do as the woman wished.Friends remember those early years as the period when Eleanor in dutifulattendance to Sara would reply to the older woman, "yes, Mama" or "no,Mama."[xiii] This attitude was similar to her meekness around Franklin.Recognizing this trait in herself, however, Eleanor tried very hard toshare in her husband's activities. In addition, she putforth her own views and those of her liberal friends on social welfare,women's concerns and black civil rights.[xlii] She could also secureappointments with the president for people, particularly black leaders, whobefore had always found their way to Franklin blocked by white Southernerson his staff. And, Eleanor was to be at his side as theperfect hostess. Eleanor wrote later: "I think shealways regretted that my husband had money of his own from his father andthat I had a small income of my own."[xv] Eleanor was partly to blame forthe conflicts within the household, though, because of her own strictadherence to the proper code of the times as dictated by New York society. However, that was not to be the case. Lash, Eleanor and Franklin (New York: W.W. Norton &Company, 1984), 5.[v].Eleanor Roosevelt, The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt (New York:Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1937), 9.[vi].Lash, Life, 5.[vii].Ibid., 6.[viii].Ibid., 9.[ix].Ibid., 1 .[x].Roosevelt, 4 .[xi].James MacGregor Burns, Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox (New York:Harcourt, Brace & World.), 26.[xii].Ibid.[xiii].Lash, Life, 15.[xiv].Ibid., 28.[xv].Ibid., 16.[xvi].Roosevelt, 56.[xvii].Lash, Life, 28.[xviii].Ibid., 34.[xix].Ibid., 35.[xx].Ibid.[xxi].Burns, 86.[xxii].Lash, Life, 42.[xxiii].Joseph P. To remain active during the war,she visited troops in England, the South Pacific and Caribbean and on U.S.military bases. And, many claim that it was these feelings and thememories of her father's frailties that made her more tolerant of weaknessin others. The joblessyouth in particular seemed tragic to her. The failure of the New Deal to provide healthinsurance demonstrated the cautious nature of the reform, the power ofspecial interests, in this case the American Medical Association, and themisplaced optimism which in the end restricted New Deal efforts to economicmatters.[xlvii] It was her work on the United Nations' Universal Declaration of HumanRights, however, that established her as a world figure by successfullyproviding a "magna carta for mankind."[xlviii] Finally adopted in 1948with a vote of 48 in favor, none against, two absent and eight abstentions,the declaration became what Eleanor considered a measure of mankind'sevolving ethical sense.[xlix] And, though not a treaty, the declaration isconsidered by most international lawyers as binding on states as part ofthe customary law of nations. To many, Eleanor Roosevelt is considered the most liberated woman ofthe 2 th century. Many would agree thatFranklin was insensitive to her feelings and her restlessness under hismother's domination. With the death of her parents, Eleanor was sent to live with herstrict grandmother Hall at her estate called "Tivoli" which overlooked theHudson River. (New York: Doubleday, 1988),2.[xxiv].Lash, Life, 54.[xxv].Ibid., 55.[xxvi].Ibid, 57.[xxvii].Ibid., 63.[xxviii].Ibid.[xxix].Ibid., 66.[xxx].Ibid.[xxxi].Ibid., 7 .[xxxii].Ibid., 73.[xxxiii].Ibid.[xxxiv].Ibid., 79.[xxxv].Ibid., 128.[xxxvi].Ibid., 83.[xxxvii].Ibid., 86.[xxxviii].Ibid., 1 5.[xxxix].Eleanor Roosevelt, On My Own (New York: Harper & BrothersPublishers, 1958), 71.[xl].Lash, Life. He was not disappointed, for in 1913 Franklin became assistantsecretary of the Navy under Woodrow Wilson's administration. When Franklin died on April 12, 1945, after serving longer than anyother president, Eleanor assumed that she would step back into the shadowsof private life. Eleanor's attitude toward helping to see that social and moraljustice was implemented stemmed from her belief that people were put onthis earth to do the best that they were able to do. BessFurman wrote of Eleanor's debut as first lady that "Washington had neverseen the like--a social transformation had taken place with the NewDeal."[xxix] And Cissy Patterson, the publisher of the Washington Heraldwrote: "Mrs. It was in this capacitythat she served as chairman of the Commission on Human Rights all the whileremaining Franklin's surrogate, a living reminder of the departed leaderand his hopes for this nation and the world.[xxxviii] At the same time shewas a recognized leader in her own right and well aware of what wasrequired of her. Eleanor was drawn to theirplight and the hunger and despair running rampant throughout the region. She thought of herselfas a journalist and seemed to glow when her editor called her a "realnewspaper person." All of these activities, including her lecturing, wereteaching her the secrets for successfully reaching her audiences. Indeed, she had definite, highly personal views ofsocial reform during wartime mobilization: "The latter should be total,include women, and, through defense-related services such as health andchild care, nutrition, housing, training, and education, revitalize thenation's communities.[xxxvii] Thus, in 1941, Eleanor made her one venture while her husband waspresident into holding public office as co-director of the Office ofCivilian Defense. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 1956.Lash, Joseph P. For the firsttime in their married life Sara was not around, though she came often forvisits. , 79.[xliv].Ibid., 8 .[xlv].Ibid., 81.[xlvi].Ibid., 115.[xlvii].Badger, 235.[xlviii].Lash, Life . Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox. New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1958.-----------------------[i].Joseph P. delegationto the United Nations by President Harry Truman. This came about as a result ofspending three miserable months of her six pregnancies sick. First, theoutpouring of love, grief and fear caused by his death all centered on her. Lash, Dealers and Dreamers. However, she outlined her role in relation toFranklin's: "I'm the agitator; he's the politician."[xxxiii] Whatever her husband's concerns about her strong stands, they did notapply to her activities in the politics of reform in the early years of hisadministration. While she had supported the Neutrality Act of 1935, which mandatedthe cutting off of all supplies to belligerent nations, aggressor nationand victim alike, her attitude changed with fascist aggression.[xxxvi]Though she favored the pacifist attitude of not seeking a fight, she didbelieve one must use its power to prevent a fight. Consequently, she movedfrom the pacifist point of view into the ranks of the anti-fascists. 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