Eleanor Roosevelt changed the role of First Lady and proved that one dedicated individual can make a big difference in the world
Young Eleanor Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11 1884 in New York City She was the first child of wealthy parents who were from old and distinguished families Her father Elliott Roosevelt was heir to a fortune and held no real job throughout his life He also suffered from alcoholism Eleanor’s mother Anna Hall was wealthy in her own right Eleanor’s childhood was filled with heartache Her father and mother did not get along and Elliott was often absent from the family In 1892 when Eleanor was just eight her mother died of diphtheria Her little brother Elliott died just months later of the same deadly disease Less than two years later her father died too Eleanor and her baby brother Hall were then sent to live with their Grandmother Hall in the Hudson River Valley in New York After the deaths of her parents Eleanor acted as a mother for her youngest brother Hall whom she called Josh
When Eleanor was 15 she attended Allenswood an all-girls school in London She spent three years there Eleanor’s grandmother was a strict guardian She hired private tutors for Eleanor and her brother to make sure they got a good education When Eleanor was 15 her grandmother sent her to London England to attend a private academy for girls Did you know Eleanor’s mother was a beautiful carefree woman who had a difficult time understanding her serious daughter who seemed much older than her years Anna even called her daughter Granny a nickname that made young Eleanor feel sad and ashamed
Learning to help others When Eleanor was 18 she returned to New York She had done well at the school in London and came home a much more confident person Teachers at the school had helped Eleanor understand the importance of courage independence and public service Eleanor joined the newly founded Junior League an association of women who worked to improve New York City through volunteering and education She also taught at a settlement house in the city A settlement house is a community center in a poor neighborhood that provides many types of services Eleanor also volunteered to inspect factories in the city making sure that conditions were safe for workers After her return Eleanor saw more of her distant cousin Franklin The two had known one another since childhood Eleanor’s father had been Franklin’s godfather But now Franklin a handsome young Harvard student set his sights on his younger cousin Eleanor was serious intelligent and shared many of Franklin’s interests The two became engaged in 1903 Franklin’s mother Sara Delano Roosevelt was against the marriage But the pair would not change their minds They married on March 17 1905
