To be honest, I was dreading this month’s Booking It Through History: First Ladies post. There is just so much written about Eleanor Roosevelt, I didn’t know how I’d wade through all of the information. I ultimately decided to look at Eleanor from the perspective of a fellow daughter, wife, mom, Junior Leaguer, and enneagram 2. That helped me focus and enjoy learning about this amazing woman who took the role of First Lady to new heights.
Each month, I’ll detail the life of the first lady and their legacy. Then I’ll share what I learned while studying them, along with ways you can travel in their footsteps through historical sites and museums. I’ll also share books, podcasts, TV shows, and websites where you can learn even more about that first lady. Read all of the way through the blog post or click on the links below to go straight to those sections.
Life
Childhood
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11, 1884 to Anna and Elliott Roosevelt in New York City. Elliott was the younger brother of future president Theodore Roosevelt, and Anna was known as the most beautiful woman in New York. Eleanor came into the world during a sad time, however, as Elliott’s mother and Theodore’s wife had both died (on the same day!) just months before her arrival.
Little Nell, as her father called her, was a forgotten child. Her mother was too busy with society events while her father was constantly on the go. They didn’t even record her birth with the local authorities (just put it in the family Bible), and no mention was made of the baby in Elliott’s letters for ten months. Eleanor was a serious child and was considered plain by her beautiful mother who called her “Granny.”
Anna and Elliott both came from large, prominent families. They took little Eleanor to visit with her Oyster Bay cousins at Sagamore Hill (Theodrore’s house) as well as the Hyde Park Roosevelts, distant cousins who made Elliott the godfather of their child, Franklin. Little Eleanor and Franklin played together in the nursery.
The family traveled to Europe in 1887, but their boat collided with another and they were forced into rickety life boats. Little Eleanor was frightened and became fearful, refusing to get on another boat the next day. Her parents left her with Greataunt Annie and went to Europe without her. Annie would be the first of several surrogate mothers Eleanor would have.
As she grew, Eleanor adored her father who was struggling with alcohol addiction. She helped keep him in line, but eventually even her presence didn’t keep him from imbibing. He even forgot that he had left her in his club for six hours while he drank the day away!
Eleanor’s brother named Elliott after his father was born in 1889, but even his birth didn’t slow Anna and Elliott down. They continued to travel and be consumed by socializing, leaving the care of their children to nannies and other relatives. Eleanor was always being sent off to a cousin or aunt, never having a place of her own.
The family fled to Europe when scandal rocked their home – Elliott was accused of fathering a child with a German housemaid. While in Europe, Anna gave birth to another son named Hall. Eleanor was sent to a convent school in France where she had trouble fitting in even though she was fluent in French. She lied about swallowing a penny to go back to her family.
Eleanor continued to be neglected when they came back to America with no one paying attention to her clothes or education. Her mother favored her brothers and made Eleanor feel inadequate even though Eleanor was only a child.
“Attention and admiration were the things through all my childhood which I wanted, because I was made to feel so conscious of the fact that nothing about me would attract attention or bring me admiration.” Eleanor Roosevelt
In December of 1892, Eleanor’s mother came down with diphtheria and died suddenly, leaving her Grandmother Hall in charge since Elliott was trying to sober up elsewhere. The three children moved to the Hall home in New York where their father visited sporadically as he descended even further into alcoholism. Her little brother, Elliott, died months later, and her father died less than two years later. Eleanor was an orphan before she turned ten years old.
Her grandmother took over Eleanor’s care and was a strict woman who made her practice walking straight to overcome Eleanor’s painful spine curvature. She refused to let Eleanor go on a trip with a friend from school which Eleanor describes as “one of the biggest disappointments of my adolescence.” She loved to read and was a lonely child who turned into a teenager plagued by anxiety. She tried to get others’ love by people-pleasing and was shy and retiring. On the few occasions where she visited her boisterous Oyster Bay relatives, she didn’t fit in. She attended dances with her more flamboyant cousin, Alice, and was mortified by being the only girl there in short dresses.
In late 1899 as Eleanor turned fifteen, Grandmother Hall sent her to a boarding school in the London suburb of Wimbledon. Eleanor would say that her time at Allenwood was the happiest time of her life. She made many friends and won the admiration of the strict headmistress who would take Eleanor on trips to the Continent where she earned confidence in her abilities to manage travel and money. The headmistress encouraged the girls to think for themselves and speak forthrightly, something Eleanor had never done in the past. It was here that Eleanor viewed the funeral procession of Queen Victoria and visited family friends in Paris and Switzerland. She came home to her debut as a different young woman.
Once back in New York, Eleanor suffered through a debut into society with her cousin Alice, saying, “facing her mother’s peers was the most difficult thing” she had ever done. She also reconnected with her distant cousin, Franklin, who said he liked her “fine mind.” She spent more time with her Oyster Bay relatives as Teddy moved into the White House which Eleanor visited for a New Year’s reception.
She became one of the first members of the new Junior League for the Promotion of Settlement Movements established by her friend, Mary Harriman. She volunteered at Rivington Street Settlement where she taught fancy dance and calisthenics to the immigrant children. She talked Franklin into visiting, and he was shocked at the conditions of immigrant families living in tenement homes. It was the start of their joint activism.
Eleanor also joined the National Consumers League which investigated the working conditions of sales girls and children at in-home sweatshops. This is where Eleanor learned to ask the probing questions to get to the heart of what people needed.
Courtship and Marriage
“The most important thing in any relationship is not what you get but what you give.” Eleanor Roosevelt
Franklin admired Eleanor and her work and saw in her a kindred spirit who never quite fit into the Roosevelt ideal. In August of 1903, Eleanor visited her brother at Groton and Franklin came from Harvard for a visit. He asked her to marry him and she said yes. His domineering mother grudingly accepted Eleanor (really liked how pliable she was!) but encouraged them to wait a year to announce their engagement. They spent much of 1904 together, happy and in love.
Courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library archives
Eleanor attended her uncle Teddy’s inauguration in early 1905 and was offered the White House for her wedding but she preferred New York City. Eleanor and Franklin married on March 17, 1905 at her aunt’s home on East 77th Street. Her uncle, the President of the United States, gave her away and stole the show, dominating the conversations. The newspaper announcement the following day didn’t even mention Eleanor’s name as the bride. Eleanor wore a beautiful gown and her mother’s wedding veil.
Franklin took her to Springwood, the family home in Hyde Park, for a two-week local honeymoon before they left a few months later on a European honeymoon. They appeared on the front page of the London newspapers and stayed at Brown’s Hotel. Then they went on a grand tour of the Continent where Franklin came down with hives and they had their first fight in the Dolomites. A Scottish woman asked her a question about the American government, and Eleanor realized she didn’t have a clue how it worked. She vowed to change that.
“Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Eleanor Roosevelt
She came home from the European honeymoon pregnant, giving birth on May 3, 1906 to a daughter named Anna Eleanor. Franklin’s mother made all of the family decisions as Eleanor entered motherhood, helped by a kindly nurse who would be her lifeline for each of her births.
Eleanor tried to be a modern mother even putting little Anna in a crib that hung out the window of their brownstone. The fresh air was supposed to be good for babies, but the neighbors almost called the authorities for neglect!
Eleanor was very sick during her pregnancy and had a hard recovery, almost dying from a surgery afterwards. This didn’t keep her from getting pregnant again, and she gave birth to a son, James, just before Christmas of 1907.
She would have four pregnancies in five years plus two more pregnancies between 1914-1916. Anna and James were soon joined by Franklin, Jr. in March of 1909 but sadly, he died just a few months later of a heart condition. Just as Franklin’s political career started to take off, Eleanor had another son, Elliott. Two more children would join the family in 1914 (another Franklin, Jr.) and 1916 (John).
The growing family moved into double townhouses that connected with Franklin’s mother. Eleanor didn’t like the arrangement, especially when Franklin’s mother kept changing the way she kept her own side of the home! It had to be a relief when they moved to Albany for Franklin’s political career.
Political Wife
Eleanor was very self-conscious in Albany and didn’t like the lack of privacy. She traveled with Franklin as his star started to rise in the national Democratic party, attending the 1912 presidential nominating convention where Franklin helped get Woodrow Wilson on the ballot. When Wilson won, he made Franklin the assistant secretary of the navy. Eleanor and Franklin were moving to Washington (without their children whom they left with his mother).
They came to town for the inauguration which was preceded by a huge suffrage parade. Eleanor was against suffrage, calling the protestors “nice fat ladies.” She learned to hone her visiting time, making endless rounds with fellow cabinet-level wives. She spent much time in charity work but didn’t join in Ellen Wilson’s shanty campaign.
With her days becoming busier, Eleanor hired a pretty, vivacious social secretary, Lucy Mercer. As she spent more and more time with her causes, Eleanor’s marriage to Franklin became tense as they couldn’t seem to understand each other and what they needed.
Their personal issues were set aside as the country careened into WWI. Franklin’s job was pivotal at the Navy Department, and Eleanor threw herself into women’s aid work. She served at a canteen, pouring thousands of cups of coffee for soldiers headed to the front. She constantly knitted and sent almost 9,000 articles of clothing to shore stations under her organization. She visited the wounded in hospitals which highlighted her warm empathetic skills.
“The war was my emancipation and my education.” Eleanor Roosevelt
At some point, Eleanor suspected something was going on between her husband and her pretty secretary. She fired Lucy who was immediately hired by Franklin at the Navy Department. This came to a head in 1918 when Franklin returned home sick from a trip to see the troops in England. Eleanor found love letters from Lucy in his suitcase and was devastated. Her worst fears were confirmed. She offered to leave Franklin, who was in love with Lucy, but her mother-in-law convinced them to stay together for Franklin’s political career. Eleanor said she would only stay if she was wanted; Franklin agreed. They would stay married but would lead separate lives, including separate bedrooms. Their romance was over but there remained a friendship and need for each other’s counsel.
“Sometimes I think constant irritation is worse for one than real tragedy.” Eleanor Roosevelt
On December 24, 1918, Franklin and Eleanor sailed to Europe for the Paris Peace Conference. While there, Eleanor visited hospitals and even the still-smoldering front. She became ill but pushed through to the point of exhaustion, which would become her hallmark. She was forever the caretaker but hated to be taken care of by others.
Back in Washington, Eleanor continued supporting the returning soldiers, often being the only one at their burials. She helped at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital where soldiers recovering from shell shock were sent. She was shocked when Franklin was nominated as the vice president on the Democratic ticket and went with him on a four-week swing, becoming close with his political adviser, Louis Howe. Even though Eleanor got to vote for the first time, Franklin’s side lost.
Tragedy
After the election loss, the Roosevelets moved back to New York City. With the kids in various boarding schools, Eleanor had time to pursue her causes and the New York League of Women Voters became her main outlet. It was through her work with lawyer Lizzie Read that Eleanor felt encouraged to stop caretaking for others at the cost of her own needs.
She and Franklin led separate lives at a whirlwind pace. This all came crashing down in late summer of 1921 when Franklin was struck by a sudden illness at their summer home in Campobello, Canada (just off Maine’s coast). He was diagnosed with polio that left him without the use of his legs, and Eleanor and Louis both nursed him through the worst of it.
“From then on, I had no parents.” John Roosevelt (5 years old when father was struck with polio)
Eleanor hired people to help with Franklin’s day-to-day needs, including a new secretary Missy LeHand. She was put in charge of the women’s division of the New York Democratic Party and lived in a cottage called Val-Kill near Franklin’s Hyde Park home. He spent half of the year in Warm Springs, Georgia where he could rehabilitate while she stayed in New York. For the rest of their marriage, they were only together for six months every year.
The children were not happy with Eleanor’s causes as they took her away from them. As they grew up, the children resented Eleanor and Franklin’s devotion to others. Anna rebelled by getting in trouble at school and marrying a conventional man that made her mother angry.
Eleanor led the party plank at the 1924 convention on child labor, and she even campaigned against her cousin, Ted, when he ran for governor. She helped open a furniture factory beside her cottage with two friends and continued pushing more progressive stances for the Democratic party in women and Civil Rights.
Eleanor was shocked when Franklin was nominated for governor in 1928. He won the election in 1929 and they moved into the governor’s mansion in Albany. Eleanor continued her work, inspecting prisons and hospitals (read this article about her time here). It was good training for her next role.
White House Years
When Franklin won the 1932 Presidential election in a landslide, Eleanor was not excited about moving into the White House. What would happen to her work when she had to serve as First Lady of the land? She didn’t want to give up her important causes for picking out china and deciding on state dinner menus. She participated in the inauguration and wore a beautiful (yet practical!) evening dress with detachable sleeves to the inaugural ball.
Eleanor was lucky in that since the country was in the throes of the Great Depression, she didn’t have to entertain. She could care less about the White House food and didn’t take on the traditional role of First Lady. She got straight to work, setting up her own press conferences with women reporters including Lorena Hickok who ended up living in the White House and traveling with Eleanor.
She started writing a column in the newspaper called “My Day” (eventually writing over 8,000 pieces and never missing a day!). You can read them online here. She also had a weekly radio address and was the first First Lady that the American people heard from on a regular basis.
She was Franklin’s hands and feet as she traveled all over the country, talking with people as they went through the hardships of the Great Depression. She wanted to hear their stories to improve the government’s policies – even getting the government to invest in a West Virginia community to support the out-of-work miners. She asked the American public to write to her, and in three months, she had received over 350,000 pieces of mail. She answered every one.
Eleanor was a humble leader. She walked everywhere and didn’t expect any special treatment. She even turned down Secret Service protection, carrying a small pistol with her everywhere!
Her favorite causes were women’s rights (ironic since she hadn’t supported suffrage) and Civil Rights. She was a member of the NAACP and had a special friendship with Mary McLeod Bethune, the Civil Rights activist.
She was frustrated by Franklin’s lack of movement on the anti-lynching bill and spoke out against her husband’s own administration! She also resigned from the Daughters of the American Revolution when they wouldn’t let the black singer Marian Anderson appear at Constitution Hall. Eleanor wasn’t afraid to stand up for what was right.
She also disagreed with the Administration’s policy that women couldn’t work in the Federal government if their husbands were also employed by it. She and Franklin had dueling editorials in the papers at the same time! She eventually won that battle.
Her family life was a secondary concern, especially during these early White House years. She was on the road over 200 days a year! Her children were all grown or in boarding school. Anna left her husband for another man (which Eleanor supported!) and Elliott left his family and headed west. With her and Franklin’s relationship more of a political partnership now, she focused on her friendships for support. She said, “I realize more and more that FDR’s a great man, and he is nice, but as a person, I’m a stranger, and I don’t want to be anything else!”
By 1939, Eleanor was a leading world figure, with TIME magazine calling her “the foremost female political force on the planet.” She was ready for a post-White House life, but as the world tilted to all-out war, she realized that Franklin was in a unique position to run for a third term to keep America safe. But she still didn’t like it, telling her daughter that if he didn’t leave the White House, she would.
“It was almost as though I had erected someone outside of myself who was the president’s wife. I was lost somewhere deep down inside myself.” Eleanor Roosevelt
With the advent of war in Europe, Eleanor hosted the king and queen of England at a hot dog cookout.
She also had to deal with many personal tragedies as secretary Missy LeHand suffered a stroke and Franklin’s indomitable mother died. Just a few months later, the worst struck America – the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Eleanor was the first person Americans heard from during her weekly radio address that evening. Listen to it here.
“Whatever is asked of us, I am sure we can accomplish it. We are the free and unconquerable people of the United States of America.” Eleanor Roosevelt
As the nation’s war machine started up, Eleanor sent four sons off to war. She also berated the Administration over its internment camps for those of Japanese and German descent. The White House was made into a fortress with all public events stopped. Eleanor threw herself into war work, much like she did in WWI, and visited soldiers on bases and in hospitals.
She made a daring trip across the ocean in 1942 to see troops in England and then in 1943, she traveled over 25,000 miles on a Pacific front tour that put her in an active combat situation at Guadalcanal. She was unstoppable, visiting every hospital and every bedside while on the trip.
She saw Franklin’s health deteriorate with the war stress and worried about him. When he died on August 17, 1945 at Warm Springs, Georgia, she was most devastated to know that his old mistress, Lucy Mercer, was at his side when he died. It was made even worse when she found out that her own daughter helped bring Lucy to her father’s side.
When Eleanor told Vice President Harry Truman the news of the President’s death, he asked what he could do for her. She replied, “Is there anything we can do for you? For you’re the one in trouble now.” She packed up her things quickly and left the White House a week after Franklin’s death.
Diplomat
Eleanor moved back to her cottage at Val-Kill as Springwood was made into a presidential site and museum. She continued to work tirelessly for her causes, writing thousands of letters and hundreds of columns. She was asked by President Truman to serve as part of the delegation to the newly formed United Nations where she toiled for two years on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which passed in 1947.
“Your country needs you. Indeed this troubled world needs you.” President Harry Truman to Eleanor Roosevelt
She spent summers at Campobello and picked blueberries with her grandchildren who called her Grandmére.
Her youngest son, John, moved into the stone cottage at Val-Kill with his family, and she loved having the grandchildren over to her side of the cottage, taking out her hearing aids so they could make as much noise as they wanted! Eleanor slept on a screened porch in the summer and loved attending to her flower garden with her granddaughter, Nina.
She hosted picnics for the juvenile delinquent boys’ home nearby, encouraging her famous friends to take up the boys’ cause. She helped anyone who asked, even a Holocaust survivor on the streets of New York who called out to her for a job. Eleanor brought her home and made her part of the staff. She had a large heart that included hundreds of friends and family – her Christmas list was over 300 people long!
“Life was meant to be loved, and curiosity must be kept alive.” Eleanor Roosevelt
Her duties with the United Nations ended in 1952 but she still continued her travels, taking Nina to Iran, India, Pakistan, and Israel. Nina marveled at Eleanor’s ability to fall asleep anywhere at a moment’s notice and at how she dealt with sticky situations (like being asked to be part of a sheik’s harem!).
Eleanor’s Val-Kill cottage was also a revolving door of guests like Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and a delegation from the UN who were there during a large storm. They had to wash up and brush their teeth using pool water! Eleanor could get along with anyone as evidenced by the visit from Russian leader Nikiat Khrushchev in 1959!
Beginning in 1960, times got harder. Her beloved granddaughter, Sally (Nina’s little sister), died in a riding accident at camp. Her esteemed secretary died, leaving Eleanor all alone on her side of the cottage. Her son, John, descended into a depression after the death of Sally which must have been hard to watch.
“You are something so rare and so good for all women of my age to have to emulate – a great lady.” Jackie Kennedy to Eleanor Roosevelt
She continued to be the grand doyenne of the Democratic Party, and its 1960 presidential candidate, John F. Kennedy even came to the cottage looking for her support. She continued her outreach to Americans through the new platform of television with a monthly show on Boston’s PBS.
Her health deteriorated in 1960 after she was hit by a car and her bloodwork was suspicious. She had a family friend that was a doctor who she insisted on treating her even though he wasn’t qualified. She was able to attend JFK’s inaugural but became very sick in October of 1962. She was found to have incurable tuberculosis of the bone marrow. She didn’t want extensive treatment and died on November 7, 1962, 30 years to the day after Franklin’s election to President.
Her beloved Val-Kill cottage was turned over to her son, John, who eventually sold it. Thankfully it is now owned by the National Park Service and can be visited to see her desk and favorite personal items. Her granddaughter said it’s been recreated like she just left the room.
Legacy
How can Eleanor’s legacy be described? Far-reaching, trailblazing, long-lasting, and admirable all come to mind. She is most often listed as America’s most admired First Lady and ranks number one in First Ladies who made an impact.
Her time as First Lady cannot be matched as she was the longest-serving First Lady in history (12 years!). She also was in the role during two pivotal moments in history – the Great Depression and World War II. Nothing (hopefully) can compare to this in the future.
She is also the first First Lady that we have copious amounts of videos and recordings of so we feel like we know her stooped posture and high voice. Even though her time in the White House was almost 100 years ago, Americans today believe they know her.
She is so admired now, but at the time, she was ridiculed by FDR’s opponents and government leaders like J. Edgar Hoover. When FDR ran for reelection in 1936, a common opposition statement was, “We don’t want Eleanor either.” Truly our first activist First Lady, we have seen her brand of political activity in modern First Ladies like Hillary Clinton. Eleanor set the standard.
Her legacy on race relations remains prescient as she was one of the only ones pushing FDR to work on the problem. It took another 30 years for the Civil Rights Act to pass, but Eleanor’s tireless work was invaluable to getting the US to the place where it could become law.
Her dedication to her causes made the country all the better and cement her place as the most admired First Lady.
My Time with Eleanor
As I said earlier, I was dreading this month. The amount of primary sources about Eleanor is just overwhelming. Plus many of the Roosevelt administration’s programs are still part of political debates today, and I don’t want to get into politics in this project. When I decided to look at her as a daughter, wife, mother, Junior Leaguer, and fellow enneagram 2, however, I got a better sense of my feelings about her.
I was horrified for her as a daughter with her narcissistic parents’ neglect. It makes her achievements all that more amazing that she was able to rise above their damage. I felt sorry for her lack of a protector as she was shuttled between relatives (sometimes ones who weren’t to be trusted) and boarding school.
As a wife, I felt sorry for Eleanor. They seemed to be a love match at first, but with Franklin’s wandering eye and Eleanor’s lack of self-worth, it was a fraught relationship that after 1918 was a marriage in name only. That made me sad for her, especially knowing how unloved she already felt from childhood.
As a mother, I have to say, I got a little mad at her! She was away from her children more than she was with them, especially once Franklin served in the Wilson administration. I know she loved them and made sure they were taken care of, but it really seemed like her causes and his work took precedence. It broke my heart when her youngest child said he had no parents after FDR’s polio diagnosis. However, Eleanor redeemed herself in my eyes through being a loving, devoted grandmother.
As a fellow member of the Junior League, I loved learning about Eleanor’s time working with the League in the settlement houses. I truly think this work was the spark that started her life-long devotion to helping others.
Lastly, as a fellow enneagram 2, I feel like Eleanor is our mascot! She is the epitome of “the helper,” and when I read her autobiography, I felt like I was reading my own thoughts as she described the importance of relationships and giving them your all. It made me really “get” her!
Travels with Eleanor
Eleanor Roosevelt is one of the most celebrated First Ladies with statues and other memorials dedicated in her honor. It’s too many to list here! Check out this list for a memorial near you. New York was her home and is the place to go to learn more about her.
New York
New York City
Former homes
Eleanor was born at 29 East 36th Street and lived in several places throughout the city, some of which still seem to be standing. Addresses include: 125 East 36th Street, 47-49 East 65th Street (the double townhome she shared with her mother-in-law is sometimes open for tours), and 29 Washington Square West.
Eleanor Roosevelt Memorial Plaza
At Riverside Park at 72nd Street and Riverside Drive, you can see a statue and memorial dedicated to Eleanor.
While not housed where Eleanor volunteered, this museum is one of the best ways to understand what she saw that inspired her to charitable works.
Hyde Park Area
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
You can visit Eleanor’s only true home that she felt was her own – her Val-Kill cottage.
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site/FDR Presidential Library and Museum
Nearby, the Springwood mansion tells Franklin’s story and includes Eleanor’s time there as well. At the library and museum, Eleanor is discussed and you can view many of her papers and photos. Eleanor is buried in the gardens of Springwood alongside Franklin.
Visit the church that was Eleanor’s religious home as well as hosted her funeral.
Located in nearby Tivoli, this home served as her Grandmother Hall’s summer home. It’s now privately owned.
Long Island
This town is the site of Eleanor’s childhood retreat where she spent the summers from ages 4 – 8. The town has named a road after her.
Georgia
Little White House, Warm Springs
NPS
Even though she didn’t like it here, Eleanor had her own bedroom in FDR’s rehabilitation retreat.
Washington, DC
Check out this cool walking tour of Eleanor’s DC!
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
This beautiful memorial near the National Mall is a must-see while in DC. It has a statue of Eleanor.
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Tour the First Ladies exhibit to see Eleanor’s White House china!
Eleanor’s portrait is one of the few First Ladies portraits in a permanent exhibit.
Maine/Canada
Roosevelt Campobello International Park
Visit the home where Eleanor spent most summers as an adult. A visit here can include a daily tea in Eleanor’s honor!
To Learn More
Books to Read
Eleanor Roosevelt is probably the most written about First Lady in history! There are so many books, including many written by her own hand, that I had a hard time narrowing down the ones to include here. I’ve included those I’ve read or aspire to read.
Links are Amazon affiliate links. Be sure to see my Bookshop.org list for all of the books related to my Booking It Through History: First Ladies project.
Fiction:
The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray – a wonderful book about the friendship between Eleanor and Civil Rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune
Let Us March On by Shara Moon – I enjoyed learning about Lizzie McDuffie who served in Eleanor’s White House.
Eleanor and the Cold War by Ellen Yardley (new book in series coming next year!) – I really liked this murder mystery where Eleanor’s personality and real history shine through.
A Sunlight Weapon (Maisie Dobbs #17) by Jacqueline Winspear – I need to keep reading in the series so I can get to this book where Eleanor is in London during a Nazi plot to kidnap her.
Murder and the First Lady by Elliott Roosevelt – a mystery series written by her son!
Nonfiction:
Eleanor by David Michaelis – a thoroughly engrossing biography
The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt – I loved hearing about Eleanor’s life in her own words. It really personalized her struggles and how she overcame them. She has a lovely, folksy style that makes it easy to read.
The First Lady of World War II: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back by Shannon McKenna Schmidt – Such a fascinating book about Eleanor’s daring mission to the South Pacific during WWII.
Growing Up Roosevelt: A Granddaughter’s Memoir of Eleanor Roosevelt by Nina Roosevelt Gibson – One of the sweetest books about Eleanor, written by her granddaughter. It made me miss my own grandmother!
You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life by Eleanor Roosevelt
My Day: The Best Of Eleanor Roosevelt’s Acclaimed Newspaper Columns, 1936-1962 by Eleanor Roosevelt
No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Eleanor and Franklin: The Story of Their Relationship, Based on Eleanor Roosevelt’s Private Papers by Joseph P. Lash
Children Books:
TV Shows/Movies
Eleanor is one of the most depicted First Ladies on the big (or small) screen.
C-SPAN First Ladies: Influence and Image – super-sized two hour show!
Eleanor Roosevelt: A Restless Spirit
Ken Burns: The Roosevelts: An Intimate History
Eleanor, First Lady of the World
Podcasts
Presidential – focuses on FDR through Eleanor’s eyes
The First Ladies – episodes 2, 8, 13
Here’s Where It Gets Interesting – interview with author about Eleanor’s daring trip to the South Pacific during WWII.
Websites
Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project
- Includes Eleanor’s My Day articles
FDR Presidential Library and Museum
Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-kill
White House Historical Society
- Ornament: The 2017 White House ornament honors the Roosevelt administration with Franklin’s monogram and the eagle used on the inauguration podium in 1933. On the back is an image of a White House Christmas tree with FDR’s little dog, Fala.
- Eleanor ornament: Eleanor has her own ornament!
Eleanor Roosevelt is a tour-de-force in American history. As the most admired and known First Lady, she is the standard to which all others try to emulate!
One thought on “Booking It Through History: First Ladies – Eleanor Roosevelt”