PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Eleanor Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 11, 1884.
Although her family was very wealthy, Eleanor had a tough childhood. Her mother died when she was eight years old and her father died when she was ten.
Eleanor didn't have many friends growing up. She was a very shy, timid, and frightened child.
When Eleanor turned fifteen her grandmother sent her boarding school near London, England. At first Eleanor was scared, however the headmistress took a special interest her. By the time she graduated, Eleanor had gained confidence in herself. She had learned a lot about herself and life. She returned home a new person.
Eleanor married her distant cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was a famous politician who wanted to become President.
Eleanor and Franklin had six children.
Franklin became very sick one summer with a disease called polio, and nearly died. Although he lived, he would never walk again.
Despite his illness, Franklin decided to stay in politics. Eleanor was determined to help him in any way she could.
Eleanor became involved in a number of organizations. She wanted to help poor people, black people, children, and women have better lives.
Franklin became President of the United States, and Eleanor was now the First Lady. The job of the First Lady had always been to host parties and entertain foreign dignitaries and political leaders, but Eleanor decided she could do more than this.
At the start of Franklin's presidency, America was in the middle of the Great Depression. People around the country were struggling to find jobs and even to have enough to eat. Franklin created the New Deal to try and help poor people recover. Eleanor decided to travel around the country to see how people were doing. She traveled thousands and thousands of miles. She let her husband know where people needed help and where his programs were and weren't working.
Japan attacked the USA at Pearl Harbor, and Franklin had no choice but to declare war and enter World War II. Eleanor didn't stand still or stay at home in safety. She went to work for the Red Cross. She traveled to Europe and the South Pacific to visit the sick and the wounded and to let the troops know how much they were appreciated.
On April 12, 1945 Franklin died of a stroke. Eleanor was sad, but she wanted to continue their work. For seven years she represented the United States at the United Nations.
Eleanor is well known for her help in writing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which described that people throughout the world should be treated fairly and had certain rights that no government should be able to take away.
Eleanor died on November 7, 1962.
After her death Time Magazine called her the "world's most admired and talked about woman."
She will always be known as the
"First Lady of the World."
