author
Eleanor Roosevelt
1884–1962
A tireless public voice for democracy and human rights, she transformed the role of First Lady and became one of the most influential women of the twentieth century. After the White House, she carried that work onto the world stage as a United Nations delegate and a champion of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
1 Audiobook
This Troubled World
by Eleanor Roosevelt
About the author
Born in New York City in 1884, Eleanor Roosevelt lost both of her parents when she was young and was shaped deeply by those early hardships. She later married Franklin D. Roosevelt and, during his presidency from 1933 to 1945, redefined what it meant to be First Lady through constant travel, public writing, press conferences, and outspoken support for social reform.
She was known for refusing to stay in a ceremonial role. Instead, she used her public platform to advocate for workers, women, young people, and Black Americans, and she became a powerful presence in American political life in her own right.
After Franklin Roosevelt's death, she continued her public service as a United States delegate to the United Nations. She is especially remembered for helping lead the work that produced the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a lasting part of her legacy when she died in 1962.