author
Eleanor Roosevelt
1884–1962
A shy New York child who grew into one of the most influential women of the 20th century, she changed what it meant to be First Lady and became a powerful voice for human rights. Her public life stretched far beyond the White House, reaching from civil rights advocacy to the founding years of the United Nations.
1 Audiobook
This Troubled World
by Eleanor Roosevelt
About the author
Born in New York City in 1884, Eleanor Roosevelt overcame a difficult childhood and went on to become an unusually active public figure. The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library notes that her years at Allenswood Academy in England were especially important in shaping her confidence and outlook.
As First Lady from 1933 to 1945, she transformed the role into one of constant public engagement. She traveled widely, wrote and spoke extensively, and used her position to push for social reform, civil rights, and better conditions for women, workers, and young people.
After Franklin D. Roosevelt's death, her public service continued on the world stage. She served as a United States delegate to the United Nations and is widely remembered for her leadership in helping bring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into being, securing a legacy as both a political reformer and a humanitarian.