Eleanor Roosevelt was the longest-serving first lady in US history, serving from 1933 to 1945. She transformed the role from a ceremonial title into a platform for political action—hosting her own press conferences, writing a nationally syndicated column six days a week, and publicly taking stances on issues like civil rights, labor, and poverty. After her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, died, she continued her public life as a UN delegate, chairing the commission that created the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.
In 1905, Eleanor married Franklin D. Roosevelt, her fifth cousin once removed, forming a partnership that was both romantic and political, shaping America during the first half of the 20th century. When FDR contracted polio in 1921 and lost the use of his legs, Eleanor supported his political career by traveling across the country on his behalf, forming alliances within the Democratic Party, and reporting back on conditions he could no longer see firsthand—a role she maintained throughout his presidency. For her work in drafting and securing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, President Harry Truman called her the "First Lady of the World."
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Eleanor Roosevelt diverged from the traditional expectations of the role—holding her own press conferences, writing a daily column, traveling the country on her own schedule, and taking public stances on controversial political issues. Many subsequent first ladies have modeled their use of the position after her example.
Roosevelt led the drafting committee for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, guiding representatives from 18 nations through debate on conflicting ideas about rights, government, and citizenship. The General Assembly unanimously adopted the final document in December 1948.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. This video explains the history, purpose, preamble, and all 30 articles of the UDHR, which established a universal human rights standard for people worldwide.
Roosevelt's My Day column was launched in late 1935 and ran nearly every day until shortly before her death in 1962. It began as an account of her daily life but grew into one of the most widely read opinion columns in the country, with 4 million readers at its peak.
FDR contracted polio at age 39 and permanently lost the use of his legs. Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded him to stay in politics, then took on the task of maintaining his public profile—attending events, building relationships, and serving as his "eyes, ears, and legs" across the country.
Starting just two days after FDR's inauguration in 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt began holding White House press conferences that admitted only female journalists. She continued to hold these events throughout her 12 years as first lady.
Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt, her fifth cousin once removed, were married on St. Patrick's Day in 1905. Because both of her parents had died, her uncle, President Theodore Roosevelt, accompanied her down the aisle. The wedding was a notable social event among NYC elites.
Eleanor Roosevelt revolutionized the role of first lady by holding regular press conferences and hosting a radio show. This podcast features her discussions about their relationship, how she handled policy disagreements with FDR, and her role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the UN.
This means the couple shared great-great-great-great-grandparents but from different generations of the same family line. Fifth cousins are considered distant relatives, with only a 10% to 15% chance of sharing detectable DNA.
Two miles from the Roosevelt family estate in upstate New York, Val-Kill was built as a furniture factory that Eleanor Roosevelt helped create to employ rural workers and craftspeople. It later became her private home and political hub. World leaders and civil rights activists visited her there, and she called it the place where she "became an individual in her own right."
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