Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt took chances, stood up for what she believed in, and said everything that was on her mind; these unique traits helped her accomplish more goals than most normal heroes would ever dream of. I believe that a hero is someone who puts others before themselves. Eleanor not only put her disabled husband before herself, but at the same time worked with the young and underprivileged. I think that a hero is also someone who shows examples of honesty, such as telling the truth to the public and the press. Eleanor Roosevelt's honesty made her one of the most popular, admirable, and influential women in the world. She spoke powerful words, and always came up with practical ideas which made people know that they could count on her. When Eleanor Roosevelt was born in 1884, the world changed forever; and without her many achievements in politics, many peoples' lives would be very different then they are today.

Eleanor was born into a very wealthy family; her Mother was Anna Livingston Ludlow Hall and her father was Elliot Roosevelt. Eleanor Roosevelt's real name was Anna, but her parents had always called her Eleanor. Unfortunately, Eleanor never really fit in with her peers at school because she was extremely shy and acted very mature and old-fashioned for her age. Because of her aged personality Eleanor's nickname was "Granny". Sadly, when she was very young, Eleanor got off to a rough start; her father was an alcoholic, when she was eight her Mother died, and that same year her father was sent to a mental asylum. Eleanor went to live with her grandmother Hall and one year later her father died of alcoholism. Ever since she was a child, Eleanor wanted to make a difference and help people. At the age of fourteen she wrote an essay on how she thought everyone should be ambitious and how she wanted to leave a mark upon the world.

Later on in her life Eleanor's husband,Franklin, became paralyzed, but she still believed in him and encouraged him to pursue his political career. Soon after the announcement was made that Franklin was nominated for the Presidency. While everyone was congratulating Franklin, Eleanor mentioned that she was going to go make bacon and eggs. Later on, she admitted that she didn't really want her husband to become president because she thought she would face the end of her personal life. Franklin soon proposed the "New Deal" to the public; this idea would address the Depression and help the people most affected by it. During Franklin's presidency, Eleanor traveled nationwide on lecture tours and frequently made fact-finding trips for her husband. One of her greatest achievements was becoming the first wife of a president to hold all female press conferences. Throughout the years Eleanor held three hundred and fifty of these meetings; she would only let women reporters attend which forced men to hire female reporters.

Once Franklin became president, the Roosevelts' lives became even busier, but Eleanor continued to devote her time to help others. She assisted with the formation of the National Youth Administration, organized and held a meeting to discuss the role of women in political elections, and published a syndicated column called, "My Day". Eleanor was never in favor of segregation laws and was always extremely courageous, so one day, she sat between the white people and the black people at a conference to show her disapproval. Eleanor was often caught saying, "Franklin you should do….", and without his wife's help Franklin may have not have won his third term in office. At a Democratic National Convention, Eleanor made an impromptu speech which influenced many people to vote for Franklin.

Eleanor Roosevelt was a humanitarian, United Nations diplomat, First Lady, and the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. At each one of her positions she strode to do the best she could and was a hero to everyone she influenced. The life of a First Lady has changed a lot because of Eleanor's efforts. Eleanor always truly believed in herself and never gave up. She was a great role model for everyone, and I believe that if there were more people as dedicated as her, that the world would be a better place.