Pages of history: Sad secrets of Eleanor Roosevelt (12 photos). Eleanor Roosevelt - a woman who was admired Eleanor Roosevelt article

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT (10/11/1884, New York - 11/7/1962, ibid.), Amer. public figure, diplomat, publicist, writer, politician and human rights activist, UN delegate, committee chairman, teacher, first lady.

Just as her husband was no ordinary president, she was no ordinary First Lady. Roosevelt usually reacted very calmly to criticism of Eleanor: his wife goes “wherever she wants, talks to whoever she wants, and learns something along the way.” If Eleanor asked her husband if he had any problems with her activism and speaking, he would reassure her with the words: “Lady, we are a free country. I use my own methods of communicating with my compatriots, and if I have any difficulties, I will always I’ll find a way to protect myself from them.”

In 1939, Eleanor overtook her husband in popularity. According to the results of social poll, Eleanor was considered the most admired but also most criticized woman in US history.

Unlike previous wives of presidents, Eleanor used the media to introduce the public to her wide and comprehensive activities.

She belonged to the 1st wave feminists. In the 1940s, Roosevelt was one of the founders public organization Freedom House. In 1943, she created the United Nations Association in the United States to promote the creation of the United Nations. She participated in the creation of the UN and was appointed as a delegate to the UN Assembly by US President Truman with the support of the Senate. While working at the UN, she chaired the committee that developed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Harry Truman, Roosevelt's successor, called her "The First Lady of the World," citing her achievements in the field of human rights.

Involved in politics for the rest of her life, Roosevelt continued her activism by becoming chair of the President's Committee on the Status of Women during the Kennedy administration. The activities of the committee became the beginning of the 2nd wave of feminism. In 1999, she was named one of the 10 most admired people of the 20th century by Gallup. The film “Eleanor: 1st Lady of the World” (1982) was made about her.

Eleanor also dealt with economic issues. Together with her friends, she bought a school for girls in New York, was the deputy director there and taught history. In addition, she opened a furniture factory, which employed unemployed people from rural regions.

Roosevelt took care of the Nazis. a youth organization founded in 1935 to help young people find work. As 1st Lady, she visited city neighborhoods where blacks lived, opposed the poll tax, supported laws prohibiting lynching, and hired blacks to work in the White House. Some of Roosevelt's staff were of the opinion that she was being too provocative towards blacks. From political Franklin did not support his wife's participation in the fate of these people, not wanting to lose the votes of Democrats from the southern states. Thanks to Eleanor, blacks moved away from the Republicans they had previously supported and joined the Democrats.

Eleanor and Franklin had 6 children, 5 sons and 1 daughter. Anne was the first child (born in 1906). After her were born: James (1907), Franklin (1909, died at the age of eight months), Elliot (1910), Franklin Delano (1914) and John Aspinwall (1916).

Being the president's wife is not an easy task. However, Eleanor Roosevelt went down in history not just as the country's first lady, but also as an independent political leader. Selflessly supporting her husband in difficult times and giving birth to six children, she managed to lead social programs, devote time to economics and science. The author of the site, Anna Baklaga, talks about the “first lady of the world” - Eleanor Roosevelt.

Her husband Franklin Roosevelt was the first American president to be elected for more than two terms. Accordingly, Eleanor was the only one who served as First Lady for such a long time - from March 1933 to April 1945. Meanwhile, she was not just a woman fulfilling the duties of a wife and mother. Until the end of her life, Eleanor Roosevelt was actively involved in politics and social projects. Once she even surpassed her famous husband in popularity. Where did it all begin?

Eleanor Roosevelt. (wikipedia.org)

When the future first lady of the country turned 15, at the request of her grandmother, she went to London to attend a higher girls' school. Eleanor took lessons in horse riding, dancing, singing and music, and studied literature. It was there that she learned how to properly coordinate clothes and apply makeup to make the best impression. During her three years of study, the school instilled in her political and religious tolerance, as well as a love of science. However, Eleanor Roosevelt considered herself an “ugly duckling.” And despite the fact that she had an excellent upbringing, education and was the niece of the current US President, when Franklin Roosevelt proposed to her, her surprise knew no bounds.

Young people often met at family evenings. They were relatives in the fifth generation and had the same last name. Moreover, Eleanor's father was godfather Franklin. Compared to her future husband, the girl did not look as bright as many would like. However, Franklin did not pay any attention to this. Both had serious intentions in life, both were keenly interested in social and political problems. In addition, Eleanor was charming and reasonable. In 1902 they began serious relationship, and a year later they were already engaged.

Their wedding became a big social event. A crowd had gathered in front of the house on Seventy-sixth Street in Manhattan. Seventy-five police officers kept order. The current president of the country, Theodore Roosevelt, performed at the ceremony instead of the bride's father.

Family portrait. (wikipedia.org)

Over time, Franklin Roosevelt began to rise through career ladder. In turn, Eleanor did not lag behind. Becoming a wife famous politician, she began to lead a very active lifestyle and was also interested in politics, supporting her husband. She believed that it was the duty of every woman to live in the interests of her husband. During the First World War, Eleanor took part in the work of the Red Cross. At one time she even worked in the soldiers' canteen.

When Franklin Roosevelt became president of the United States, the country was going through a rather difficult period in history. It was the height of the Great Depression, and the country had accumulated a huge amount of economic and social problems. Meanwhile, the first lady not only helped her husband collect material for his public speeches, but also actively promoted his “New Deal” - economic policy.

When the president began to have serious health problems, Eleanor showed real courage and loyalty. After learning of Franklin's diagnosis of polio, she cared for her husband without fear of becoming infected. The consequence of the disease was paralysis of the legs. But even when wheelchair became the only way to move for the 29-year-old president, Eleanor did not give up. She not only restored her husband’s faith in himself, but also pushed him to new achievements. Thanks to her support, Franklin Roosevelt became the US President for the first time elected for more than two terms.

For Eleanor, her husband's victory in the elections was an event that did not promise any joy. Finding herself a prisoner in the White House, immersed in a series of official receptions, visits, banquets, tea parties - this prospect only made her sad. Their relationship with Franklin by this time was one of respectful partnership. They were never alone; someone was always present. If the president tried to hug his wife, she would shy away, almost recoil.
In the White House, Eleanor assigned herself a back room, and she gave up the room adjacent to her husband’s bedroom to his secretary and part-time his new mistress, Margaret Lehand, whose working day practically lasted twenty-four hours. Sorting mail, paying bills, distributing tasks to servants, organizing dinner parties - all were part of her duties.
With her husband's accession to the presidency, Eleanor Roosevelt's political life began, which lasted throughout her life. She used her position as First Lady to actively promote the New Deal and other reforms of Roosevelt, and subsequently the ideas of the Civil Rights Movement.
The most interesting thing is that after the death of her husband in 1945, Eleanor continued her active political activities. In 1943, Eleanor Roosevelt created the United Nations Association in the United States to promote the creation of the United Nations. While at the UN, she chaired the committee that drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As a UN representative, she visited many countries, including the USSR.
Eleanor Roosevelt was interested in the USSR primarily in education (from kindergartens to universities), hospitals and medical research. From the very beginning, Mrs. Roosevelt asked for the opportunity to interview N.S. Khrushchev. The meeting took place at his villa in Yalta. The hospitable owner did not object to either the tape recorder or the camera. But when during the interview questions began to emerge about the reasons cold war, about the arms race, he became excited, began to raise his voice, and became flushed. Still, at the end of the three-hour interview, he pulled himself together and asked: “Can I tell our newspapers that the conversation was friendly?” “Yes,” Eleanor replied, “friendly, but with differences on many issues.” “At least we didn’t shoot at each other,” Khrushchev chuckled.
Eleanor Roosevelt was involved in politics for the rest of her life, which ended on November 7, 1962. Harry Truman, Roosevelt's successor, called her the "First Lady of the World," citing her achievements in the field of human rights.
The 1982 film “Eleanor: First Lady of the World” was made about her.
In 1999, she was named one of the ten most admired people of the twentieth century by Gallup.
Well, how was her personal life? She had lovers and even a mistress in the person of a famous journalist. She was generous and wise in love. She realized that one cannot claim the entire love sphere of a loved one, especially if this person is great, like her husband Franklin Roosevelt. She put up with him love affairs, but did not deny herself romantic relationships.
One of the biographers subsequently described it this way in a short sketch: life path Eleanor Roosevelt: “Step by step she conquered herself and rose to the next step: from youthful indecision to a clear awareness of her strengths; from the snares of Victorian morality - to generous tolerance for human weaknesses; from class snobbery to the defense of racial and religious equality; from the role of a modest mother of a family in the shadow of a brilliant husband - to power over the minds and hearts of millions of Americans."

Read more about her personal life here

Eleanor Roosevelt, alone among the wives of American presidents, served as First Lady for more than four terms, from March 1933 to April 12, 1945.

Just as her husband, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was no ordinary President, she was no ordinary First Lady. She went down in American history as a social and politician, author, publicist and diplomat, In 1946, she was elected by acclamation as chairman of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights at the United Nations. Harry Truman called her "The First Lady of the World" and emphasized "that she is interested not only in the United States, but in the whole world."

For the next thirteen years, Eleanor Roosevelt was polled as "the most admired woman in the world."

Unlike all previous wives of presidents, Eleanor used means mass media to introduce the public to its wide and comprehensive activities. Eleanor is the prototype of the modern First Lady who takes part in public life, demonstrating autonomy and independence. Like none of her predecessors in the White House, after the death of her husband, she further strengthened her prestige with her own achievements.

Anne Eleanor Roosevelt was born on November 11, 1884 in New York City, the first child of Elliot and Annie Livingston Hall Roosevelt. The parents' marriage broke up due to the father's addiction to alcohol.

IN early childhood Eleanor was not particularly beautiful. She called herself the "ugly duckling." Her mother, on the contrary, was considered a beauty. The autobiography begins with the words: “My mother was one of the most beautiful women that I've ever seen."

Eleanor was a timid, reserved girl with many complexes, so her mother often made fun of her in the presence of others and, emphasizing her appearance and behavior, called her little daughter “grandmother.” The guests were told: "My daughter" funny girl". Later, Eleanor recalled: "My mother tried hard to instill in me good manners, which were supposed to compensate for my appearance. But it was precisely these efforts that made me even more aware of my shortcomings." The father, unlike the mother, showed exorbitant love for his daughter. He affectionately called her “little Nel” and took her for rides to the riding club. One day, six-year-old Nel accompanied her father to the club , and there he completely forgot about her, getting drunk with friends in a bar. A few hours later, a policeman found her and sent her home in a taxi. Despite his vice, she always spoke of him with tenderness and respect. Unfortunately, he was often not at home, but he wrote letters to his daughter, filled with love, and when he returned home, Eleanor was happy and revived, but not for long. He left again, and she withdrew into herself.

In December 1892, when Eleanor was eight years old, her mother died of diphtheria, and two years later she lost her beloved father. After the death of her mother, Eleanor and her two brothers moved to New York to live with their grandmother. Valentine Hall was a wealthy widow and decided to give her orphaned grandchildren a good upbringing. Eleanor took lessons in riding, dancing, singing and music, and then began to study literature.

This one is not very good at receptions beautiful girl didn't attract special attention. She did not excel in dancing, so she did not always feel good in the company of her peers. She was already a teenager when, at one of her family celebrations, she was asked to dance by a distant relative, Franklin from Hyde Park.

Her uncle future president Theodore Roosevelt of the United States encouraged her to play sports. When one day she was afraid to go into the water, he simply pushed her into the pool, and then taught her to swim and jump from the diving board.

In 1899, grandmother Valentine sent her fifteen-year-old granddaughter to London, to the Ellenswood Higher Girls' School. Here her love for science manifested itself, and she learned political and religious tolerance. The school principal, Maria Sauvestre, had an incredible influence on the student’s views. At a London school, she learned how to dress and apply makeup to make the best impression possible.

During these years, Eleanor traveled to many European countries. I traveled to Paris on my own, which was not entirely common at that time.

When she turned 18, her grandmother decided it was time for her granddaughter to finish her education in England and return home to look for a suitable spouse. She was waiting for her in New York social life: receptions, balls, evenings over a cup of coffee. These events were not to her liking, and not every young man dared to invite a girl like that to a dance. tall(more than 180 cm).

Eleanor, who even now considered herself an “ugly duckling,” was tall and slender, but her protruding teeth spoiled her face. Sometimes at family gatherings she would meet a distant relative, Franklin. This tall, slender, sociable young man of pleasant appearance became interested in Eleanor. Both had serious intentions in life, both were keenly interested in social and political problems. In intimate conversations, Eleanor emanated some kind of attractive charm.

They began dating, and in November 1903, Franklin proposed to her. Eleanor was surprised: “I won’t be able to keep him near me. He looks so good.” But when her amazement subsided, she emphatically said yes.

She later recalled that they were both too young and inexperienced at the time. When they decided to get married, she was sure that she was in love with him. “But only now do I know, many years later, what it means to really be in love and to love.”

Franklin's powerful and intolerant mother, Sarah Roosevelt, was strongly against this marriage, believing that he was too young to marry. In addition, she protected him with painful jealousy. With the firm intention of alienating her adored son from Eleanor, she invited him for a walk around Caribbean Sea. But she was unlucky. Upon his return, Franklin hurried to Eleanor, and in the end the mother had to agree. In the fall of 1904, Eleanor and Franklin set their wedding day for March 17, 1905, when President Theodore Roosevelt was scheduled to arrive in New York City to host the traditional St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Theodore Roosevelt led his niece down the aisle in place of her late father. He allowed himself a hint: “It’s good that the name remains in the family.” As it turned out later, not only the name remained in the family, but also the presidency.

Eleanor and Franklin's wedding was a big social event. A crowd gathered in front of a house on 76th Street in Manhattan, with 75 police officers keeping order. 200 guests were invited to the wedding, and the newlyweds received 340 gifts.

Since Franklin was still a law student at Columbia University, honeymoon the newlyweds postponed it for the holidays. They went to Europe, where they brought back many books and photographs from Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Scotland. Having returned, they settled in a house that Franklin’s mother had rented for them and furnished to her taste. The mother-in-law kept everything in her hands: she recruited servants, decided on vacation issues, and intervened in the upbringing of the children.

Eleanor and Franklin had six children, five sons and one daughter. Anne was the first child (born in 1906). After her were born: James (1907), Franklin (1909, died at the age of eight months), Elliot (1910), Franklin Delano (1914) and John Aspinwall (1916). All children's first marriages broke up. Then they remarried, some of them stood before the altar for the third and even the fourth time.

While Franklin Delano Roosevelt gradually rose through the ranks, Eleanor became interested in politics. “It is the duty of every woman to live in the interests of her husband,” she said. In 1910, when Franklin Roosevelt was seeking a senatorial position in New York, Eleanor considered politics a man's occupation, surprised that her husband advocated giving women voting rights. Franklin convinced her that women should have equal rights with men. When he was elected senator, they moved to Albany, the capital of New York State. Eleanor was happy to get rid of her tyrannical mother-in-law. "I wanted independence. Only now I realized that the desire to develop my own personality was growing in me."

In Albany, she attended meetings of the New York Parliament and was interested in the activities of local political bodies. I met with many politicians and publicists and talked with them. In 1912, she accompanied her husband to the Democratic Party convention, where Woodrow Wilson was chosen as a presidential candidate. In 1913, the President appointed Franklin Roosevelt as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and they moved to Washington. From that time on, Eleanor took part in many receptions, she herself received politicians in the house and led political discussions.

During the First World War, Eleanor helped with the work of the Red Cross, sewed clothes for soldiers, and worked in the soldiers' canteen, although until the end of her life she remained an unimportant cook. The only dish she was good at was scrambled eggs, so she often offered them to guests. In addition, she completely rejected alcoholic drinks.

In 1918, Franklin returned from a trip to Europe with pneumonia. Eleanor cared for her sick husband and looked through his correspondence. It was then that a letter fell into her hands, from which it followed that her husband supported intimate relationships with a certain Lucy Page Macer, a young, beautiful woman who had been his secretary since 1914. This discovery nearly destroyed their marriage. Many years later, Eleanor confidentially told her friends: “The whole world collapsed for me then.” At first she offered her husband a divorce, but then they came to the conclusion that, given the interests of the children and his political career, such a decision would be unwise. Franklin promised to break up with Lucy, and Eleanor forgave him for his adultery, but fired Lucy, who soon joined the military service. In 1920 she got married. Many years later, Roosevelt resumed his relationship with the now widowed Lucy. On the day of his death, April 12, 1945, she was with him in Warm Springs. Eleanor never spoke out about this in writing, but she told her friends: “I can forgive, but not forget.”

This novel left a deep mark on the Roosevelts' married life; the former warmth of relations and trust never returned. Eleanor continued to take care of her husband, but always maintained a certain distance in relation to him and her mother-in-law. She lived by her own interests and demonstrated independence. Biographers unanimously claim that from that time on they slept in separate bedrooms.

At the beginning of 1919, Eleanor, accompanying her husband on a trip to England and France, witnessed the Versailles Peace Conference. In Washington, she continued to support wounded war veterans, visited them in hospitals, brought gifts, and encouraged them.

She was actively involved in the problems of American women, especially working conditions in industrial enterprises. More and more men went into military service, and the number of women working in enterprises increased, so in October 1919, Eleanor took part in the International Congress of Working Women.

In 1920, Roosevelt was nominated for vice president by the Democratic Party. Eleanor participated in the election campaign, helping prepare speeches, and publicly supported the League of Nations, which the Republicans bitterly opposed. Conducted a major campaign to attract American women to vote. I learned typing and shorthand.

The Democrats lost the elections in 1920, Eleanor returned with her husband to New York.

In August 1921, 39-year-old Franklin Roosevelt contracted polio. His mother insisted that he withdraw from public life, but Eleanor objected vigorously. Encouraged by his wife, he began to fight the disease. He perceived any achievement as an important victory, although until the end of his life he could only move in a wheelchair. Many years later, Eleanor recalled that “my husband’s illness finally forced me to stand on my own feet. His illness left an imprint on my attitude towards his, my life and the lives of our children.” She considered that winter of 1921-22 to be “the most ordeal in life."

Roosevelt decided to continue his political career, Eleanor actively helped him in this. She invited politicians to the Roosevelt residence, gave speeches, raised money for the Democratic election campaign, and even received driver license, although I was never considered a good driver. One of her many published articles during this period was entitled "Why I Became a Democrat?" In it she performs not only from own name, but also on behalf of her husband: “The Democratic Party is more concerned about the welfare and interests of society than about the interests of large capitalists.” At first, she assured her husband that she would work actively until he regained his strength, but soon declared that political activity brought her moral satisfaction.

Eleanor considered herself a poor speaker. She was taught the art of public speaking by a friend at home, Louis McHenry Gau, editor of the New York Herald. After these lessons, she gained confidence.

At the 1924 Democratic National Convention, Eleanor Roosevelt spoke about those issues election program who demanded equal rights for women. For the Democratic candidate for President, Al. Smith, Franklin Roosevelt organized election campaign in New York State.

Eleanor was also involved in economic issues, which was not entirely usual for that time. Together with her friends, she bought a school for girls in New York, was the deputy director there and taught history. In addition, she opened a furniture factory, which employed unemployed people from rural regions.

In 1928, Franklin Delano Roosevelt became governor of New York. For Eleanor this meant additional responsibilities. As the governor's wife, she visited prisons, hospitals and other public institutions and told her husband about their work. Their opinions did not always coincide. The main controversy was caused by Prohibition, which Eleanor wanted to preserve. She did not share her husband's critical attitude towards the League of Nations, but on the vast majority of issues discussed, their opinions coincided. When the Democratic Party nominated Franklin Roosevelt for the presidency in 1932, Eleanor initially restrained her emotions, but during the election campaign she helped her husband by collecting necessary materials for his speeches. She appeared with him at meetings, worked in the women's department of the Democratic Party. In honor of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's victory over Hoover on election night, she even drank some champagne.

She was well aware that her husband became president at an extremely difficult time: the United States was experiencing a deep crisis, many people had lost their jobs, did not have the basic necessities of life, and the collapse of banks and enterprises had become a widespread phenomenon.

The prospect of living in the White House frightened Eleanor. She was afraid of becoming a prisoner of protocol events and losing her identity, but all these fears turned out to be in vain. The duties of the president's wife opened up new, broader opportunities for activity for Eleanor. Although she was an independent woman and had her own political convictions, she never aspired to make a political career. Franklin believed that his wife was too impatient, so she could not be a good politician.

But since her husband became president, she did everything to help him fulfill his duties. She often traveled with him around the country and met with voters. She was already familiar with slums, orphanages and factories. A cartoon appeared in the satirical New Yorker magazine: miners are working underground, one of them, throwing away his pick, raises the lamp higher and says to another: “My God, Mrs. Roosevelt is coming towards us.”

The American aristocracy, traditionalists, racists and conservatives of various kinds could not forgive Eleanor for having so much “in common with this rabble.”

One day Eleanor visited a school for difficult children, which she partially financed, and when she saw how dirty the premises were, she took a broom and began to sweep the floor.

During World War II, Eleanor Roosevelt visited a prison in Baltimore. To get there on time, she left the White House early, without even telling her husband where she was going. After dinner, Roosevelt wanted to discuss some issues with his wife, so he called his secretary and asked where Eleanor was. "In prison, Mr. President." “I’m not surprised,” came the answer. “But what did she do?”

In West Virginia, on the initiative of Eleanor and with the support of the authorities, the Arthurdale model colony was opened for local farmers, but in 1942, due to financial difficulties, it was forced to close. When the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Harold Ickes, complained to the President that Eleanor was taking irresponsible financial solutions, Roosevelt replied: “Unlike most of her sex, my wife does not know how to handle money at all.”

Eleanor Roosevelt patronized the National Youth Organization, founded in 1935 to help young people find work. As First Lady, she visited urban neighborhoods where blacks lived, opposed the poll tax, supported laws prohibiting lynching, and hired blacks to work in the White House. Some of Roosevelt's staff were of the opinion that she was being too provocative towards blacks. For political reasons, Franklin Roosevelt did not support his wife’s participation in the fate of these people, not wanting to lose the votes of Democrats from the southern states. Thanks to Eleanor, blacks moved away from the Republicans they had previously supported and joined the Democrats.

Roosevelt usually reacted very calmly to criticism of Eleanor: his wife goes “wherever she wants, talks to whoever she wants, and learns something along the way.” If Eleanor asked her husband if he had any problems with her activism and speaking, he would reassure her with the words: “Lady, we are a free country. I use my own methods of communicating with my compatriots, and if I have any difficulties, I will always I’ll find a way to protect myself from them.”

In 1939, Eleanor overtook her husband in popularity; 67% of Americans rated her activity as “good”, while Franklin Roosevelt was given this rating by only 58%. According to a poll, Eleanor Roosevelt was considered the most admired and most criticized woman in US history.

If the activity and popularity of the president's wife is measured by the number of articles published in the authoritative New York Times newspaper, then Eleanor Roosevelt is far superior to all First Ladies of the United States. This was largely facilitated, of course, by the 13 years she spent in the White House. If we take only the first year of the presidency as a basis for comparison, then only Jacqueline Kennedy was ahead of her. Between March 4, 1933 and August 12, 1945, Eleanor Roosevelt took part in nearly 5,900 events, read large number lectures and reports. Author Mira Gatin estimated that she made the appeal about 1,400 times.

Eleanor was constantly traveling. To the delight of airline owners, she loved to fly and flew more than 50,000 km in the first year of her life in the White House, and 68,000 km in the second. She was called the "flying First Lady." At a time when flying by plane was considered dangerous, she greatly contributed to changing this opinion.

Not everyone liked the frequent trips of the president's wife. Some believed that she should pay more attention to her family or keep order in the White House. But it was unfair. She was always with her children if they had any problems, was with her son James when he had a major operation in Minneapolis; was with Franklin when he was in a car accident in Virginia; came to Seattle to visit her daughter Ann when her first child was born, and in California she was with Elliot when he was about to separate from his wife.

Voters who knew about her participation in social, economic and political life, bombarded her with letters; in 1943 alone, she received more than 300,000 of them, which the staff read and sorted by topic; Eleanor answered many of them herself, and passed others on to the president.

Eleanor's journalistic talent was beyond doubt. In 1934, she began writing regular commentaries for Women's Home Companion magazine under the title "Mrs. Roosevelt's Page." In 1945 she began writing for the magazine "My Day". Since then, her articles have been reprinted by many magazines. She regularly gave interviews on the radio, not to mention reports. She donated her fees, which amounted to more than $75,000 a year, to charitable causes. From 1942 she regularly wrote various articles entitled "If You Ask Me" for the popular Lady's Home Magazine, and in 1949 she had a column in the weekly Miss Call. Some of her articles served as a reaction test for her husband. public opinion about proposed political events. Politicians read her articles carefully and tried to infer the president's political intentions.

In the mid-thirties, at the insistence of friends, Eleanor began keeping a diary. After finishing the work, she showed the memories to her husband so that he could make adjustments. The diaries were published in 1937 under the title This Is My Story and became a bestseller.

Eleanor Roosevelt had a liberal mindset. In 1936, she left the conservative organization Daughters of the American Revolution after she was refused a concert hall in Washington for the famous black singer Marion Anderson.

She demanded that her husband take a clearer position against General Franco.

She worked closely with Joseph Lash, secretary of the American Students Union. The FBI suspected Lash of being a leftist and placed him under close surveillance. On the day of Eleanor's planned meeting with Lash, a listening device was used in a Chicago hotel. Franklin Roosevelt was outraged when he learned of this. When Eleanor's friends from the American Youth Congress were called before a congressional committee as witnesses in a case of un-American activities in 1939, she invited them to White House and then accompanied her to the hearing of the parties.

After the end of World War II, Eleanor condemned McCarthyism. All these years, the FBI collected material about congressional activists, and D. Edgar Hoover called Eleanor “an old croaking crow.”

Eleanor did not want to have personal protection, so the security service offered her to carry a weapon, but she rejected this offer. After much persuasion, she agreed to learn shooting at the FBI shooting range. I visited there several times, but J. Edgar Hoover told Roosevelt: “If there is anyone in America who should not bear arms, it is your wife. She cannot even get through a barn door.” Later, one of Roosevelt's guards, Earl Miller, taught her how to use a gun, and from then on she had a gun in her car, although not always loaded. Eleanor valued Miller's company, which was immediately reflected in the rumors. They said that they knew each other quite closely. Miller once said, "Don't sleep with someone they call Mrs. Roosevelt."

Eleanor did not dress very elegantly. And this, perhaps, should be considered one of its advantages. During the crisis, fashionable clothing could only cause unnecessary outrage. When she found out that she was included in the list of the ten most elegant women, then asked incredulously: “Really?” Eleanor usually held three appointments a week. It was believed that she was the eyes, ears and legs of the president, so she was where he had to work hard to get to. Very often she received guests instead of him.

Eleanor did not smoke and did not like women who smoked, but she overcame this dislike and even created a precedent by introducing the custom of offering cigarettes to ladies after dinner.

If Eleanor Roosevelt was not in Washington, the duties of First Lady were performed by her daughter Anne, whom Franklin trusted very much and called his girlfriend.

Eleanor shocked many by hosting the British royal couple, George VI and Elizabeth, at a picnic in Hyde Park in June 1939, where they served the most common American “hot dogs.” However, they say that the royal couple liked them.

Eleanor was the first wife of a United States President to give weekly press conferences. Franklin Roosevelt was initially against it, but then agreed because they were helping him. Eleanor’s first press conference took place two days after the inauguration, and there were 348 of them in total. At first, only women’s issues were discussed and journalists were invited, but gradually Eleanor expanded the range of topics discussed, wanting to prove to America that women can have their own opinions not only about family and housekeeping.

Roosevelt's opponents questioned whether polio had affected his sanity. One day at an event in Akron, Ohio, one of the participants asked Eleanor about this. She replied: “I am very glad that you asked this question. My answer is yes. Everyone who has managed to endure such terrible disease, develops a sense of compassion and understanding of the problems of humanity." The audience rewarded her with thunderous applause.

Eleanor was of the opinion that, having served two terms as president, her husband should no longer run for office, but the outbreak of World War II led to Roosevelt again seeking the presidency in 1940. This was unprecedented in the history of the United States. At the party convention in Chicago, Eleanor nominated Roosevelt. Despite some resistance, he was included in the list of candidates for the third time.

During World War II, Eleanor had the official position of Vice-Director of the Defense Service civilian population. This post meant for her not only caring for bomb shelters, hospitals, private homes, orphanages, and recreational facilities, but also moral support for society. This understanding of his responsibilities met with sharp criticism from conservatives. Eleanor relented, and the office was closed six months later, but she continued to actively fight against discrimination in the army and for the acceptance of refugees in the United States.

She spent a lot of time traveling. She visited American soldiers at the front, always appearing unexpectedly, without warning. At the stronghold of Esperitu Santo in the New Hebrides, the commander forbade soldiers to be naked in the rain, fearing an unexpected visit from Eleanor Roosevelt.

Once Harry Cooper performed on one of the Pacific islands. Suddenly one soldier asked: “Where is Eleanor?” With a serious expression on his face, Cooper replied: “On one of the islands where we were recently, her footprints were seen on the sand, but where they lead is difficult to determine.” In 1942 she was with American soldiers in Great Britain, and in 1943 she made a similar trip to the South Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand, in 1944, visited American military bases in the Caribbean and Central America. During a trip to Pacific Ocean she definitely wanted to visit the island of Guadalcanal, which belonged to Japan, but with big losses was captured American army. The general commanding the island objected, since the Japanese continued to carry out air raids on the island, but Eleanor insisted on her own and still visited it. While at the front, Eleanor talked with soldiers, gave autographs, took letters from soldiers and, returning to Washington, sent them to loved ones. She constantly shared all her impressions from trips and meetings with her husband, who listened carefully and benefited from her suggestions. Some were of the opinion that Eleanor had too much influence on the President and criticized her for this, so she sought to public speaking somewhat downplay your role. "I never forced him to do anything specific, no matter how strongly I believed in a particular matter." And once she added: “I don’t remember a time when he ever tried to influence me.”

Franklin Roosevelt often joked about his wife's power in the White House. He once told one of his interlocutors: “Never start arguing with Eleanor, you won’t be able to win.” He always listened to his wife with great interest and respect.

Mira Gatin writes: “Eleanor Roosevelt had much more influence on the president’s decisions than any other First Lady before her. She was part of her husband’s government and was often his conscience, especially regarding “new affairs.”

Roosevelt appointed 28 women to high government positions, many at Eleanor's initiative. American publicist Arthur Kroc wrote that in 1940, Eleanor herself could have fought for the presidency. Another publicist, Raymond Clapper, in 1941 ranked Eleanor as one of the ten most powerful personalities in Washington and argued that she was effectively a minister without portfolio in Roosevelt's cabinet.

Roosevelt came to the Yalta Conference with his daughter Anne. Churchill was also accompanied by his daughter. Throughout the negotiations, Eleanor constantly kept him informed of events in Washington. From Yalta she received a wonderful, tender letter from Roosevelt.

After his return, Eleanor expressed doubts whether her husband had acted correctly in not insisting on the independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Roosevelt responded to such reproaches with a counter question: “How many Americans are ready to fight a war for the liberation of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania?”, and convincingly proved that the best possible compromise was reached at the conference.

In April 1945, Eleanor was in a Washington store when a telephone call demanded that she immediately return to the White House. The reason was not given, but it was clear that “something terrible” had happened. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was vacationing in Warm Springs at the time, where he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died without regaining consciousness.

When Eleanor was told this sad news, she said: “I feel more for our country and the whole world than for myself.”

Vice President Harry Truman was summoned from the Capitol to the White House. Eleanor, putting her hand on his shoulder, said: “Harry, the President is no more.” For a moment Truman could not utter a word. Then he quietly asked Eleanor what he could do for her. “Can we do anything for you?” she answered with a question. “You have great difficulties ahead of you.” Eleanor sent identical telegrams to her four sons, who were on different fronts: “My dears. Father left us this afternoon. He has fulfilled his duty to the end, and you must do the same.”

When she arrived in Warm Springs to take her husband to Washington, there was a new blow. She learned that his former mistress, Lucy Maser Rutherford, now a middle-aged woman, but still quite attractive, was with him at the time of her husband's death.

In addition, she was informed that in her absence, Anne invited Lucy to the White House. She never forgave her daughter for this, their relationship became strained. Roosevelt died while posing for artist Elizabeth Summer. As a gesture of generosity, Eleanor sent the portrait to Lucy.

In her memoirs, “This I Remember,” published in 1949, Eleanor writes rather indifferently about the death of her husband and about his human weaknesses. In her opinion, the person you live with should be accepted as he is. This was, apparently, a consequence of her husband's infidelity.

In 1974, Elliott Roosevelt published a book in which he argued that his mother's frigidity drove his father first into the arms of Lucy and then into Margaret Le Hand, a beautiful secretary who worked in the White House, who was called "Missy." Roosevelt's other son, James, in his book published in 1976, although he agrees with his brother, doubts that his paralyzed father was capable of intimate relationships. In his opinion, the novels with Lucy and Missy were rather platonic in nature. The company of young, beautiful women could calm him down, relax him after the hardships of government affairs. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, like Woodrow Wilson, valued the company of women.

Biographers of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt have written a lot about their marital relationship, but everyone is inclined to believe that since she learned about her husband's mistress in 1918, they never slept together. In conversations with people close to her, Eleanor often repeated that she had no desire to have sex with her husband, and in general it was torture for her, a heavy marital duty.

In 1978, letters from the late journalist Lorena Geacock became known, from which it can be understood that she was a lesbian and an intimate friend of Eleanor Roosevelt.

Lorena Geekok was a rather stout woman of masculine appearance, direct in communication. And the clothes of the so-called “emancipe” were men's. Eleanor met Geekie - as she affectionately called her - in 1932, on the day of the presidential election. Since then they have had a great friendship. Ghika even had her own room in the White House, but often she slept in Eleanor's bedroom, located across the street. The staff confirms that in the morning Lorena could be found sleeping on her friend’s sofa.

They traveled a lot together, and always without security. Giki often received gifts from Eleanor, including even a car. Franklin Roosevelt apparently suspected something, since he disliked Geekie and once demanded that his wife remove her from the White House. Eleanor refused, but stopped inviting her to events where the president was present, so as not to irritate him. In March 1933, on their wedding anniversary, Geeky gave Eleanor a sapphire ring. Eleanor rarely wore jewelry, but she almost never took off Ghika's ring. In one of Ghika’s letters, she wrote: “My beloved. I want to hug you and hold you tightly to me. Your ring brings me relief. When I look at it, I think that you love me, otherwise I would not wear it.”

Over the thirty years of their acquaintance, Eleanor wrote more than 2,300 letters to Giki, many of them full of intimate feelings. At Ghika's request, they were made public after her death and included in her biography, written by Doris Faber and published in 1980.

Eleanor's defenders argue that these letters merely serve as an expression of her romantic nature and sentimentality. Others believe that Eleanor was too reserved and reserved a person to give vent to her emotions, so the feelings expressed in letters to Ghiki indicate that she was connected with this woman not only by friendship. One of her letters contains the words: “I can’t kiss you, so when I fall asleep and wake up, I kiss your photographs.” And in another letter she openly declares: “People are gossiping about us. We must show people that it is supposedly quite easy for us to be apart, far from each other. I am more optimistic than you, because I don’t care what they say about us ".

Here is an excerpt from Eleanor's letter: "My dear. Today I tried to remember your face so as not to forget what you look like. Most of all, I remember your eyes when you smile, and also how that soft corner of your mouth touched my lips. I imagine what we will do, what we will tell each other about when we meet. I'm proud of us."

Lorena Geacock was a talented journalist, but she gave up her career to have the opportunity to work with Eleanor Roosevelt. After the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, their relationship became worse. They lived together for only one year, in Hyde Park. Giki died in 1968.

Eleanor Roosevelt survived her husband by more than 17 years.

These were her most active years. She wrote extensively and was interested in youth and ethnic minority issues. In December 1945, Truman included her in the US delegation to the UN. As chair of the Human Rights Committee, she made major contributions to the development of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. In addition, she traveled to many countries, was in India, Japan, China, Morocco and other countries.

In 1953, when Eisenhower became president, Eleanor Roosevelt stopped working in the American delegation to the UN. For several years she worked for the American Society of Friends of the United Nations, promoting its ideas in the United States and other countries.

In 1961, John F. Kennedy again included her in the United States delegation to the United Nations. Her performance at General Assembly The UN, attended by delegates from around the world, was greeted with thunderous applause. Kennedy appointed her to the Peace Corps and entrusted her with the post of chairman of the Commission on Women's Rights. After the defeat at Schwenebucht Bay, she became a member of the commission for prisoners of war. (In April 1961, an attempt to invade Cuba, planned by the CIA and supported by the American government, was defeated. It was attended by exiled Cubans trained by the CIA. Their goal was to overthrow Castro.) In numerous speeches, Eleanor was now able to more freely express her views, than during his time in the White House. She sat in the organs National Association NAACP (abbreviated as NAACP), which opposed discrimination against blacks. She helped create Americans for Democratic Action, a coalition of liberal Democrats. She actively supported the candidacy of Democrat Adlai Stevenson in the presidential elections in 1952 and 1956. In 1957, she visited the USSR, and in Yalta, at Khrushchev’s dacha, they argued about the advantages of the capitalist and socialist systems.

In September 1960 she was in Warsaw, where she took part in a discussion at the Polish Institute international relations, met on September 9 with Polish Foreign Minister Adam Rapacki. (From 1956 to 1968 he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland. Known for plans to create a safe zone in Central Europe. His goal was to prohibit the installation American missiles medium range in Germany.) During the conversations, she understood Poland's concern about the remilitarization of Germany, but was convinced that as long as Germany was a member of NATO, nothing threatened world peace. In this regard, she spoke out against granting the Federal Republic atomic weapons. Racists and conservatives disliked her and often criticized her. The Catholic hierarchy of the United States and, first of all, Cardinal Spellman expressed dissatisfaction with Eleanor, who opposed the allocation of public funds to parochial schools, which she saw as a violation of the law on the separation of church and state. One day she attended an event in the Bronx, a borough of New York. A taxi arrived to transport the meeting participants. Eleanor decided to save money and take the subway home; in a crowded carriage, a woman stepped on her foot. Eleanor began to reprimand her loudly. At that moment, the man who was reading the book raised his head and, recognizing Mrs. Roosevelt, gave way to her. And immediately the other passengers recognized her. Later, recalling this incident, she said: “I’m glad that many people remember Franklin.”

Eleanor supported warm relations with children, never forgetting the birthdays of sons, daughters-in-law and numerous grandchildren. She felt especially good at family gatherings, when three generations of Roosevelts gathered under one roof and under her wing.

Few people knew that Eleanor suffered from leukemia. She never complained about her illness. In the fall of 1962, it became clear to her that there were only months, and maybe even weeks, left. She was in severe pain. Sometimes so strong that she asked not to prolong her suffering, but to help her die peacefully. She said to everyone who inquired about her health: “I am not afraid of death.” On November 7, 1962, at the age of 78, Eleanor Roosevelt died. She found her final refuge in the Hyde Park rose garden next to her husband. The New York Times reported her death under the headline: "She Was a Symbol new role women in the world."

Eleanor Roosevelt– a woman who managed not only to come out from under the shadow famous husband, but to some extent even eclipse it.

Eleanor Roosevelt - wife of the 32nd President of the United States Franklin Roosevelt(March 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945). At the right time, he managed to bring the country’s economy out of the Great Depression thanks to the “ New course", and during World War II create United Nations.

What place did Eleanor have in Franklin’s life? She wasn't his right hand, because she always acted independently. The owner of the White House often heard criticism of his wife, but always tried to answer it with humor. However, their tandem can rightly be considered the key to the success of both.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor was active social activities. Her desire to help the common people was manifested not only in loud speeches from the podium, but also in specific actions. She visited colonies, hospitals, orphanages and factories. Having entered one of the rooms of the school for difficult children and finding dust and dirt everywhere, Eleanor took a broom and began to sweep the floor. Many opponents could not forgive her for such a relationship with the lower strata of society. However, Mrs. Roosevelt was the last thing that mattered to Mrs. Roosevelt.

It is difficult to overestimate her contribution to political destiny USA. Who knows if America could achieve such a rise in difficult years Great Depression, if Eleanor had not been actively promoting New Deal and other presidential reforms? After 1921 Franklin fell ill with polio and were confined to wheelchair, his mother strongly advised her son to step away from politics. And only Eleanor firmly believed in future success spouse. So that the Roosevelt family would not be written off in political circles, the woman held press conferences, gave interviews and appeared on the radio. In fact, she has become the Democrats' most recognizable voice. Active interaction with ordinary people significantly increased the party's ratings. In 1932, Eleanor successfully organized her husband's election campaign and a year later even allowed herself to drink a little champagne in honor of the victory (Mrs. Roosevelt usually denied alcohol).

Eleanor Roosevelt tries spinning during a visit to India 1952

Having settled in White House, the woman continued to be involved in politics, economic issues and social activities. In 1941, she was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense. During World War II, she repeatedly visited places of deployment. American troops, did not deprive the prison of her attention. Eleanor Roosevelt accepted active participation in the creation of the UN, and as part of a special committee developed Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The 34th President of America, Harry Truman, called Eleanor the “First Lady of the World” because she was truly interested in the well-being of the whole world.

Eleanor Roosevelt with the Declaration of the Rights of Man

Besides the brilliant political career, the woman was a loving mother. Despite the highest workload, in the most important and difficult moments she dropped everything and stayed with the children. That's what she was - Eleanor Roosevelt. And I want to end this material with her quote given in the original:

Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you’ll be criticized anyway. You’ll be “damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.”