--Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt was a social and political activist in her own right. She typified many of the best qualities of the first American Progressives, activists of the early 20th century. That time was a period of tumult - with the onset of the first World War, the sowing of the seeds of the Great Depression, and a demand for women's suffrage. Eleanor Roosevelt is a prime example of a person who followed here conscience in troubled times.
Like many women of her era, ER put her ideals into action.
Eleanor Roosevelt became the first activist First Lady
"After the United States entered World War II, Eleanor Roosevelt channeled her energies into the war effort. She did this first by mustering up civilian volunteerism as assistant director of the Office of Civilian Defense (OCD), and by visiting U.S. troops abroad.
When Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office in 1945, Eleanor Roosevelt's role as first lady was over, but her career was not. She became a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly, specializing in humanitarian, social, and cultural issues. In 1948, she drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which affirmed life, liberty, and equality internationally for all people regardless of race, creed or color. Additionally, she helped in the establishment of the state of Israel and attempted negotiations, albeit cautiously, with the Soviet Union (now Russia).
She wrote several books about her experiences: This Is My Story (1937), This I Remember (1950), On My Own (1958), and Tomorrow Is Now (published posthumously, 1963)."
"[Eleanor Roosevelt] lived her life in the center of what many would regard the Twentieth Century’s most consequential events, the Great Depression, World War II, the establishment of the United Nations and the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She confronted both opportunity and adversity with a sense of optimism and determination." (source)
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