First Ladies of the United States: Eleanor Roosevelt

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the longest-serving First Lady throughout her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four terms in office (1933-1945). She was an American politician, diplomat, and activist who later served as a United Nations spokeswoman.

Wife of the most influential Democratic president of the twentieth century, Eleanor Roosevelt was an advocate for the disadvantaged and an ardent supporter of civil rights who used her position as First Lady, her weekly newspaper column, and her connections with important journalists and political and labor leaders to promote social reform. In the 1930s and 1940s, Eleanor worked successfully to establish her own political persona, serving as FDR's emissary to the Democratic Party's labor-liberal wing and often articulating advanced progressive positions on issues such as labor, civil rights, and social justice.

“First Lady of the World” Eleanor Roosevelt used her platform as First Lady of the United States and as a member of the wealthy and prominent Roosevelt family to advocate for human and civil rights.

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) was First Lady of the United States from March 1933 to April 1945 during her husband’s four terms in office. She spoke and lectured widely, also writing a syndicated newspaper column. Following Franklin Roosevelt’s death, Eleanor Roosevelt took an even greater role in shaping human rights issues, as delegate to the United Nations General Assembly and first chair of the Commission on Human Rights, playing an instrumental role in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For many years, she continued in her influential role in politics. The project is working to publish both digital and print editions of Eleanor Roosevelt's political papers.

She was the nation's conscience, a tireless advocate for the disadvantaged, a woman who influenced American social policies for decades and pushed through the first international charter on human rights. Eleanor Roosevelt survived a painful childhood and a difficult marriage to become one of the most admired women in America. Going beyond her public achievements, this intimate two-and-a-half-hour biography explores the secretive and surprising private life of a controversial American figure.

An intimate portrait of the beloved humanitarian and former First Lady who was reviled by political opponents during her lifetime.

The Roosevelts: An Intimate History chronicles the lives of Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, three members of the most prominent and influential family in American politics. It is the first time in a major documentary television series that their individual stories have been interwoven into a single narrative.