Eleanor Roosevelt: A Biography

by Cynthia M. Harris

Overview

An astute politician, dedicated feminist, and champion of the rights of minorities, Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the most powerful women in 20th-century America. In an age when proper ladies were expected to supervise the household, dine with the right people, and entertain elegantly, she established careers as a teacher, social worker, and reformer, started a furbaniture factory, and became a successful jourbanalist. Forming a unique political alliance with her husband, she played a key role in the Democratic party and shaped many of the programs of the New Deal. She later became an official delegate to the United Nations, where she served as chair of the Commission on Human Rights.

Written expressly for high school students, this biography clearly and concisely relates the life of Eleanor Roosevelt to the times in which she lived. A timeline presents the events of her life in summary form. This is followed by chapters on her youth, her marriage to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, her early work as a social activist, the rise of her power and influence, and her activities during and after World War II. The volume closes with a bibliographical essay.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313331664
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	08/30/2007
Series:	Greenwood Biographies Series
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.56(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Cynthia M. Harris retired from Greenwood Press in 2003. She worked for Greenwood for 27 years in various editorial capacities and was director of developmental editing when she retired.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword     vii
Preface     ix
Acknowledgments     xi
Timeline: Events in the Life of Eleanor Roosevelt     xiii
Acronyms     xvii
Growing Up     1
FDR, Marriage, and Family Life     19
A New Eleanor Roosevelt     43
Eleanor Becomes First Lady     61
Eleanor's Power Peaks and Begins to Wane     79
The Approaching War     99
The Nation at War     113
The Final War Years     131
Alone and On Her Own     143
Epilogue     165
Bibliographic Essay     169
Index     173

What People are Saying About This

Maurine H. Beasley

"This book represents a welcome addition to the Eleanor Roosevelt material for the student and general reader who seeks a solid overview of the life of the most outstanding American woman of the twentieth century. Harris has woven together an outstanding synthesis of contemporary scholarship on Roosevelt to produce a succinct volume that makes the life and times of this remarkable figure meaningful in the twenty-first century."

Maurine H. Beasley

"This book represents a welcome addition to the Eleanor Roosevelt material for the student and general reader who seeks a solid overview of the life of the most outstanding American woman of the twentieth century. Harris has woven together an outstanding synthesis of contemporary scholarship on Roosevelt to produce a succinct volume that makes the life and times of this remarkable figure meaningful in the twenty-first century."

—

Maurine H. Beasley, Ph.D., Professor of Journalism^LPhilip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland, College Park, Co-editor, The Eleanor Roosevelt Encyclopedia

Editorial Reviews

Eleanor Roosevelt is a useful research tool for high school students and is also an engaging introduction to the subject for the general public.” —The Historian

From the Publisher