The real First Lady We are in 1884 and the young Eleanor Roosevelt is raised in a world very different from today. Women did not have the right to vote, African Americans were not allowed to hold government positions, and the Panic of 1884 heavily affected New York. As Eleanor grew older, many of these things did not change. Even though the Panic of 1884 ended, women and African Americans were still treated as minorities. In her life, she knew she wanted to make a difference. Eleanor Roosevelt was born in New York on October 11, 1884. She grew up in a wealthy family, but had the devastating childhood of losing both parents before the age of 18. ten. As a teenager, she was sent to England to attend Allenswood, a private school for girls. This experience greatly shaped her and influenced her ideas about education and thinking. She later married her fifth cousin, Franklin Roosevelt, and their lives were changed when he became president of the United States. But what were the impacts that made her such a memorable woman in our country's history? Overall, Eleanor Roosevelt was an important person in American history because she revolutionized the role of the First Lady, her social work both domestically and internationally, and because she was a staunch activist civil rights. Eleanor Roosevelt is an important person in American history because she forever changed the role of the First Lady. Eleanor Roosevelt served as First Lady longer than any other First Lady to date: twelve years, one month, one week and one day ("Biography of the First Lady"). During her tenure as First Lady, the United States experienced the Great Depression and World War II, two traumatic and discouraging periods...... middle of paper ...... Eleanor Roosevelt's life will remain forever never remembered for her role as First Lady. First Lady, her dedicated work for social reforms and her strong support for the rights of African Americans and women. She helped our nation in times of struggle, she helped our soldiers in times of devastation, and she changed the way we all view the First Lady. When Eleanor died in 1962, the New York Times headlined: “She was the symbol of the new role women should play in the world” (Winfield). Few people can think of someone who accomplished as much in her life and was as dedicated to what she believed in as Eleanor Roosevelt. As one impressed journalist stated, "Eleanor's persistent twinkle in her blue eyes cannot be transferred into cold lines...Gracious, charming, patient, serene, yet efficient and clearly a devoted companion" (Youngs, 170).