I think we all enjoyed reading the letters people sent to Eleanor Roosevelt! Here's one that I found that she sent to JFK after his famous debate with Nixon. It's amazing to think about how prominent of a political figure she was and how much people valued her support and input.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/2014/10/07/eleanor_roosevelt_john_f_kennedy_history_letter_sent_after_kennedy_nixon.html
It's so interesting and amazing that a First Lady's opinions could be so highly regarded by a future President. The fact that Kennedy sought to have Roosevelt revoke her statement about his is also quite funny to me, because he was clearly aware of how influential she was. Not only that, but her letter of critique about the debate makes it seem like she has the upper hand in their relationship (perhaps only in this situation because he needed her support?). Regardless, she truly re-defined what it meant to be a First Lady and this is highly exemplary of the vast connections and friendships she had during her life
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting letter you found! I agree, the letter really shows the power that Eleanor has. Sending a critical letter to Kennedy (while still in support of him) shows that she was aware of her influence. I wonder what Kennedy's response to the letter was though.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing the power and influence the Eleanor Roosevelt had with other powerful and influential people, but it also makes me frustrated in many ways. She was an incredible, revolutionary figure who redefined the role of the first lady and commanded respect and admiration. But it seems like women had to be 10x as everything as a man in order to be respected. She proved herself to gain respect while many women were dismissed as knowing too little to say a word. It's amazing in such a cultural, political context that Eleanor Roosevelt's input was so valued. But I wish it weren't so amazing.
ReplyDeleteHere's the response; it's surprisingly short.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/archives/view-document.html?URI=http%3A%2F%2Fcmeclient%2FCMBGenericWebService%2FCMBGetPIDUrl%3Fpid%3D82+3+ICM6+db28cm5+FDR0259+26+A1001001A11J19B60036E2101518+A11J19B60036E210151+14+1300%26server%3Ddb28cm%26dsType%3DICM#search=