8 First Ladies Who Kicked Ass

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First Lady Anna Eleanor Roosevelt Roosevelt (1933 – 1945)

Eleanor had the upbringing of your typical turn-of-the-century socialite with debutante balls and the best schooling available to her. Instead, influenced by her cousin and president Theodore Roosevelt, she defied he roots by embracing the early labor moment. She eventually married her fifth cousin once removed, Franklin Delano, but Eleanor took care of the New York Governor and Navy Secretary as he suffered paralysis. She somehow found time to lead and contribute to several organizations, including the Women's City Club of New York and Women's Trade Union League. By the time she became the First Lady of the United States, Roosevelt was already highly accomplished, but she continued her work in humanitarianism, race relations, and labor. Roosevelt was even a regular Maddowesque media figure for decades and even became a board member of the NAACP, despite threats from the Ku Klux Klan.

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