Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor and Soft Chewy Gingersnaps

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First Ladies - 1900 to 2000

Eleanor Roosevelt*

President Franklin D. Roosevelt*

Eleanor with Fala and Mr. Tweed*

First Lady Eleanor and President Franklin D. Roosevelt
First Lady - 1933 - April 12, 1945
Quotes from Eleanor - 

• “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”
• “A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”
• “The future is literally in our hands to mold as we like. But we cannot wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow is now.”
• “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

​Factoids - 

• Eleanor was the niece of President Theodore Roosevelt.
• Eleanor was the first First Lady to hold press conferences, write weekly and monthly newspaper columns, and host a radio show.

Bio - 

• Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was born in New York City to the very wealthy Roosevelt family.  She was orphaned at a young age and raised by her grandmother. Eleanor went to school in England and returned to New York at 18, ready to begin social and charity work. Eleanor and fifth cousin Franklin married and had six children, while she began volunteer work with the American Red Cross and Navy hospitals. 
• Prior to Franklin's election as President, Eleanor discovered his unfaithfulness, an issue which would continue even while they were in the White House.  She offered him a divorce, but it never happened.  Instead, Eleanor began to live her life more independently with her attraction and emotional connections to women and younger men. 
• When Franklin was elected President, Eleanor was not shy about using her role as First Lady to further her dedication righting injustice and defending civil rights.  Her schedule was full of speeches and writing thousands of articles in newspapers, magazines, and books.  She was also Chairperson of the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
• When Franklin was diagnosed with Polio, his role changed. With Franklin confined to a wheelchair, Eleanor became his eyes and ears to politics.  She traveled, she spoke, she learned every aspect of the political situation of the time and reported back to her husband, often convincing him to her viewpoint.  She was possibly the most powerful woman in the world, at that time.
• From the time that Eleanor was a little girl, her wish was to change the world; she did that and more as the World's First Lady. 

About Franklin - Franklin Roosevelt, as 32nd president guided the U.S. through the Great Depression with New Deal programs, which expanded the government's role in the economy.  During Franklin's Presidency, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor began the US entry into WWII.  He later guided the U.S. through World War II and established the foundation for the postwar international order.  Franklin was elected to four terms; he died in office in 1945.

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Soft Chewy Gingersnaps

Eleanor Roosevelt didn't spend much time in the kitchen, but this recipe was a favorite of hers.  She often served them to reporters at the White House, while insisting that the reporter pool included women reporters!

Ingredients - Makes 2 and1/2 dozen.
3/4 cup butter, softened to room termperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
Additional sugar for rolling/topping

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper.  Do NOT grease.
2. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.  Gradually add to the butter mixture and mix until combinedl.
4. With clean hands, roll cookie dough into 1 &1/2-inch balls, then roll in sugar. Place 2-inches apart on un-greased baking sheets.
5. Bake 10 – 12 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 2 & 1/2 dozen.

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Portrait Credits*
Eleanor Roosevelt - White House Portrait - Douglas Chandor, Public domain, via Wikimedia; Eleanor and Falla - National Archives and Records Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Franklin D. Roosevelt - Henry Salem Hubbel, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; transfer from the Smithsonian American Art Museum; gift of Willard Hubbell, 1964, Public domain