Eleanor Roosevelt is well known for her efforts towards women’s rights and suffrage as well as being the longest term First Lady of the United States. She made a huge difference in the lives of women and had plenty of advice to give. During the height of the Great Depression, Roosevelt came out with a book of advice entitled It’s Up To The Women.
It’s Up To The Women was targeted at women of all ages and backgrounds to step up during these hard times and do what must be done. She put emphasis on the important role the women played in the economy and implied that only the women could save the country from their economic troubles. She asked women to step up and stressed that:
“It is important that women think beyond the mere moment through which we are passing and acquaint themselves with all phases of life and conditions in our own country.”
Originally published in 1933, this collection of advice is being republished with an introduction by Jill Lepore on April 11, 2017. Pre-orders are available now on Amazon. Roosevelt’s advice is still applicable today and is a must read for anyone overwhelmed with the state of the world. It’s Up To The Women was published during Eleanor’s first year as First Lady and she had already taken the political world by storm with her active role.
Many of the issues that are being discussed in the current election (equal pay, getting higher voter turnout, quality education) were things that were also on Eleanor’s political agenda. Despite the 84 years since the advice was published, the topics addressed are still relevant.
While it wasn’t the women who ended the Great Depression (credit for that goes to the start of WWII), women played a major role in helping our country survive the Great Depression. Many would attribute that to the leadership of Eleanor Roosevelt.
Will you be checking out the collection of advice from our former First Lady?
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Featured image via Wikipedia
h/t Bustle