Quote from Eleanor Roosevelt's Autobiography

"I, however, could not help this feeling that it was the New Deal Social objectives that had fostered the spirit that would make it possible for us to fight this war, and I believed it was vastly important to give people the feeling that in fighting the war we were still fighting for these same objectives. It was obvious that if the world were ruled by Hitler, freedom and democracy would no longer exist. I felt it was essential both to the prosecution of the war and to the period after the war that the fight for the rights of minorities should continue." (Pg. 230)

While FDR and his administration felt that preparing for war should be at the forefront of domestic policy, Eleanor Roosevelt directly challenged her husband and continued to fight for the rights of the poor and minorities. Eleanor's interpretation of the role of first lady drastically altered what was once a social obligation into a high postion of power. Although her passionate stances on issues sometimes went against those of her husband, Eleanor was not afraid to speak up and was able to continue her husband's new deal legacy by overseeing the development of welfare and other social projects as well as improving conditions across the continental United States. Whereas FDR's focused predominantly on the war overseas, Eleanor kept an eye on domestic issues. She was a daring political figure who could sometimes be seen as a liability to her husband's campaign but all the while was working hard as a champion of this country's youth; a group that would continue to be influenced by her strength long after her stay in the white house ended.