MISTRESSES OF PRESIDENT FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT

This month - and next - here at MISTRESS MANIFESTO BLOGSPOT - we'll focus on two of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's mistresses. His marriage to Eleanor Roosevelt endured and was his only marriage - but one in which they were ill suited and very much went their separate ways, especially after she discovered he had an extramarital relationship. Eleanor was crushed and clearly went into a depression, suffering mentally, emotionally and physically, wasting away unable to keep food down when she learned about his mistress Lucy Mercer. Rumors that Eleanor was lesbian surfaced after she kept company with other women who were lesbian.

Though upper crust Americans loathed divorce and he and Eleanor were both from historical American families and very much upper crust, it's said that affairs were tolerated. One of the issues to consider is that at the time contraception was frowned upon, even banned by their Episcopal Church, and that Eleanor went into her marriage an innocent when it came to sex or family planning.  He wanted a large family. After six births and five children to raise, she and he very likely agreed enough was enough and refrained from sex. For her it was easy, for him not.  

Although sexual incompatibility or women worn out from child bearing are contemporary reasons why, it would seem that available contraceptives, legal abortion, and the accommodation of having other sexual relationships before and after marriage may help to preserve marriage today. They want soul mates.  Consider also that in the Roosevelt's day women's opportunities for income earning were limited and gender appropriate activities and roles were emphasized. FDR's mistresses in their relationships with him fulfilled traditional feminine roles of nurturing and assisting a man they admired.

One of FDR's mistresses came from the upper class, though living in "genteel poverty," while they were involved while the other came from a working class family but had acquired polish and poise. They were both employees.

Those of you who are familiar with FDR may know that he was our only four term president and he came into office at a time when the United States was in deep financial problems, after the Roaring Twenties, when poverty meant going hungry; wearing their best clothing purchased years before even middle class Americans were seen mining garbage dumps for food. It was 1933.

FDR is credited with establishing numerous projects and governmental benefits that are functioning today as a safety net, so to speak, to save Americans from ever being that desperate again, which his own class at the time considered a treason against his own. He is considered one of our greatest Presidents. FDR is also a fascinating character because, with the help of so many people in his life and a gentleman's agreement with the press as it was in his day, he hid a severe disability, the inability to walk due to surviving Polio which killed most people who acquired it.

Before we begin our adventure of getting to know these Mistresses, let's learn a bit about Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE : FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT MEMORIAL and PARK

HISTORY COM :THE GREAT DEPRESSION and ROOSEVELT'S NEW DEAL

Those of you who are interested in Presidential Mistresses may want to go into my archives of past posts using the Side Bar listings or the Google Search Feature on this blog.