An astute politician, dedicated feminist, and champion of the rights of minorities, Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the most powerful women in 20th-century America. In an age when proper ladies were expected to supervise the household, dine with the right people, and entertain elegantly, she established careers as a teacher, social worker, and reformer, started a furniture factory, and became a successful journalist. Forming a unique political alliance with her husband, she played a key role in the Democratic party and shaped many of the programs of the New Deal. She later became an official delegate to the United Nations, where she served as chair of the Commission on Human Rights.