Sara Delano Roosevelt was the mother of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. She was extremely devoted to FDR, who was her only child. She holds the distinction of being the first mother to cast a presidential vote for her son.
Roosevelt was born in 1824 into a wealthy family. While she lived overseas in Hong Kong for several years, she largely grew up on the family estate near Newburgh, New York. At the age of 26, she married James Roosevelt, a widower who was twice her age.
In 1882, Roosevelt gave birth to Franklin. When doctors advised her not to have any more children, she devoted all of her attention to her only child. Roosevelt did not approve of FDR’s courtship of Eleanor and tried to discourage him from proposing.
When Eleanor and FDR did marry, she gifted them a new home, building a connected home for herself next door. She also bought a summer cottage for the couple right next to her own on the island of Campobello. When Eleanor and FDR started a family, Roosevelt inserted herself into their family life as well.
Roosevelt remained a strong influence in FDR’s life, even after he moved to the White House. Although she was portrayed in the media as a controlling mother and domineering mother-in-law, many historians believe that her relationships with FDR and Eleanor were far more complex.
Sara Delano Roosevelt died in 1941. Following her death, FDR publicly wore a black armband. It can be seen in photos of the President signing the declaration of war against Japan. Meanwhile, Eleanor wrote that Sara’s “strongest trait was loyalty to her family. . . . She was not just sweetness and light, for there was a streak of jealousy and possessiveness in her when her own were concerned.”
