How Eleanor Roosevelt And JFK Turned Conflict Into Partnership
From Civics In A Year by The Center for American Civics
June 3, 2026 · 35 min · Season 1 · Episode 226
About this episode
The episode explores the unlikely political alliance between Eleanor Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy through a discussion with historian Barbara Perry.
Eleanor Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy don’t sound like a natural pairing and that’s exactly why we wanted to sit with this story. We talk with presidential historian Barbara Perry of UVA’s Miller Center about her forthcoming book, Reconcilable Differences: The Unlikely Political Alliance of John F. Kennedy and Eleanor Roosevelt, and what it reveals about political courage when your toughest critic is inside your own party. We start at Hyde Park and Val-Kill, where a single photo of Ele...
People in this episode
Guest: Barbara Perry
Topics covered
- political alliance
- historical analysis
- presidential history
- political courage
- Eleanor Roosevelt
- John F. Kennedy
Keywords
- Eleanor Roosevelt
- John F. Kennedy
- political courage
- Barbara Perry
- historical alliance
- UVA Miller Center
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: UVA’s Miller Center
Books & works: Reconcilable Differences: The Unlikely Political Alliance of John F. Kennedy and Eleanor Roosevelt
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