Woodrow Wilson

Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the United States. He served from 1913 to 1921. Wilson was the only Democrat president during a time called the Progressive Era, when Republicans usually held the office.

Wilson led the United States during World War I. He helped create the League of Nations to encourage peace between countries.

Wilson was born in Staunton, Virginia and grew up in the Southern United States during the American Civil War. He studied history and political science. He later became president of Princeton University. Before becoming president, he was the governor of New Jersey and helped pass reforms to improve government.

In the 1912 election, Wilson won against two famous presidents, William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt. This made him the first Southerner to become president in many years. During his time in office, Wilson worked on changes to help the economy and workers. He tried to keep the United States neutral when World War I began but later led the country into the war after Germany attacked American ships.

After Wilson had a stroke in 1919, his wife and doctor helped take care of him. He did not run for another term. Wilson passed away in 1924. Many people still see him as a successful president for the changes he made.

Early life and education

Main article: Early life and academic career of Woodrow Wilson

Thomas Woodrow Wilson was born into a family of Scotch-Irish and Scottish descent in Staunton, Virginia. He was one of four children and the first son of Joseph Ruggles Wilson and Jessie Janet Woodrow. Wilson's family moved often during his childhood, living in places like Augusta, Georgia, and Columbia, South Carolina.

Wilson studied at Princeton University, where he took part in many school activities. After graduating, he tried studying law but decided to focus on history and political science instead. He earned a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University, becoming the only U.S. president to hold a doctoral degree. His book on American government was well praised for its ideas.

Marriage and family

In 1883, Woodrow Wilson met and fell in love with Ellen Louise Axson. They got married in 1885 after she finished her studies at the Art Students League of New York. Ellen learned German to help Wilson with his work.

The couple had three children: Margaret, Jessie, and Eleanor. Later, Jessie married Francis Bowes Sayre Sr., and Eleanor married William Gibbs McAdoo, who served as the U.S. secretary of the treasury during Wilson's time as president.

Academic career

From 1885 to 1888, Wilson taught at Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. He taught subjects like ancient history, American history, and political science. During this time, Wilson wrote an article called "The Study of Administration" which said that managing public services should be a special area of study.

Wilson then taught at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. He taught advanced courses, coached the football team, and started a debate team. In 1890, Wilson became a professor at the College of New Jersey, which later became Princeton University. He became known as a strong speaker and teacher. Wilson wrote books on history and politics that were used in many colleges. He believed governments should help people by setting rules to keep workplaces safe and fair.

In 1902, Wilson became the president of Princeton University. He wanted to improve the school by raising standards and changing how students learned. He introduced new ways to organize learning and started raising money for these changes. However, some of his ideas were not accepted by everyone. Over time, Wilson felt frustrated by the resistance to his plans and started thinking about running for public office instead.

Governor of New Jersey (1911–1913)

Further information: 1910 New Jersey gubernatorial election

In 1910, Woodrow Wilson got noticed by leaders in New Jersey's Democratic Party. They thought he would be a good candidate for governor because of his strong reputation. Wilson agreed to run only if they asked him without making any promises.

Wilson won the election and became governor in 1911. He worked hard to make changes in New Jersey. He focused on staying independent from party leaders. He helped pass important laws, such as requiring primaries for elections and setting rules for campaign spending. Wilson also supported laws to help workers and improve schools. His efforts made him known as a leader who made positive changes during his time as governor.

Presidential election of 1912

Main article: 1912 United States presidential election

Woodrow Wilson became a strong candidate for president in 1912 after being elected Governor of New Jersey in 1910. Many people liked him because he stood up against powerful leaders and shared ideas from the Progressive movement. He had important help from advisors like Edward M. House from Texas, who helped with his campaign.

Wilson had strong competition in the Democratic Party. One rival was Champ Clark from Missouri, who had support from many party members. Another was Oscar Underwood from Alabama. Wilson worked hard to win support and promised the vice presidency to Governor Thomas R. Marshall of Indiana. After many votes, Wilson won the nomination, with Marshall as his running mate.

In the big election, Wilson faced three other candidates: the current Republican president, William Howard Taft; former President Theodore Roosevelt, who started his own "Bull Moose" Party; and Eugene V. Debs from the Socialist Party. Wilson traveled across the country giving speeches. He won with 42% of the votes and became the first Southerner elected president since the Civil War. The Democrats also kept control of Congress, which helped Wilson achieve his goals as president.

Presidency (1913–1921)

Main article: Presidency of Woodrow Wilson

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of the Woodrow Wilson presidency.

After the election, Wilson chose William Jennings Bryan as Secretary of State. William Gibbs McAdoo became Secretary of the Treasury, and James Clark McReynolds was chosen as Attorney General. Publisher Josephus Daniels became Secretary of the Navy, while young New York attorney Franklin D. Roosevelt became Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Wilson's chief of staff was Joseph Patrick Tumulty. The most important foreign policy adviser was "Colonel" Edward M. House.

Wilson introduced a program of laws at the start of his time as president. He wanted to improve natural resources, banking, taxes, and help for farmers. He worked on these ideas for the first two years. Later, world events took more of his time.

Democrats thought high taxes on goods were unfair. They passed a bill to cut these taxes and added a tax on very high incomes. This was a big change since the Civil War. Wilson signed this into law in 1913. It cut taxes and added a new tax on the richest people.

Wilson also worked to change the banking system. The United States did not have a central bank, unlike other countries. Wilson wanted a middle ground. A new system was created with private banks and a central board. This started in 1915.

Wilson also wanted new laws to stop unfair business practices. With support, new laws were passed to stop these practices.

Wilson thought a law about children working might not be allowed, but he changed his mind in 1916. After campaigns by groups, Congress passed a law to stop sending goods made by very young children. But the highest court said this law was not allowed. Child labor laws came later.

Wilson wanted the United States to let other countries govern themselves. He helped the people of the Philippines have more control over their government.

Immigration from Europe went down when World War I started. Wilson liked people from southern and eastern Europe and stopped some laws that would limit their entry.

Wilson chose three men for the highest court. All were approved by the Senate.

Wilson wanted a different foreign policy. He did not want the United States to control other countries.

Wilson got involved in Latin America. The United States took control of Nicaragua and sent soldiers to the Dominican Republic and Haiti. They also got involved in Cuba, Panama, and Honduras.

Wilson took office when there was a big conflict in Mexico. After some fighting, a new leader took control. Later, a man named Pancho Villa attacked a town in New Mexico. Wilson sent soldiers to catch him, but it caused problems with Mexico. Finally, the soldiers left in 1917.

World War I started in 1914. The United States tried to stay out of the war. But Germany attacked ships, including some American ones. In 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany. The United States joined the war.

With the United States in the war, Wilson wanted to build up the army and navy. He also wanted to make a group of countries to keep peace, called the League of Nations.

American soldiers went to France. The war ended in 1918 with Germany giving up.

After the war, Wilson went to Europe to help make peace. He wanted the League of Nations to be created. But not all countries agreed. The treaty was very hard on Germany.

Wilson had a big stroke in 1919 and was very sick. He could not do much for the rest of his time as president.

When the war ended, many soldiers came home, but it was hard for them. There were strikes and race problems. The economy got very bad in 1920.

Wilson supported women voting after seeing how they helped in the war. A change to the Constitution allowed women to vote nationwide.

Wilson was given a prize for helping create the League of Nations.

Wilson did not run for another term. Another man became president in 1921.

Post-presidency and death (1921–1924)

After leaving office in 1921, Wilson and his wife moved to a townhouse in the Kalorama area of Washington, D.C.. New leaders made decisions about the League of Nations, taxes, and trade rules. Wilson tried to start a law practice with a friend, Bainbridge Colby, but it didn’t last long. He also tried to write, creating a few short pieces with effort. He didn’t write his own memories but talked often with Ray Stannard Baker, who wrote a book about Wilson’s life.

Wilson’s health remained weak and got worse in early 1924. He died on February 3, 1924, at 67 years old. Many important people honored him at his funeral. Wilson was buried in Washington National Cathedral, the only president buried in the nation’s capital.

Race relations

Woodrow Wilson grew up where many people believed in slavery and wanted to leave the United States. As president, Wilson believed in keeping people separated by race. He did not want African Americans to be students at his university and made choices that kept jobs and spaces separate.

During Wilson's time as president, a movie shown in the White House had unfair views of African Americans. At first, Wilson did not speak against the movie, but later he said it was wrong.

When Wilson became president, many government jobs were already kept separate for different races. Wilson allowed his team to make more changes that kept people separated, even in offices, restrooms, and lunch rooms. This made it harder for African Americans to keep or find jobs.

In the military, African American soldiers faced unfair treatment under Wilson. They were often not allowed to lead and were given the toughest jobs. Even after World War I began, black soldiers were still separated from white soldiers and led by white officers.

During Wilson’s time, many African Americans moved to find better jobs, which sometimes led to fights between races. Even when these fights happened, the government did not help. Wilson spoke out against unfair treatments but did not take action to stop them.

Legacy

Wilson is often remembered as a good president. He helped make the government stronger to help people and made changes that shaped modern American ideas. His work influenced later leaders like Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Many people remember Wilson for his big ideas and changes, such as new banking rules and fair job laws. However, he also faced criticism for his views on race and some of his decisions. Today, many places and schools are named after him, showing his lasting impact.

Works

Woodrow Wilson wrote many books and speeches about politics and history. Some of his well-known works include Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics, The State: Elements of Historical and Practical Politics, and A History of the American People. He also gave important speeches, such as The New Freedom: A Call for the Emancipation of the Energies of a Generous People. Many of his papers and speeches have been collected and published in books like The Papers of Woodrow Wilson.