Woodrow Wilson

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Woodrow Wilson
Image of Woodrow Wilson

Democratic Party

Education

Bachelor's

College of New Jersey

Law

University of Virginia

Ph.D

Johns Hopkins University

Personal
Profession
Academic

Woodrow Wilson (b. on December 28, 1856, in Staunton, Virginia) was the 28th president of the United States. He served from March 4, 1913, until March 4, 1921, after serving two terms in office. He died three years after leaving office on February 3, 1924, at age 67.

Wilson was known for his tenure during World War I, his negotiations in the Treaty of Versailles, his involvement in the creation of the League of Nations, and his endorsement of the Suffrage Movement after entering office. During his first year in office, he signed the Federal Reserve Act into law, creating the central banking system of the United States. Both the 18th Amendment (prohibition) and 19th Amendment (women's right to vote) were ratified during the Wilson presidency.[1]

Prior to his presidency, Wilson was the president at Princeton University and the governor of New Jersey for two years. Wilson was also an author, writing a biography on George Washington and History of the American People.

Biography

Timeline of life events

Below is an abbreviated outline of Wilson's professional and political career:[1]

  • 1856: Born in Staunton, Virginia
  • 1866: His education stopped and started, possibly due to his dyslexia
  • 1870: His family moved to Columbia, South Carolina
  • 1874: His family moved to Wilmington. North Carolina
  • 1873-74: He attended Davidson College, but stopped due to illness
  • 1874-1879: Wilson attended, and graduated from, Princeton University
  • 1885: Wilson married Ellen (nee Axson). They went on to have three daughters
  • 1887: He began teaching, including at Cornell University and Bryn Mawr
  • 1890: He joined the faculty at Princeton
  • 1911: Wilson ran for, and won, the governorship of New Jersey
  • 1912: He won the presidential election
  • 1913: He signed into law the Federal Reserve Act
  • 1914: Ellen died
  • 1915: Wilson got remarried to Edith Bolling Galt
  • 1916: Re-elected as president of the United States
  • 1917: Wilson declared war on April 2, 1917, beginning America's official involvement with WWI
  • 1918: Wilson gave a speech before Congress supporting women's suffrage
  • 1919: He signed the Treaty of Versailles and proposed the League of Nations
  • 1921: Opened a law firm after leaving office
  • 1924: Died from a stroke and other probable heart problems

Presidency

Among Wilson's major campaign promises were lower tariffs and restructuring banking regulations. By September of his first year in office, he signed into law the Underwood Tariff, which reintroduced the federal income tax and lowered tariff rates from 40 percent to 25 percent.[1]

While the legislation on tariffs was progressing through Congress, Wilson began his restructuring of the banking system. In an address to a joint session of Congress, he stated that banking must be "public not private, must be vested in the government itself so that the banks must be the instruments, not the masters, of business." In December 1913, he signed into law the Federal Reserve Act, creating and establishing the Federal Reserve System. Twelve private regional Federal Reserve banks were created and a national currency and monetary system was established.[1]

In the first few years of his tenure, Wilson's policy on World War I was to keep "the true spirit of neutrality, which is the spirit of impartiality and fairness and friendliness to all concerned." In May 1915, a German u-boat sank the RMS Lusitania, a British ocean liner. Among the passengers on the boat were 100 Americans. Another liner, the SS Arabic, was also torpedoed, killing two Americans. Wilson asked Germany to repudiate these actions. They proceeded to promise that "liners will not be sunk by our submarines." In March 1916, The SS Sussex, a French ferry, was torpedoed in the English Channel, killing four Americans. In response to concern from Wilson, Germany then pledged to keep their warfare to the rules of cruiser warfare. Wilson made offers to help negotiate peace deals between all involved during this time, however, after the German ambassador told the U.S. that they would continue their practice of unrestricted submarine warfare, and tried to recruit Mexico as an ally in the Zimmermann Telegram, Wilson delivered his War Message to Congress on April 2, 1917.[1]

In 1919, Wilson spent six months in Paris for the Peace Conference that eventually became the Treaty of Versailles. Within the Treaty was the charter of the proposed League of Nations, the precursor to the United Nations. Getting this passed by Congress in America became an ordeal. It was never ratified by Congress.[1]

Elections

1916 presidential election

In 1916, Wilson defeated Charles Hughes (R) in the general election for the United States presidency.

U.S. presidential election, 1916
Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngWoodrow Wilson/Thomas Marshall Incumbent 49.2% 9,130,861 277
     Republican Charles Huhges/Charles Fairbanks 46.1% 8,549,700 254
     Socialist Allan Benson/George Kirkpatrick 3.2% 590,190 0
     Prohibition James Hanly/Ira Landrith 1.2% 221,302 0
     N/A Others 0.3% 49,259 0
Total Votes 18,541,312 531
Election results via: 1916 official election results

1912 presidential election

In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt (Progressive) and William Taft (R) in the general election for the United States presidency.

U.S. presidential election, 1912
Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
     Republican William Taft/Nicholas Butler Incumbent 23.2% 3,487,939 8
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngWoodrow Wilson/Thomas Marshall 41.8% 6,294,384 435
     Progressive Theodore Roosevelt/Hiram Johnson 27.4% 4,121,609 88
     Socialist Eugene Debs/Emil Seidel 6% 900,743 0
     N/A Other 1.6% 241,865 0
Total Votes 15,046,540 531
Election results via: David Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections

State of the Union addresses

Every year in office, the president of the United States addresses Congress on the present state of affairs as well as the administration's goals for the coming year.[2] Following are transcripts from Wilson's State of the Union addresses.

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Biography.com, "Woodrow Wilson," accessed July 12, 2018
  2. ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The President’s State of the Union Address: Tradition, Function, and Policy Implications," January 24, 2014
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