(1856–1924). A scholar and a statesman, Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the United States. Elected in 1912, he led the United States through the difficult years of World War I. Wilson emerged as a champion of international cooperation, believing that nations could find peaceful solutions for problems through negotiation. He was awarded the 1919 Nobel prize for peace for his role in creating the League of Nations. Early life and educationThomas Woodrow Wilson was born on December 28, 1856, in Staunton, Virginia. In childhood he was called Tommy, but after college he dropped the name Thomas. His father, Joseph Ruggles Wilson, was a Presbyterian minister. His mother, Janet Woodrow, was born in England to Scottish parents. The Wilsons moved to Augusta, Georgia, when Tommy was a year old. As a child Tommy was taught by his father. He developed strong interests in politics and literature. In 1873 he entered Davidson College in North Carolina. He did poorly there and left after a year. In 1875 he enrolled at Princeton University, then known as the College of New Jersey. There he was much more successful. He studied the art of public speaking and was active in the college debating society. After graduating from Princeton in 1879 Wilson studied law at the University of Virginia. He received his law degree in 1882 and began to practice law in Atlanta, Georgia. After two unsuccessful years he gave up his law career and entered Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. There he studied government and history, earning a degree in 1886. Marriage and familyIn 1885 Wilson married Ellen Louise Axson, the daughter of a minister from Georgia. They had three daughters, Margaret, Jessie, and Eleanor. The marriage was warm and happy. Ellen's death in August 1914 left Wilson lonely and depressed. Soon, however, he met and courted Edith Bolling Galt. They married in December 1915. Academic careerWilson began his career as an educator at age 29. From 1885 to 1890 he taught history and political science, first at Bryn Mawr College and then at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. In 1890 he returned to Princeton University, soon becoming the school's most popular professor. In 1902 Wilson was chosen to be president of Princeton. He won considerable notice for the reforms he introduced there. During his academic career he also wrote several books and many essays. Political careerIn 1910 Wilson resigned from Princeton and was elected governor of New Jersey. His bold and progressive reforms in this office earned him a national reputation. In 1912 he won the Democratic nomination for president of the United States. Wilson faced two opponents in the election because of a split in the Republican Party. President William Howard Taft was the Republican candidate. Former Republican president Theodore Roosevelt was the candidate of the new Progressive Party. Wilson won the election with 435 electoral votes to Roosevelt's 88 and Taft's 8. The presidencyWilson called his presidential program the “New Freedom.” He was convinced that strong presidential leadership was necessary for progress. Therefore he went further than any other president in forcing his wishes on Congress. Unlike previous presidents, he sometimes appeared before Congress to present his programs in person. Domestic affairsWilson's approach led to a mass of progressive legislation unequaled in any administration up to that time. The Underwood Tariff Act reduced taxes on imports and introduced an income tax. Another law created the Federal Reserve System, which remains the most powerful government agency in economic affairs. The Clayton Antitrust Act strengthened existing laws against big business combinations known as monopolies. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission was set up to oversee business practices. Wilson also introduced laws to prohibit child labor and to allow government loans to farmers, among other reforms. Intervention in Latin AmericaForeign affairs were a challenge for Wilson from the start of his presidency. Latin America was the first trouble spot. Events in Mexico were a continual source of difficulty for Wilson. In 1913 an uprising began there when Victoriano Huerta seized power and set up a dictatorship. Wilson refused to accept Huerta's government and supported forces that rebelled against it. In 1916, however, the Mexican rebel Pancho Villa crossed the border and raided Columbus, New Mexico, killing 17 Americans. Wilson then sent an expedition into Mexico under Gen. John J. Pershing. The U.S. forces failed to catch Villa and were withdrawn in 1917. Wilson also sent troops to occupy Haiti and the Dominican Republic. World War IAnother trouble spot was Europe. In August 1914 the continent plunged into war (see World War I). For two years Wilson made every effort to keep the United States neutral. In 1916 he was reelected, partly because he had kept the country out of the war. After the election Wilson tried to end the war through peace negotiations. In early 1917, however, the Germans began unrestricted submarine warfare, which included attacking neutral ships. On April 2, 1917, the president asked Congress for a declaration of war. He announced that “the world must be made safe for democracy.” Four days later the United States was at war. Wilson acted fast to send help to the Allied forces fighting the Germans. In May 1917 Congress passed the Selective Service Act, which gave the government the right to call U.S. citizens for military service. The United States sent 2 million soldiers to France. The boost given to the Allies by the United States helped defeat the Germans. The war ended on November 11, 1918. Battle for the peace treatyIn January 1918 Wilson had announced Fourteen Points as the basis for a peace settlement. Among them was his proposal for a league of nations to settle international disputes and maintain peace. Determined to keep his promises, Wilson attended the peace conference in Paris after the war. The talks went on for seven months. The result was the Treaty of Versailles, signed in June 1919. Many of Wilson's ideas were left out of the agreement, but it did include the Covenant (constitution) of the League of Nations. Wilson returned from the peace conference exhausted and in poor health. When he presented the peace treaty to the Senate, Republican lawmakers rejected it. They were especially opposed to the League of Nations. Wilson then toured the country seeking public support for the treaty. The strain destroyed his health, and he collapsed late in September 1919. A stroke in October left him partially paralyzed. Wilson never again fully functioned as president. The treaty was defeated in Congress early in 1920. The League of Nations held its first meeting in November 1920 without U.S. involvement. Wilson lived in Washington for almost three years after leaving office in March 1921. He died in his sleep on February 3, 1924. |