Woodrow Wilson
In 1856, a child named Woodrow Wilson stood near the front gate of his family's parsonage in Augusta, Georgia. He was three years old when he heard a passerby announce that Abraham Lincoln had been elected and that a war was coming. This moment marked the beginning of a life shaped by the American Civil War. His father served as a Presbyterian pastor who identified with the Southern United States during the conflict. Wilson grew up in the South as one of only two U.S. presidents to be a citizen of the Confederate States of America. The other president with this distinction was John Tyler, who served from 1841 to 1845. Before he turned two, the family moved from Staunton, Virginia, to Augusta. There, Wilson attended Davidson College briefly before transferring to the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton University. He studied political philosophy and history while joining the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. He also became managing editor of the student newspaper and president of the school's baseball association.
After graduating from Princeton in 1879, Wilson enrolled at the University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville. Poor health forced him to withdraw, but he continued studying law on his own while living with his parents in Wilmington, North Carolina. In late 1883, he joined Johns Hopkins University for doctoral studies. He wrote Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics, which critics called "the best critical writing on the American constitution since the Federalist papers." In 1886, Wilson received a Ph.D. in history and government, making him the only U.S. president to hold such a degree. He taught at Bryn Mawr College from 1885 to 1888, then accepted a position at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. In February 1890, he became Chair of Jurisprudence and Political Economy at the College of New Jersey with an annual salary of $3,000. By June 1902, Princeton trustees promoted Professor Wilson to president after perceiving his predecessor as inefficient. He lived in Prospect House on campus and aimed to transform students into thinking men through academic departments and core requirements.
By January 1910, James Smith Jr. and George Brinton McClellan Harvey had identified Wilson as a potential gubernatorial candidate for New Jersey. Party leaders believed his academic reputation made him ideal against trusts and corruption. On the 20th of October 1910, Wilson submitted his resignation letter to Princeton University. He soundly defeated Republican Vivian M. Lewis by more than 65,000 votes despite Republicans carrying the state in 1908. As governor, Wilson won passage of the Geran bill requiring primaries for all elective offices. He also passed corrupt practices laws limiting campaign expenditures and prohibiting corporate contributions. A workers' compensation law aided families of injured or killed workers. Before leaving office, Wilson oversaw free dental clinics and enacted a comprehensive poor law. He standardized trained nursing and abolished contract labor in reformatories. Railroads were compelled to pay employees twice monthly. In early 1912, Republicans took control of the state assembly, yet Wilson vetoed many bills while passing reforms restricting child labor and increasing factory safety standards.
In April 1913, Wilson delivered his first State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress, becoming the first president since John Adams to do so in person. His Revenue Act of 1913 reduced tariffs and replaced lost revenue with a federal income tax of one percent on incomes above $3,000. This affected only the richest three percent of the population. The Senate voted 44 to 37 in favor of the bill signed into law on the 3rd of October 1913. By 1915, the Federal Reserve System began operations after Congress approved the Federal Reserve Act by 54 votes to 34. This system created twelve regional banks controlled by private interests but placed a central board under presidential appointees. One month later, Wilson signed the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 following the Federal Trade Commission Act. These laws banned discriminatory pricing and interlocking directorates. In 1916, Congress passed the Keating-Owen Act making it illegal to ship goods made by children under specified ages across state lines. Southern Democrats opposed but did not filibuster. The Supreme Court struck down this law in Hammer v. Dagenhart in 1918.
World War I broke out in July 1914 between Central Powers and Allied Powers. From 1914 until early 1917, Wilson's primary objective was keeping the United States out of war while brokering peace. In May 1915, a German submarine torpedoed the RMS Lusitania killing 1,198 passengers including 128 American citizens. Wilson demanded Germany prevent recurrence of such incidents. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan resigned believing Wilson prioritized trade rights over neutrality. In March 1916, an unarmed ferry named SS Sussex was torpedoed in the English Channel with four Americans among the dead. Wilson extracted a German pledge to constrain submarine warfare. On the 2nd of April 1917, Wilson addressed Congress asking for war against Germany following unrestricted submarine warfare policies. He stated Germany engaged in "nothing less than war against the government and people of the United States." The declaration passed Congress on the 6th of April 1917. By year end, nearly three million men had been drafted under the Selective Service Act of 1917. The navy expanded significantly, reducing Allied shipping losses through convoy systems.
On the 8th of January 1918, Wilson delivered his Fourteen Points speech calling for an association of nations called the League of Nations. This organization would guarantee independence and territorial integrity for all countries. Article X required members to defend each other against external aggression. After the Armistice of the 11th of November 1918, Wilson traveled to Europe becoming the first incumbent president to visit there. He met British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau, and Italian Prime Minister Vittorio Emanuele Orlando as part of the Big Four. Wilson presided over drafting the Covenant of the League incorporated into the Treaty of Versailles signed by him. However, he overturned Japan's Racial Equality Proposal despite majority approval because unanimous votes were needed. France's Ferdinand Larnaude immediately noted a majority had voted for the amendment. Germany was forced to cede territory, pay reparations, and submit to military occupation in the Rhineland. Wilson conceded allowing European powers to establish de facto colonies in former German and Ottoman territories disguised as mandates.
In October 1919, Wilson suffered a stroke that left him incapacitated. His wife Edith Bolling Galt Wilson and his physician controlled access to him during this period. No significant decisions were made while he remained unable to function. The Republicans won a landslide victory in the 1920 election after alienating German- and Irish-American Democrats. Wilson died on the 3rd of February 1924, at age 67. Historians have criticized his support for racial segregation within federal bureaucracy since 1913. They continue ranking him above average due to accomplishments like establishing modern liberalism through weakening corporate power. Conservatives criticize expanding federal government size while others praise breaking up large corporations. During his second marriage to Edith Galt in December 1915, Wilson became only the third president to marry while in office after John Tyler and Grover Cleveland. Ellen Axson Wilson, his first wife, died the 6th of August 1914, from Bright's disease causing deep depression in her husband.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When was Woodrow Wilson born and where did he grow up?
Woodrow Wilson was born in 1856 near the front gate of his family's parsonage in Augusta, Georgia. He grew up in the South as one of only two U.S. presidents to be a citizen of the Confederate States of America.
What unique academic degree does Woodrow Wilson hold among all U.S. presidents?
Woodrow Wilson received a Ph.D. in history and government from Johns Hopkins University in 1886, making him the only U.S. president to hold such a degree. He wrote Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics before earning this doctorate.
How many times did Woodrow Wilson get married during his presidency?
Woodrow Wilson became only the third president to marry while in office after John Tyler and Grover Cleveland. His second marriage to Edith Galt took place in December 1915 following the death of his first wife Ellen Axson Wilson on the 6th of August 1914.
Which major legislation did Woodrow Wilson sign into law on the 3rd of October 1913?
The Senate voted 44 to 37 in favor of the Revenue Act of 1913 signed into law by Woodrow Wilson on the 3rd of October 1913. This act reduced tariffs and replaced lost revenue with a federal income tax of one percent on incomes above $3,000.
When did Woodrow Wilson die and what caused his final years of incapacity?
Woodrow Wilson died on the 3rd of February 1924 at age 67 after suffering a stroke in October 1919 that left him incapacitated. His wife Edith Bolling Galt Wilson and his physician controlled access to him during this period so no significant decisions were made.