Woodrow Wilson Biography Essay

As a PhD and former president of Princeton University, Wilson had a bit softer of approach to the presidency. Wilson, like Roosevelt, was a progressive reformer, instituting federal institutes, such as the Federal Reserve and the Federal Trade Commission, but Wilson had quite the opposite ideas of war and conquest. Wilson was slow to enter The Great War, and only did so to preserve American life when Germany began targeting passenger ships carrying American citizens. When America entered the war and helped a achieve a quick, decisive victory for the Allies, he was hailed overseas as the “hero from the West.” His creation of The League of Nations, which was shot down by the Senate during his infirm years following a stroke, likely could have helped prevent further unrest in European nations that led to World War

Wilson abandoned the imperialist policy and brought to the White House a new way of looking at America’s relations with the outside world. Wilson believed that the United States was the most politically enlightened in a sense under god, he felt that people throughout the world had their right to choose their own governments. Wilson was only protecting people rights to democracy.

    Economically, Wilson followed a similar strategy by administering legislative acts and systems, such as working to lower tariff rates as well as to establish a new type of banking system. Following this effort to curb big business, Wilson tried to lower tariff rates by lobbying in 1913 for the Underwood Act, which would substantially reduce the rates. Because of Wilson’s efforts and perseverance in addressing the issue, “...the new president’s use of the bully pulpit, the Senate voted to cut tariff rates even more deeply than the House had done,” (The Americans 333). Wilson’s persistence in acquiring this reduction of tariff and a greater need to find a way to restore the money that will be lost by these cuts (Federal Income Tax) shows especially how Wilson has economically impacted the Progressive Era. Along with reducing tariff rates, Wilson also aided the era by establishing the Federal Reserve System.

Wilson's number one desire was to be loved by the people. He could not win as much respect as Roosevelt won, but did find some affection in politics. He had many limitations, but one of the most severe was his respect for tradition. Wilson, instead of trying to make the government better and newer, he wanted to imitate the government of Great Britain, with cabinet being more like parliament. One of his main criticisms was that the current government had no room for debate, or great minds like Calhoun, Webster, and Clay. Wilson was much more sincere then Roosevelt, and actually provided a display of the reforms he wanted to achieve. Prior to his career in politics, Wilson served as the president of Princeton University. He therefore had much sympathy to the way education was run throughout the country, and wanted reforms to occur. He felt students were not allowed to express their opinion freely enough, and called for a more democratic undergraduate life. Similarly to Roosevelt, Wilson was hostile to labor unions, suspicious of large trusts, and unaware of how to handle trusts. The "Triple Wall of Privileges" was Wilson's economic policy which required getting rid of the three obstacles he felt society was currently facing- the trusts, banks, and tariffs. And before Wilson left the White House, he made sure he handled every single part of the "Triple Wall of Privileges."

Woodrow Wilson was the president of the United States of America at the time during WWI. The U.S was content with staying neutral during the first world war and it proved to be extremely beneficial for them as they became rich. The economic surplus that came with being neutral was enough reason for the U.S to stay out of the war. They were eventually pushed into participating in the war and played a key role in the allies victory. The reinforcements from the U.S helped tip the scales in the allies favor in the battle against Germany in the western front. Despite the great impact that the United States made by entering the war, it took many unfavorable events to push them out of neutrality. Some of those events are detailed in the first image

He started a new freedom in the United States. Wilson passed the 16th Amendment, which gave the right of income taxes, and the 17th Amendment, which established the direct election of senators. Theodore Roosevelt pushed for the direct vote of senators and Wilson worked to make what Roosevelt wanted to happen (Document 4). Wilson also established the Clayton Anti-Trust Act, which strengthened the Sherman Anti-Trust Act (Document 5). Wilson strengthened everything that Roosevelt wanted to do. However, he usually could also see both sides to any argument. Therefore, it made the people think he couldn’t make a decision, or in many cases, the right decision. (Document

Woodrow Wilson and The Presidency From the beginning of the 1912 election, the people could sense the new ideas of Woodrow Wilson would move them in the right direction. Wilson's idea of New Freedom would almost guarantee his presidential victory in 1912. In contrast to Wilson's New Freedom, Roosevelt's New Nationalism called for the continued consolidation of trusts and labor unions, paralleled by the growth of powerful regulatory agencies. Roosevelt's ideas were founded in the Herbert Croly's novel, The Promise Of American Life written in 1910. Although both Wilson and Roosevelt favored a more active government role in economic and social affairs, Wilson's favored small enterprise, entrepreneurship, and the free functioning of

Some were not very successful like his idea of having a Council of Revision which was turned down by the delegates three times and was also the only one of the 55 delegates to make the proposition of having a president elected and serve a three year term. The delegates instead made an electoral college with a four year term which Wilson eventually supported even though it was not his first choice. Even with these differences they still kept Wilson’s proposition of having the new government be a bicameral legislature although they did not make the senates be elected by the people instead they are appointed by the president. Wilson was a big supporter of dual sovereignty and federalism. He felt that since the people were the foundation of the government they should be able to establish as many levels of authority as they wanted to. One of the main subjects that Wilson fought against alongside James Madison was the reservation of certain privileges to the wealthy and well educated citizens. He was in favor a strong federal

Woodrow Wilson, our 23rd president, became involved in a war that he did not want any part of. Wilson wanted to remain neutral and have peace as in his first term of office. During World War I Wilson’s roles in the war became well known in all countries. Wilson wanted peace more than anything else. In seeking for peace Wilson asked Congress for the U.S. to enter World War I. which may not sound like a peace strategy but Wilson felt it was the only way to stop Germany and gain peace. Wilson wrote his speech for world peace, Fourteen Points, that he was probably most famous for. He attended and played an integral part in The Treaty of Versailles. He was the founder of the League of Nations,

In the political front President Wilson felt a lot of pressure from Teddy Roosevelt which decided to run for another term. The Zimmerman telegram might have been that last thing that was used as the excuse or reason to get American support to ask Congress to declare War on Germany. Germany sent this telegram to Mexico asking for their support or allegiance in the war promising to give back to Mexico the territories of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The telegram infuriated the American people which allowed the President to gain the support needed to ask Congress to declare war. This War was pitched to the world and the American people as the war that would end all wars. The League of Nations a collective security agreement with the primary mission to maintain world peace was not even ratified by the United

In August 1914, Europe descended into war, without the support of U.S. Wilson refuses to get involve in the European conflict, until German forced Wilson to declare war on the central powers because of German’s declaration of unrestricted submarine warfare. When the war ended in November 11, 1918, Wilson negotiated a covenant for the League of Nation that he believed would sustain a world order. However at home, the congress rejected the League of Nations. Now, Wilson is admired by some scholars while hated by others. Some has praised him for his vision, while others criticized him for his impractical ideal.

After graduating from Princeton, Wilson entered the University of Virginia to pursue a career in law. However, he ultimately intended to serve the public and wondered about becoming a politician. He continued writing and speaking while at Virginia, where he was labeled a man of courage for publicly speaking against the Confederate cause before a crowd of Southerners. Wilson finished his law studies at home and opened an office in Atlanta in 1882 with a fellow University of Virginia alumnus. But the law bored Wilson, who decided in 1883 that he would become a writer and teacher. Appropriately, Wilson signed up for graduate courses at Johns Hopkins University in Columbia, S.C., a new school with a reputation for using modern teaching methods to instruct students.

Woodrow Wilson’s presidency was by many accounts one of the most successful in American history. Not only did his domestic affairs and reform policies give birth to the modern age of liberalism but his foreign policies would lead the United States to victory in World War I. This would in turn contribute to the United States involvement in world affairs.

To better understand the successes and failures of the 28th president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, it is essential to define the image he portrayed to the American population during his presidency. Many Americans and historians will claim he was a man of impartiality and the one who led America into WWI. He had a very solid influence on Congress for the many domestic and foreign affair policies he endorsed. The goal is to illustrate how President Woodrow Wilson ran his presidency in the eyes of the American citizens. This will be done by examining the many facades that President Woodrow Wilson exhibited during his term as president. Upon researching the events of President Woodrow Wilson, it is clear that he was significant in moving our nation onward and supporting the American people in every which way possible.

Woodrow Wilson and the Progressive Era 1910-1917 is the second novel in the five-volume biography of Woodrow Wilson, in which Arthur S. Link is the author1. As such it is recommendable for readers interested in the Wilsonian Era to read the other four novels as well. Professor Arthur S. Link immediately informs the reader of the books thesis in the opening lines of the preface, which reads as "this book represents an attempt to comprehend and re-create the political and diplomatic history of the United States from the beginning of the disruption of the Republican party in 1910 to the entrance of the United States into the First World War in