Welcome to Part Twenty-Six! It’s time for the president who had a PhD, the one who led America into WWI. Let’s dive into the administration of Woodrow Wilson:
First inauguration- 4th March 1913
Woodrow Wilson was first inaugurated on this day on the East Capitol, sworn in by Chief Justice Edward Douglass White. The weather was overcast but mild, and was 13C/55F at noon. Wilson’s inaugural address was relatively short at 1,699 words. His address was optimistic but somewhat sober- ‘This is not a day of triumph; it is a day of dedication.’ Wilson did not find inaugural balls appropriate for the occasion, and thus there weren’t any.
Appears before Congress- 8th April 1913
Wilson appeared before Congress on this day. This was the first time a president had done this since John Adams in 1800, making it a big occasion. The subject? Tariffs.
Seventeenth Amendment enacted- 31st May 1913
The Seventeenth Amendment was enacted on this day. The newest addition to the Constitution mandated that senators were to be elected directly by constituents as opposed to state legislators. This changed not only regular elections, but special elections too. This had been fully implemented by the 1918 election, by which all senators were retired or running for a new term.
Signs Revenue Act of 1913-3rd October 1913
Wilson signed the Revenue Act of 1913. It had two purposes. The first was significantly lowering tariffs, the other established a 1% tax on those with an income of above $3,000 a year ($98K today). Income tax remains to this day (much to everyone’s chagrin).
Signs the Federal Reserve Act- 23rd December 1913
Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act on this day. This created the Federal Reserve, the central banking system of the United States.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated- 28th June 1914
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was assassinated along with his wife Sophie, by Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo. This bold killing ignited issues in a strained Europe, and was one of the catalysts that led to World War One/The Great War. The war would begin a month later.
Ellen Wilson dies- 6th August 1914
Ellen Wilson became the third First Lady (after Letitia Tyler and Caroline Harrison) to die in office, on this day. She had become tired in the lead up to daughter Jessie’s wedding and suffered a fall, but soon learned that she was terminally ill with Bright’s Disease. On the 5th August, the public was told that Ellen was dying. Ellen Axson Wilson died the next day, aged fifty-four. The Wilsons had been married for nearly thirty years. Wilson was said to walk around the White House, despairing aloud. Eldest Wilson and only unmarried daughter Margaret took over her mother’s duties, along with the president’s cousin Helen Bones.
Panama Canal opens- 15th August 1914
The Panama Canal opened on this day after years of development.
Declares neutrality in WW1- 19th August 1914
Wilson declared American neutrality following British, French and Belgian entry into WWI. He said: ‘The United States must be neutral in fact as well as in name during these days that are to try men’s souls. We must be impartial in thought as well as in action, must put a curb upon our sentiments as well as upon every transaction that might be construed as a preference of one party to the struggle before another.’
Signs the Clayton Antitrust Act- 14th October 1914
Wilson signed the Clayton Antitrust Act on this day. It was an important piece of legislation regarding business and labour. It banned price discrimination, anti-competitive mergers and anyone being a director of more than one competing business. The act also made strikes, boycotts and unions legal.
Lusitania is sunk- 7th May 1915
The RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German U-Boat on this day. The ocean liner, like all others crossing the Atlantic, had been warned of the risk of attacks in the area when she left New York on the 1st May. She was sailing off the southern coast of Ireland on the afternoon of the 7th, not far from where two other ships had been sunk the day before, when she received warnings. At 14:10, a torpedo from the U-20 hit her starboard side without warning. Within five minutes, the order was given to abandon ship. The ship sank after eighteen minutes. Only 763 of the 1,960 on board survived. Prominent people killed included theatre manager Charles Frohman, his friend playwright Charles Klein and businessman Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt. The majority of Americans on board were killed, leading to intense anger from the United States. The Lusitania was carrying war supplies, but questions remain over the justification for the sinking. Despite American entry into the war not occurring until two years later, it’s seen as a catalyst for involvement.
William Jennings Bryan resigns- 9th June 1915
Williams Jenning Bryan resigned on this day. A famed Democrat and Secretary of State, Bryan was concerned that Wilson would use the Lusitania as a pretext for entering the war. Despite his resignation, he campaigned ardently for Wilson in 1916.
Marries Edith Bolling Galt- 18th December 1915
Woodrow Wilson became the most recent president to marry in office when he wed wealthy widow Edith Bolling Galt on this day. Wilson had been introduced to Mrs. Galt whilst she was having tea with his cousin, Helen Bones. The two became close and Wilson soon proposed. Galt was conscious of the fact that Wilson had been widowed for less than a year, but still accepted. Rumours swept the nation that Wilson and Galt had been having an affair whilst Ellen was still alive, and the pain of it caused her death. They instead waited until official mourning had ended. The pair married at Edith’s D.C. home. Edith would become one of the most powerful First Ladies of all time, especially following her husband’s stroke. More on that later.
Signs the National Defence Act- 3rd June 1916
Wilson signed the National Defence Act on this day. This essentially put America on war footing by expanding the army, bringing state militia further under federal control and allowing the president to mobilise the National Guard among other things. It also created the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
Wins reelection- 7th November 1916
Wilson won reelection on this day. The lack of a strong third party challenge meant a narrower victory for Wilson. Republican challenger Charles Evans Hughes, previously a Supreme Court Justice, would have won if he’d gained California. Wilson had been concerned about a Hughes victory, as he was looking at entry into the war. Despite this, he ran on keeping America out of the war, which clearly helped.
Second public inauguration- 4th/5th March 1917
Wilson was publicly sworn in on the 5th March, the 4th March having been on a Sunday. The private swearing in happened in the President’s Room of the Capitol Building on the 4th. The public inauguration was once again at the East Portico of the Capitol, and Wilson was again sworn in by Chief Justice White. It was 3C/38F at noon, partly cloudy and windy. Wilson’s inaugural address was once again relatively short- ‘We are provincials no longer. The tragic events of the thirty months of vital turmoil through which we have just passed have made us citizens of the world. There can be no turning back. Our own fortunes as a nation are involved whether we would have it so or not.’
Declares War Against Germany- 6th April 1917
Wilson declared war against Germany on this day. The main reasons given were Germany’s continuation of unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmerman Telegram. The Zimmerman Telegram was a piece of communication between Germany and Mexico, in which the former promised the latter help in recovering its old lands if they helped their cause. The telegram was intercepted by the British, who decoded it and sent it to the Americans. Any question of it being a false flag was quashed when the Germans confirmed its authenticity. Both of these factors influenced a sway in public opinion towards war.
Signs the Espionage Act- 15th June 1917
Wilson signed the controversial Espionage Act on this day. It prohibited a number of acts, such as interfering within the war effort, publishing or distributing harmful information, false reports and statements, and promoting the enemy. Punishment included a $10,000 ($252K today) and a twenty year prison sentence. The Sedition Act was passed the following year, extending legal protection to the government, flag, Constitution and military, as well as other acts ruining the war effort. Famed third party activist and socialist Eugene V. Debs was famously imprisoned under the Espionage Act after criticising it, his sentence was later commuted. The Sedition Act was repealed in 1920, but much of the Espionage Act remains. Those charged under the act over the years include the Rosenbergs, Private Manning, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden and Donald Trump. The Espionage Act is criticised for its perceived infringement on freedom of speech and treatment of whistleblowers.
Armistice/Remembrance/Veterans Day- 11th November 1918
On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the guns fell silent as an armistice fell upon the world. Over four years, up to twenty-two million had been killed in what was one of the deadliest wars of all time. Around 116,000 Americans are included in this statistic. Whilst the guns had fallen silent, more was yet to come.
Treaty of Versailles is signed- 28th June 1919
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on this day- five years to the day that Archduke Franz Ferdinand had been killed. Leaders of many nations had arrived at the glittering Parisian palace to discuss peace terms. Wilson worked with the fiery French PM Georges Clemenceau and reserved British PM David Lloyd-George. Lloyd-George, upon being asked about how the event went, famously replied ‘not bad considering I was seated between Jesus Christ (Wilson) and Napoleon (Clemenceau). Germany was punished greatly, with terms including demilitarisation, banning the air force, reducing their army to 100,000 men, giving up all of their foreign territory and accepting full blame for the war. Views at the time were mixed, though Wilson was very pleased with the results.
Suffers a serious stroke- 2nd October 1919
Wilson suffered a serious stroke on this day. This was not his first stroke, but it was by far the most devastating. He’d felt ill during his tour of the United States, but had not not recognised the symptoms. This stroke debilitated Wilson, completely paralysing him on his left side and taking the vision from his right eye. Whilst it was said by some that his mind was still sharp, he was physically destroyed, and he nearly died of infection afterward. Thus began perhaps one of the greatest presidential coverups of all time, as I have previously written about. Wife Edith became ‘The First Female President’ with her astute micromanaging of his affairs, whilst Vice President Thomas Marshall was frozen out of the decision process. Wilson would never be the same again.
Senate fails to ratify the Treaty of Versailles- 19th March 1920
The Senate failed to ratify the Treaty of Versailles on this day. The vote was 49-35, a majority, but not the two-thirds majority needed. Wilson had faced strong opposition in the Senate from two groups. The first were the Reservationists, who would only accept the Treaty of Versailles with changes, such as only Congress permitting America to go to war. This group was led by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts. The second were the Irreconcilables, who opposed the treaty at all costs, especially in regard to the League of Nations. This group was led by Senator William Borah of Idaho. The Treaty of Versailles was dead in American water. The United States never joined the League of Nations, an organisation that seemed almost doomed to fail.
Nineteenth Amendment is ratified- 18th August 1920
The Nineteenth Amendment was ratified on this day. This was thanks to Tennessee, who brought the amendment over the two-thirds line needed to pass it. Women could finally vote on an equal measure to men (mostly). I recommend ‘The Woman’s Hour’ by Elaine F. Weiss on the subject.
Wins the Nobel Peace Prize- 20th November 1920
Wilson became the second of four US presidents to win the Nobel Peace Prize. He was awarded the prize ‘for his role as founder of the League of Nations.’ Ironic, considering America didn’t join it, but nice for him nonetheless.
Leaves office- 4th March 1921
Wilson handed the keys to the office to Warren G. Harding on this day. He had initially wanted to run in 1920, naively believing he could win, but eventually realised it was not to be. Wilson initially opened a law practice, but left after a day, unable to work. His poor health precluded him from a number of activities, but he attended Harding’s 1923 funeral and managed to get through a short Armistice Day address a few months later. Woodrow Wilson died on the 3rd February 1924, aged sixty-seven, of a stroke. His legacy is complicated. Historians and experts generally rank him at least above average. Still, he’s criticised for his extremely poor racial policies and expansion of the federal government. There seems to be a gulf between historians and the public in this regard.
That’s it for Woodrow Wilson. Tune in next time for Warren G. Harding, in which we’ll see him deal with naval treaties, Teapot Dome and a deadly trip.
