Woodrow Wilson
| Woodrow Wilson | |
|---|---|
| 200px | |
| 28th President of the United States | |
| Term of office March 4, 1913 - March 4, 1921[1] | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Vice President | Thomas R. Marshall |
| Preceded by | William Howard Taft |
| Succeeded by | Warren G. Harding |
| Born | December 28, 1856 Staunton, Virginia |
| Died | February 3, 1924 Washington, D.C. |
| Spouse | Ellen Axson Wilson Edith Galt Wilson |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
Woodrow Wilson (born Thomas Woodrow Wilson; (1856 - 1924) was elected as a Democrat as the 28th President of the United States of America, and reelected in 1916, serving from 1913 to 1921. An intellectual leader of the Progressive Movement, Wilson demonstrated his mastery over Congress by creating the Federal Reserve System, lowering the tariff, and revising the antitrust laws. Trying repeatedly and failing to broker peace during World War I, Wilson in 1917 led the United States' into the war. Wilson played a dominant role in ending the war with his Fourteen Points and played the centrol role at the Versailles Conference that set the peace terms in 1919. He failed to obtain Senate approval for the Versailles treaty because it required American entry into the League of Nations.
Wilson's idealistic foreign policy, called "Wilsonianism" sought to end militarism as a force in world affairs, vigorously promote national self determination, create international bodies to head off serious disputes, and use American resources to promote democracy. Wilsonianism (and "idealism" generally) is opposed to "realism" in foreign policy, which stresses a concern for American self-interest, especially in economic and military terms. Wilsonianism has been a major feature of the foreign policy of George W. Bush (2001-present).
Family
Woodrow Wilson was the son of Joseph Ruggles Wilson, born in Ohio, his mother Jedsse was born in Carlisle, England, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister. His father, a Presbyterian minister of Scotch Irish descent, was a leader of the Southern Presbyterian Church and an avid supporter of the Confederacy. Woodrow's grandfather and uncles in Ohio were antislavery Republicans, but he had no contact with them. Woodrow grew up in the South during the Civil War and reconstruction. Because of this he knew a great deal about the humiliation, economic ruin and shame that the loser of a war experiences and the hatred that grows from this. This insight helped him make a forgiving plan for peace called the Fourteen Points to end World War I. It was never adopted the way he had hoped. Wilson was educated at Princeton and Johns Hopkins University; he was the only president to earn a PhD.
Wilson and religion
"Wilson, a liberal's liberal, was a Presbyterian elder who read the Bible daily; he felt 'sorry for the men who do not read the Bible every day.' The Bible, he argued, was 'the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life.' Wilson was prone to make explicitly Christian claims about his nation, even excluding the word Judeo from his characterization of the nation's religious heritage. 'America was born a Christian nation,' claimed the great liberal in 1913. 'America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture.' "[2]
Wilson also had this to say about the Bible:
"The Bible... is the one supreme source of revelation of meaning of life, of the nature of God and the spiritual nature and need of men. It is the only guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation.[3]
Democracy
Woodrow Wilson has come under scrutiny in recent years for his position on segregation, most notably within for federal jobs.
Woodrow Wilson's most lasting political philosophy was his view that democracy should be installed around the world. As a major player in setting the terms to end World War I, he helped to break up the Austrian-Hungarian Empire to advance his goal of installing democracy for each ethnic subpopulation. Similar independence was granted with the breakup of the Ottoman Empire. Many of these new nations were receiving self determination for the first time in centuries. Wilson's view of installing democracy worldwide has since been copied by the neoconservatives. Wilson was awarded the 1919 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to start the League of Nations.
Wilson's image appeared on the now-withdrawn $100,000 bill.
References
- ↑ http://home.comcast.net/~sharonday7/Presidents/AP060301.htm
- ↑ God and George W. Bush (New York: Regan Books, 2004), p. 175
- ↑ The Rebirth of America (1986), Arthur S. DeMoss, Pg. 37
Bibliography
- Link,Arthur S. Woodrow Wilson and the Progressive Era, 1910-1917 (1954), remains the standard history of his first term.
- Pestritto, Ronald J. ed. Woodrow Wilson and the roots of modern liberalism (2005) ISBN: 0742515176' argues Wilson subverted the ideas of the Founders by his progressivism
Primary sources
- Pestritto, Ronald J. ed. Woodrow Wilson: The Essential Political Writings(2005)
External links
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