Wilson, (Thomas) Woodrow

Wilson, (Thomas) Woodrow (1856–1924) 28th US President (1913–21). As governor of New Jersey (1910–12), he gained a reputation as a progressive Democrat. In 1912, he unexpectedly gained the Democratic nomination. The split in the Republican vote between William Taft's Republican Party and Theodore Roosevelt's Progressive Party handed Wilson the presidency. His ‘New Freedom’ reforms included the establishment of the Federal Reserve System (1913). Several amendments to the US Constitution were introduced, including Prohibition (18th, 1919) and the extension of the franchise to women (19th, 1920). The Mexican Revolution brought instability to the s border and Wilson ordered John Pershing's intervention. His efforts to maintain US neutrality at the start of World War 1 aided his re-election in 1916. The failure of diplomacy and continuing attacks on US shipping forced Wilson to declare war on Germany (April 1917). His Fourteen Points (January 1918) represented US war aims and became the basis of the peace negotiations at the Versailles peace conference (1919). He was forced to compromise in the final settlement, but succeeded in establishing a League of Nations. Henry Cabot Lodge led domestic opposition to the League, and the Republican-dominated Senate rejected it. In October 1919, Wilson suffered a stroke and became an increasingly marginal figure for the remainder of his term.

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