Born in 1856 and elected as the 28th President of the United States in 1912, Woodrow Wilson is one of the most interesting political figures of his era. Many can recognize his name, but don’t know a whole lot about this highly influential President. Here are some interesting facts about him that can help you get to know him a little more.
1. He Held a Doctorate Degree
Woodrow Wilson was the first president to hold a doctorate degree when he was elected into office. He got his PhD from Johns Hopkins University in the field of Political Science. He really was a pretty smart fellow. He also received his undergraduate degree from Princeton.
2. It Was About Freedom
Wilson ran on a campaign of making various improvements to the American society. There were three main areas of reform that he wanted to focus upon: tariff reform, banking reform, and business reform. In 1914, three bills were passed by Congress and signed the law by Wilson that help to accomplish the goals of what would be dubbed the New Freedom for Americans.
3. Wilson Increased Segregation
Wilson did a lot of great things, but he also had a very traditional view of segregation. When he was in office, he allowed all of his cabinet officials to expand segregation within their government departments to levels that hadn’t been seen since the Civil War. He believed that the minorities in America were trying to dominate the white majority and that they needed to be put into their place. He even supported the creation of a film that sponsored support for the Ku Klux Klan.
4. He Saw Neutrality As Good
What would become known as World War I started under Wilson’s watch as president. He had no desire to get involved in the war and was even reelected because of the fact that the United States didn’t get involved. When an American ship was sunk by German submarines, however, Wilson didn’t have a choice. Add in the fact that a telegram was intercepted in 1917 that was intended for Mexico by the Germans. The telegram propose that Mexico should go to war with the United States so that they would be distracted from the primary fronts. Mexico wanted to gain territories that it had lost and Germany was promising the aid. That made it impossible for the US to remain uninvolved.
5. He Suspended Part of the 1st Amendment
The right to free speech is often considered an American tradition. Wilson was concerned about espionage during World War I, so an act was passed that would limit criticisms about the government during times of war. Wilson also worked with Congress to make it a crime to interfere with the military in times of war, instituted the draft, and made it illegal to help enemies of the US.
6. Wilson Won a Nobel Peace Prize
Despite some of his views, Wilson wanted peace to reign supreme. He proposed a worldwide association of governments and the 14 points of peace that he laid out helped him to win the 1919 Nobel Peace Prize.
