Friday, December 26, 2008

WOODROW WILSON, 28TH PRESIDENT - Woodrow Wilson was sworn in as the 28th U.S. President on March 4, 1913. He went on to serve two terms as President, including serving as President during World War I. Despite being a Democrat and thus from the opposite party as Theodore Roosevelt, he carried on the progressive policies and agenda of Theodore Roosevelt. At the end of World War I, he also was the principal individual that led the fight for the creation of the League of Nations, but was unable to convince the U.S. Senate to approve the U.S. joining the League. While on a train trip across the country to convince the public to support legislation to approve the U.S. joining the League of Nations, he suffered a stroke which he never fully recovered from. While incapacited from the stroke, his second wife, Edith Wilson, secretly handled many of the duties of President for her husband. Despite his failure to win support for the U.S. joining the League of Nations, he is often nevertheless credited with being one of our near-great presidents for his efforts toward world peace. The 19th amendment giving women the right to vote was also passed during his presidency. The greatest criticism of his presidency was his support of racial segregation.