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Wilsonian Progressivism
1912 - 1916
1a. Wilson & the Election of 1912
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The Election of 1912
Democrats are eyeing Dr. Woodrow Wilson for their candidate for president
Former president of Princeton University
Former governor of New Jersey
Zealous, eloquent, a strong leader, and good with people
Nominated by the Democratic Party
Wilson is running against William Taft, who is running for re-election for the
Republican Party
Also in the race is Theodore Roosevelt, who formed his own party, the
Progressive or Bull Moose Party
1a. Wilson & the Election of 1912
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The Election of 1912 was between two forms of progressivism
1) Roosevelt’s “New Nationalism” – campaigned for female suffrage,
social welfare, minimum wage laws, and social insurance
2) Wilson’s “New Freedom” – favored small businesses, free enterprise,
unregulated but unmonopolized markets.
Taft and Roosevelt split the Republican ticket, so they pretty much handed
the election to Woodrow Wilson who becomes the 28th United States
president and the second Democratic president since the Civil War
President Theodore Roosevelt
President William Howard Taft
President Woodrow Wilson
2a. Wilsonian Progressivism
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Wilson arrived to the White House with a clear set plan
He wanted to assault what he called the “triple wall of privilege”: tariffs,
banks, and trusts
Tariffs and Taxes – Wilson reduced tariffs and taxes and used public
appeal and eloquent speeches to get the people on his side
A new central bank – Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act, which
issued paper money and created the Federal Reserve Board to
oversee the banks of America and protect public interests
Anti-trust policy – Congress at the request of Wilson passed the Federal
Trade Commission Act of 1914, which gave the president power to
investigate and crush monopolies
2b. Wilsonian Progressivism
Unfortunately, Wilsonian Progressivism had its limits,
notably when it came to race and better treatment of
African-Americans.
 Southern-bred, Wilson was a big supporter of
segregation.
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2b. Wilsonian Progressivism
Unfortunately, Wilsonian Progressivism had its limits,
notably when it came to race and better treatment of
African-Americans.
 Southern-bred, Wilson was a big supporter of
segregation.
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3a., b. Wilson’s Foreign Adventures
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Wilson was far less imperialistic than Roosevelt and he rejected Taft’s
“dollar diplomacy”, but he still had his fair share of foreign exploits
He upheld the Monroe Doctrine by sending troops to Haiti and the
Dominican Republic in 1915
He purchased the Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917
His influence on Mexican-U.S. relations provoked attacks by infamous
Mexican outlaw Pancho Villa, whom Wilson would pursue by sending
General John J. Black Jack Pershing, a veteran of the Spanish-American
War.
4. World War Begins In Europe
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Due to military and imperialistic competition and entangling alliances in
Europe, a war breaks out in 1914.
2 sides
The Central Powers – Germany, Austro-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire
The Allies – Britain, France, and Russia
Americans felt more culturally tied to the Allies, so they supported them and
wanted them to win
Rich Americans such as J.P. Morgan traded and sent huge sums of money
to the Allies
American support for the Allies brings upon the U.S. the anger of Germany
and the terror of their new naval technology – the U – Boat, what we call
today submarines
4. World War Begins In Europe
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Wilson declares the United States to be officially neutral
Neutrality becomes impossible when Germany begins a policy of
unrestricted submarine warfare – basically sinking any ship that isn’t
German in Atlantic waters
They sank 90 ships during the war, terrorizing the Atlantic Ocean for anyone
who wasn’t travelling in a German vessel
1915 – Germany sinks the passenger liner Lusitania, killing 128 Americans
Causes a major crisis and brings the U.S. closer to engagement in the war
Wilson, doing everything in his power to maintain neutrality, talks Germany
into agreeing to the Sussex Pledge, where Germany would agree to leave
American ships alone
5. The Election of 1916
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While trying to maintain neutrality, Wilson ran for re-election
The Republican Party wanted Roosevelt to come back for another try, but
he refused to run
Republicans nominate ex-New York governor and Supreme Court justice
Charles Evans Hughes
Wilson wins re-election on an ironic campaign slogan: “He kept us out of
war”
The War To End War
1912 - 1916
1a. The U.S. Enters World War I
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Early 1917
President Woodrow Wilson wins a second term as president, but is
surrounded by a dark cloud in the form of world war
Wilson suggests “Peace without Victory”
He keeps his commitment to American neutrality and encourages the Allied
and Central Powers to negotiate a peace between them
Germans, pull back on the Sussex Pledge and begins unrestricted
submarine warfare and sinks 4 unarmed American vessels
Then came the Zimmerman Note – a secret telegram sent from Germany
to Mexico; an attempt to incite them to invade the United States
April of 1917 – Wilson asks Congress for a declaration of war and joins the
Allies in World War I
1b. The U.S. Enters World War I
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“It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war,”
--Woodrow Wilson
It would seem that the task of entangling the United States into a world war
would be fit for a man like Roosevelt, but it fell to peace-loving, scholarly,
Wilson
Wilson believed, however, that the war had a great moral cause
It was a war to make the world safe for democracy
Wilson also had high hopes that it would be a war to end war itself
Wilson encouraged Americans that this wasn’t a war just to for war’s sake in
his Fourteen Points Address, where he outlines his vision for world peace
In this address, he proposes the creation of an international peace
organization called the League of Nations
2a. The Home Front
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Just as important as mobilizing the U.S. military, Wilson needed to mobilize
the minds of Americans
The U.S. could not fight the war without the support of the people
Enter George Creel and the Committee on Public Information
His job? To sell America on the war and sell the world on Wilson’s vision
New laws were passed to discourage speaking out against the war
The Espionage Act of 1917; the Sedition Act of 1918 – limited freedom of
speech – Americans could not speak out against the war
Anti-war leaders such as Eugene V. Debs were put behind bars for simply
giving anti-war speeches
2b. The Home Front
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The war mobilization boosted the economy
It also triggered a massive population shift: African Americans begin
moving from the south to northern cities in search of jobs
Women were needed to fill jobs, and they would be rewarded in 1920 by the
passage of the 19th Amendment
All citizens were expected to volunteer for the war effort
In order to conserve and save food, many, such as future president Herbert
Hoover would grow “victory” gardens
People made “liberty” loans to the government to help fund the war effort
This spirit of self-denial and morality was what fueled the passage of the
18th Amendment in 1919 – prohibition – making alcohol illegal
Selective Service Act – instated the draft – almost 4 million men were
drafted to serve; and 11,000 women
3. Fighting In Europe
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1917 – The Russian Revolution – The communist Bolsheviks overthrow
the czar and pull out of World War I; this leaves Germany free to push
through the eastern front
The United States arrives in Europe in 1918 for fighting
Americans only took part in two major battles, but it was the bottomless
number of American troops that were ready for war that convinced Germany
to finally agree to an armistice (ceasefire) on November 11th, 1918
Veteran’s Day
53,000 Americans were killed in World War I
Russia lost the most – 1,700,000
Germany – 1,600,000
France – 1,385,000
Britain – 900,000
Italy – 462,000
4. The Versailles Treaty
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January 1919 – President Wilson makes a personal visit to France for the
signing of the Versailles Treaty.
David Lloyd George of Great Britain
Georges Clemenceau of France
Unfortunately for Wilson’s vision, world peace was put on the back burner
as George and Clemenceau were more interested in punishing Germany
rather than making world peace
The result – Wilson’s vision never came to fruition
The Treaty of Versailles became infamous, rather than famous – its harsh
treatment of Germany sets the stage for the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazi
Germany and is considered a cause of World War II
The League of Nations, which was the centerpiece of Wilson’s Fourteen
Points, would be very weak in combating the eventual rise of Nazi Germany
4. The Versailles Treaty
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January 1919 – President Wilson makes a personal visit to France for the
signing of the Versailles Treaty. This, at the time, was unprecedented as he
was the first president to ever travel to Europe.
David Lloyd George of Great Britain
Georges Clemenceau of France
Unfortunately for Wilson’s vision, world peace was put on the back burner
as George and Clemenceau were more interested in punishing Germany
rather than making world peace
The result – Wilson’s vision never came to fruition
The Treaty of Versailles became infamous, rather than famous – its harsh
treatment of Germany sets the stage for the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazi
Germany and is considered a cause of World War II
The League of Nations, which was the centerpiece of Wilson’s Fourteen
Points, would be very weak in combating the eventual rise of Nazi Germany
5. Failure to Ratify
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However, though he helped win a world war, Wilson had lost his touch
By 1918, the Republicans had captured the majority in Congress
After returning from France, President Wilson set out on a vigorous and
busy speaking tour to garner support for the League of Nations
September 25th, 1919 – Pueblo, Colorado – Wilson, with tears in his eyes,
pleaded for the people to support the League of Nations as the only real
hope in preventing future war
That night he collapsed from exhaustion
Several days later he has a stroke that paralyzes one side of his body
He spends his remaining days in office in feeble health
The Republicans led by Mass. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, a fierce
opponent of Wilson’s, drew up fourteen reservations, an obvious jab at
Wilson’s Fourteen Points
March 19th, 1920 – Wilson fails to get the 2/3 congressional majority for the
United States to join the League of Nations.
5. Failure to Ratify
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After his second term, Wilson retires
Though his vision was left incomplete, he was awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1919 for his efforts in building the League of Nations
The Election of 1920 approaches
Republicans nominate Ohio senator Warren G. Harding
Harding wins an easy election, riding on the unpopularity of Wilson’s
policies
Though Wilson’s Fourteen Points was arguably flawed in places, many
historians criticize Congress as being “tragically shortsighted” by not
approving the U.S. joining the League. Why?
U.S. involvement in the League of Nations may very well have
prevented the rise of Hitler and World War II.
President Woodrow Wilson
President Warren G. Harding