Woodrow wilson biography summary

Thomas Woodrow Wilson December 28, — February 3, was the 28th president of the United States , serving from to He was the only Democrat to serve as president during the Progressive Era when Republicans dominated the presidency and legislative branches. He was the leading architect of the League of Nations , and his stance on foreign policy came to be known as Wilsonianism.

After earning a Ph. Wilson served as the governor of New Jersey from to , during which he broke with party bosses and won the passage of several progressive reforms. In the election , Wilson defeated incumbent Republican William Howard Taft and third-party nominee Theodore Roosevelt , becoming the first Southerner to win the presidency since the election.

When was woodrow wilson president

During his first year as president, Wilson authorized the widespread imposition of segregation inside the federal bureaucracy and his opposition to women's suffrage drew protests. His first term was largely devoted to pursuing passage of his progressive New Freedom domestic agenda. His first major priority was the Revenue Act of , which began the modern income tax , and the Federal Reserve Act , which created the Federal Reserve System.

At the outbreak of World War I in , the U. Wilson was narrowly re-elected in the election , defeating Republican nominee Charles Evans Hughes. In April , Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany in response to its policy of unrestricted submarine warfare that sank American merchant ships.