Woodrow Wilson The 28 TH President of the United States.

Woodrow Wilson

The 28TH President of the United States

Just the facts…..• His real name is Thomas Woodrow Wilson• Born December 28,1856 (in Virginia)

Died February 3, 1924• His father was a minister – family lived in

the south (Georgia).• Quiet child, smart, sticks to himself.• Lawyer, President of Princeton University.• Governor of New Jersey – forced reform

on the political machine in N.J.• Wins Presidential Elections – 1912 &1916

Wilson • Married Ellen Axson.

Couple has 3 daughters.

• Ellen dies in 1914

• Wilson is severely depressed after her death

• Marries Edith Galt (1915) – First Female President.

And now the dirt……

• The other woman…. Mary Allen Peck, (Bermuda) steamy letters…..

• Dyslexic, had to learn to adapt to read.

• Suffered from physical ailments; nausea, heartburn, constipation, and eventually his heart.

Discrimination against…..• Treasury Department and

U.S. Postal Service was not open to blacks.

• Wilson was a big fan of D.W. Griffiths movie: The Birth of a Nation.

• Wilson did not agree with Women’s Suffrage – but caves in to social pressure.

Major Policies Under Wilson

•Underwood Tariff (1913)

•Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914)

•Keating-Owen Act (1916)

•Federal Reserve Act (1913)

•Federal Trade Commission (1914)

Underwood Tariff• First major tariff

reduction since the Civil War.

• Free trade on wool, iron ore, steel, farm equipment.

• Federal Income Tax is created to offset the loss of money.

Sen. Oscar Underwood - Alabama

Clayton Anti-Trust Act• Restricted Trusts

• Listed specific things corporations could not do.– Can’t own shares of competitors stocks.– Can’t be on two boards of competing

companies.

• Designed to bring down monopolies

• Gives Unions certain rights.

The Federal Trade Commission

• It regulates antitrust laws

• Prevents price fixing

• Regulates any deceptive or unfair business practices

Keating-Owens Act

• Set new standards for child labor.

• Restricted ages:

- 14 for manufacturing

- 16 for mining.

• The Law is ruled unconstitutional.

• State/Local laws help limit child labor.

The Federal Reserve System• 1913: Wilson/Congress create

“The Fed”• This is the nation’s central bank• The Fed is a “bank for banks”

(if they need $)• The Fed controls interest rates

by raising or lowering the rate it charges to banks

• The Fed controls the supply of currency

Federal Reserve Districts

The Amendments

• 16th Amendment – Federal Income Tax (1913)

• 17th Amendment – Direct Election of Senators(1913)

• 18th Amendment - Prohibits Alcohol (1919)

• 19th Amendment – Women’s Suffrage (1920)

Wilson

The Video