We are pulled periodically polled periodically to rate the president s. Wilson receives a high rating. A select country that embraces only lincoln, washington and franklin d. Roosevelt, in addition sometimes to Woodrow Wilson. Claimed wilsont was not one of the world men, but a great fiasco. Highly,ose who rate him there is almost nothing of the sense of admiration so often associated with the attitude displayed to other socalled grades. Wilsons greatness seems to come grudgingly. An acknowledgment of his accomplishments without an appreciation of his personal attributes. Thistempting to assess extraordinary complex individual by placing it threefold, first to survey his earlier its in an effort early years to gain an understanding of his philosophy. Second, to examine the significant events of his presidency, especially in the controversial area of diplomacy. And to discuss briefly some of the changing historical evaluations of his presidency. Wilson, Thomas Woodrow wilson, or tawny was born in stanton, virginia, the son of a military for military general. In the daughter of a presbyterian minister. Both the wilsons and the emigrated to america. They had no americanborn grandparents. All came from the British Isles and all were presbyterians. Shortly after his family moved toaugusta, georgia, he goes columbia, south carolina. His childhood was not a happy one by any means. Frail, homely child, and a left at models boy. In thenot set foot school until he was 14 years old. Later years he could only take refuge in jokes about his appearance, particularly about i am not a star, there are others more handsome by far. Perhaps the wilson familys black butler gave the most telling description of wilson as a boy. , set theung man the servant. Id his dad would say to me, dont you let him get into fights. But there was no danger of that. He was not the fighting kind. Well, what kind was he . A number of adjectives a pride adjectives apply to him. Reserved, truly ambitious. Despite poor health in a sheltered existence sheltered by mother and father, wilson embarq for princeton. 1875 began his college education. He became increasingly interested in history and government. All the while he became convinced he was destined for great things in this world but god had something for him. He practiced his oratory by speaking to the trees and by declaiming in front of a mirror. Sure he was a success that he had a number of calling cards that were inscribed commen inscribed, Thomas Woodrow wilson, senator from virginia. It was that time that he let it be known that he should have a more dignified name then tommy, so you should be called Woodrow Wilson. His collegiate career seems that be devoid of unless you count the fact he had his tenor voice in the glee club. Wilson had little interest. Was his natural home and he proved to be a very good student. That was accepted for publication by a leading journalist of that period. Thatditor that accepted was henry. You will hear more about him later in wilsons career, later in this lecture. And not with happy results, i might add. Following graduation from princeton, wilson entered the law. Rsity of princeton he felt it was the surest way to a political career. In his case it did not work out that way. He practiced law for one year in atlanta. Is legal career can be quickly summarized, he never had a client. He left atlanta to return home, which by this time was north carolina, where his father was serving as a minister. At the age of 26 he returned to school. This time to graduate study in history and economics at johns hopkins, where he received his phd in 1886. His doctoral dissertation was published. Quite precocious it was. Why the time he left hopkins he married helen. He was 28, she was a georgia bill whose background was as presbyterian as the wilsons work. Gross ofttled into the academia. Schools,at different then princeton where he offered 1890 to 1902. All the while he was publishing prolifically. Nine books and 35 articles. His reputation as a scholar continue to grow. Declined a number of college presidency. However, when the presidency of princeton became available in 1902, the university of board of trustees provided only one name, Woodrow Wilson. The excepted the unanimous offer of that position. Per citizen of princeton as president of princeton he did not institute any significant reforms. It revealed some flaws in his leadership capacity. Not the least of which was, a characteristic trait of viewing his own behavior in terms of a high moral crusade. Despite his success in the academic world, wilson was not content with his life. He clearly wanted a political aeer so you could fulfill longing to do immortal work. For, and which was surprising, governor of new jersey. To surprise to many who had voted for him, especially the democratic party, wilson turned out to be very progressive as foreign governor progressive as governor and was generally perceived as a conservative. Achieved a, Wilson National reputation as a reformer in new jersey and to your spent in 1912, when the president ial party was searching for a president ial nominee, returned at length 46 ballots at the convention i4 turning to scholar who was still a novice politician, Woodrow Wilson. The circumstances of the election proved the Republican Party was split nearly down the middle between the incumbent of william taft, and the incomparable former president theodore roosevelt, who having failed to get republican nominations, ran anyway as the nominee of the progressive, or sometimes called the bull most party. The two chief contenders that soontobe wilson. Voted for progressives. The main difference was in their attitudes towards the big issues at the time, which was how to deal with monopolies and trust. They differed mainly in that, believed thatvelt monopolies were not bad, but had to be regulated. He believed in regulation. Wilson believed that monopoly , butin it of itself, bad ill monopoly should be broken up. Its ironic that in the matter of foreign policies, which were soon to be paramount in the nations interest, it scarcely entered this campaign at all. When the votes were counted, was elected the 28th president of the United States, to embark upon one of the most significant administrations of that office. Before we turn to an examination of the crucial events in his tumultuous years, we should look at the forces of which influenced wilsons development, and which worked to a greater or less degree to determine his position as president. There was the fact that wilson was a southerner. He was the first person from that region to occupy the white since who, the person never got it, by any case, the person with zachary taylor, the civil war. It was pointed out later and he seemed to think of himself that he was not a southerner since he lived only a small part of his life in the south. Wilson liked to play with words and he replied, yes, which we must remember a mans routing is more important than his leniant. , which he his accent retained, and his love of southern food, this influence can be seen in a number of ways. Most significantly was his ttitude towards blacks blacks. We could consider him a paternalist. He treated blacks with a condescending affection. Top like anr amusing and a bit menacing. Towards menacing towards he felt they should remain on their proverbial pedestal. Opposing, for much of his but much of change, his career he was opposed to womens suffrage and their change. Wilson was a product of his southern upbringing. Wilson does not seem to be a have to have been overly influenced i southern is him. Spentrmative years were in the south in the turbulent era of destruction. One went so far as to say the civil war left scars and the souls of almost all southerners of wilsons generation. It left no scar in him. In his heart he is not a southerner, but a stanched presbyterian who was born in virginia. Strongly,e putting it but that writer is correct in it is far more important than southern sm and motivating wilsons behavior. That fact in that motivation, without question, his religion. Presbyterianism seemed to be on most literally in his blood. Came from hisal it may be upon the relationship between those two and woodrow and his father. It was an exceedingly close relationship during wilsons formative years. Suffice it to say that Young Woodrow virtually works as a man who viewed virtue is not incomparable. Elder wilson was much that the boy was not. , theg, handsome, forceful impact on his son was all of handsome. In particular, did the reverend mr. Wilson press upon young tommy the spoken word. Its a lesson that the future president learned well. Some might say too well. Became axpression single characteristic of Woodrow Wilson as it had been of his father. From his father did Young Woodrow derived his religious believes. He accepted the doctrines of presbytery and totally, including predestination. Unlike many young persons, and intellectual sorts such as wentlf, wilson never through a time of religious questioning. He accepted the faith of his father without hesitation or doubt. Throughout his life he prayed on his knees, morning and evening. He gave thanks at every meal. He read the bible every day. He read several in the course of his lifetime. The foremost wilson scholar, wilson believed in the omnipotence of god, the morality of the universe and the system of rewards and punishments. Mankind, he believed, live not only by the promise of god under his to credence. That god had ordered the anderse from the beginning got controlled history and use men for his own purposes. Senselice became a sure of destiny. The beliefs became a sure sense of destiny. My life would not be worth living if it were not for the driving power of religion or faith, pure and simple. Arguments are my life against it without ever having been moved by them. There are people who believe only so far as they understand. That seems to be present for us and it sets their understanding is the understanding of the universe. I am sorry for such people. Another casey said, i believe in Divine Providence, if i did not, i would go crazy. Quickr time he brought a end to a discussion about religion, so far as religion is concerned, argument is adjourned. I think not to label this point any further. Wilsons religion was not simply he tried out on sundays or on other appropriate occasions. It was his religious commitment which enemy which animated his reaction. Public and private actions, his Guiding Principles in life, and should be everyones Guiding Principles that he should be to show you are not afraid of anybody except god and his judgment. According to wilsons behavior, whether within his own personal behavior or within nations, was predicated upon a steadfast, and shameful belief in Divine Providence and upon his ability to interpret that. Another of his most prominent aboutphers wrote a book Woodrow Wilson in which he said, whenever wilson was committed to a certain idea, he felt that satan was his enemy. Whether this attitude was to have we will see this and do courts. Especially with regard to the contact conduct of foreign affairs. Like, surely was he was a man of extraordinary complexity to an extent that he is almost impossibly categorized. In analyzing his personality, contradictions abound. He was in many ways and intellectual, a man of ideas. Het is a person to the world was idealistic. Even one might say romantic. He was by nature an introvert, uncomfortable with people. Droveis great ambition him towards popular leadership. He was certainly not the typical political type by nature. He did not make friends easily and had trouble getting along for any length of time, even with friends he did make. His own explanation to this is worth quoting. Wilson said this in a letter to his wife. Sometimes i am a bit of shamed ashamed of myself when i big of how few friends i have. Lenny of people often me their friendship partly because i am reserved and shy and partly because i have a narrow taste in trends. I reject the offer in almost every case. Then i am dismayed to look about me and see how few peoples of the world know me as i am. Consequently we see a third contradiction, that is that as a man that was by his own admission highly emotional. Seemed to almost all observers to be cold, aloof and even arrogant. Cold someone told him, he gives me the creeps. The time i met him he said something to me and i didnt know whether god or him was talking. Wilson resented such characteristics quoted to command having said that i am only a highly developed intellectual machine. There is more to me than that. By his own assessments he claimed as though he felt that a volcano was often running within him, ready to burst. Embarrassment, these restrained emotions inside of me. He restrained him so well that he was perceived almost universally as cold and aloof. Respect,ould command no doubt about that, especially after he became the embodiment of what was a great noblebe cause. But genuine affection was something else. I want the people to let me, but i suppose they never will. He was right. If there was a complex character of a man who would be the nation of 1930 to 1931 for a credible for a critical time. Lets turn to an examination of wilsons presidency. We could deal fairly quickly with the domestic aspect of his administration, which is not to imply his accomplishments in this area were of no consequence. They are so significant that there is little controversy about them. Wilsons presidency constituted a full flowering of the progressive movement. Which began under the roosevelt. Permits only a great mention of the most important developments. Perhaps the most significant one lingering to this day was the creation of the Federal Reserve system. Given giving the nation centralized leads of control of the financial system. It remains the cornerstone of the nations Banking Structure unto this day. Then it was one of the primary progressive goals and every student of progress in sm in my test of progressivism in my class of progressivism in my class thought of this. Thought ofogressives taft and it was difficult to get it in a republican dominated era. He did not create free trade by reduce thebut he did overall duties to about 25 on average, which is down from 40 . Another progressive reform came to fruition during his presidency and it was the enactment of the first graduated income tax. It was approved by the 16th amendment. Matter ofe was the controlling their monopoly and trust. Another area of progressive concern. Wilson was helpful in that area. The antitrust act prohibits a number of unfair trade practices. Also the creation of the federal still,ommission, which over the years, has been in operation. The list of his accomplishments , giving loans to farmers or workers compensation. Maximum hour laws for certain workers, child labor law, so first and so on. So forth and so on. His record is unsurpassed i any by any, and perhaps lyndon johnson. Wilsonst was owing to own personal leadership. He believed the chief executive should take initiative and promoting legislative action. Even addressed congress in person becoming the first president since john adams to do so. Jefferson had practice and no other president s having done so. Gentlemen,adies and in short, if history were to judge Woodrow Wilson solely on his domestic accomplishments, there would be little controversy. It seems certain that he would be acknowledged as an extraordinary successful president. Such is not the case as you probably will know. The problem and the comment he made shortly before his inauguration, a comment that showed his ignorance in the world at large showed that it would be the irony of fate if my administration had to deal chiefly with foreign affairs. But, so it was. It may be safely said that wilson, at the time he took office had no inkling that the nation would be confronted with the enormous problem. There was the smoldering problem with mexico, a situation that his own actions helped to exacerbate her and we time to get into it. Was a any case, it relative problem. Of thewas ignorant threatening conditions that existed in europe at the time. He knew full well that the major nations of europe arranged themselves to align systems that might be provoked into a general european war. Believe such a war to be lightly. The words of the director for the World Peace Foundation in 1913 some up the prevailing attitude in america when he said, what should we say about great war in europe . Impending. Eat, ever we should say that it will never come. After all, people were reassured this was the 20th century. The barbarity of war was a thing of the past in the modern times of the 20th century. You may know it happened the next month. But in july of 1914 the New York Times proclaimed that war is to dreadful for imagining. And because it is too dreadful it cannot happen. The twice defeated president ial candidate, then served as wilsons secretary of state, he said that he believed there would be no war while he was secretary of state and no war as long as he lived. But this was the view to which wilson ascribed, but it was not of 1914,ause august the assassination of the hungarian throne is seemingly insignificant event in the grand theme of things, but touched off a general european war on a scale unprecedented in the history of mankind. Most americans are shocked by the ward. They will set it was no concern of ours. Ofson issued a proclamation neutrality, asking the American People to remain neutral. Perhaps he believed that was possible, but it was not. It was about this time that his first wife ellen died. And about a year and a half a widow by thed name of edith. Many factors that pulled the u. S. Into the war on the side of the allies. There was a kinship with england , obviously language, customs and so forth. Wilson was an unabashed anglo, then there were traditional tires going back to the time of lafayette. In contrast, there was generally a negative public view of germany. As beingiewed it overly militaristic. Then the more cynical people thought that our entry into the world was economic, that is to on, as time went neutrality was weak enough and the idea was that in order to make sure it was repaid, we had it to we had to make sure the allies won the war. They are some of the reasons that neutrality eventually proved to be impossible. , submarines uboats that prompted american intervention. L