Today is (probably) our 28th president's birthday! So Happy 159th Birthday to Thomas Woodrow Wilson, the president who took us into (and saw the end of) WWI.
He was also president when the 18th amendment was enacted- so Prohibition cocktails all around for the timeline today.
Thomas Woodrow Wilson, aka Tommy, was probably born on December 28, 1856 in Staunton, Virginia. His mother, Janet- a minister's daughter originally from England- listed her son's birthdate as "Around midnight" (as a result some sources list his birthday as December 29th- but that's another president's birthday, so whenever it was, today was the day we celebrated!)
His dad, Joseph was a Presbyterian minister, and Little Tommy was the third of four kids.
When Tommy was 1, the family moved to Augusta, Georgia (our state of Georgia is MIA).
Tommy Wilson's earliest memory, from the age of three, was hearing that Abraham Lincoln had been elected and that a war was coming.
Though his grandparents published an anti-slavery newspaper, his parents had other views. His father defended slavery and even owned slaves. Joseph served as Chaplin in the Confederate army, and used his church as a hospital for injured Confederate troops. Janet, meanwhile, tended to the Confederate soldiers at a local hospital.
Oh, and little Tommy even came face to face once with a little guy you might have heard of- Robert E. Lee.
Tommy saw first hand the poverty and devastation in the south during the early years of Reconstruction.
The family eventually moved to Columbia, South Carolina- and the upheaval of the Civil War made Tommy's schooling pretty inconsistent. He was mostly taught by Confederate soldiers who set up primitive schools after the war, and by his father.
Not only that, but Tommy had week eyesight and possibly dyslexia, and didn't learn to read until he was 10.
Other than that he was a normal kid. He liked playing baseball, exploring the wilderness with his cousins, and he was a self-proclaimed mamma's boy.
Tommy went off to Davidson college in Charlotte, North Carolina when he was only 16. But, he was poorly prepared in most academic subjects, and sick all the time, so he dropped out after only one year.
A year later, he gave college another ago. This time at the College of New Jersey (we know it today as Princeton), where he was super involved and did alright academically. (He graduated 38th out of 167). It was after college, that Tommy decided to drop his first name, and go by Woodrow instead. He thought "Woodrow" was much more "impressive" than Tommy. I can't blame him.
He went on to do some lawyering -but he got bored, and decided to go to graduate school instead.
In his last year of graduate school he married Ellen. She was an artist (her stuff is pretty good, google it!), with "polished manners and strong character."
Woodrow earned himself a PhD in political science from John Hopkins University in Baltimore. To date, he's the only president with a PhD.
Ellen and Woodrow had three kids: Margaret, Jessie, and Eleanor.
For the next 15 years, Dr. Wilson taught political science (at Cornell, Bryn Mawr, and finally at Princeton- not too shabby of a resume.) He also wrote a whole slew of books, including a biography on George Washington! He's not the only president to write a book on a president! (Herbert Hoover wrote a book on Wilson!)
Woodrow eventually became president of Princeton University- and was all about transforming the old Ivy League institution into a liberal university. He took away lecture hall classes in favor of smaller classes, reorganized departments, and redesigned curriculum.
Eventually he was approached by the Democratic Party about running for Governor of New Jersey. Woodrow craved a career in politics (though he was aiming less for governor, and more for Senator- as a stepping stone into the presidency).
Woodrow agreed to run, as long as the DNC knew there would be no special favors, and he wasn't going to be their puppet. And once he was elected governor, he declared war on machine politics, garnering him some national attention as a progressive reformer.
By 1911, Woodrow had caught the eye of national progressive leaders, including our buddy- with multiple timeline appearances- William Jennings Bryan! WJB had already lost the presidency three times- twice to McKinley, and once to Teddy, and the Democrats needed a new fresh face, so they tapped Woodrow- who had only been governor of New Jersey for two years.
The Republican party was fractured- with Taft and Teddy, and if history has taught us anything - a party split in two is good for the opposing party.
The Schoolmaster, as he was called not only because of his education- but because he was extremely clever and a good communicator- won in an electoral college landslide, winning 435 electoral votes from 40 states. (Though his popular percentage was just 41.8%).
On March 4, 1913 Thomas Woodrow Wilson, at the age of 56, was inaugurated as our 28th president. He was the only Democrat besides Grover Cleveland to be elected since James Buchanan, and the first Southerner elected to the White House since Andrew Johnson (the only president I can't link to yet- his birthday is the last one... and it's tomorrow!!) Woodrow had campaigned on a program called the "New Freedom" (we will get to that in a second.)
A dyslexic, blind in one eye boy who didn't learn to read until he was ten was now president. (I am a sucker for those type of stories!) President Wilson was an avid baseball fan (he became the first sitting president to attend and throw out the first ball at a World Series game), a cyclist, a golfer, and an automobile enthusiast.
First Lady Ellen Wilson didn't throw a lot of parties- but when she did they were simple but successful (often inviting members of Congress to dinner and helping to get bills passed). She didn't have an inaugural ball, but she did throw two weddings- one for each of her daughters!
Ellen preferred to hang out on the third floor of the White House painting in her studio. But she was a popular, well liked First Lady.
Another person enjoying a Woodrow Wilson White house was William Jennings Bryan. Wilson appointed him as his Secretary of State. It was the only high ranking job William Jennings Bryan ever had.
In his first term alone, he (along with the help of a Democratic Congress) made more reforms and had more laws passed than almost any president before or since, tackling his goal of "New Freedom." In 1914, three bills were passed by Congress and signed into law by Wilson.
He created the Federal Trade Commission (still in place today and helps regulate the economy by controlling money supply).
He created the Federal Trade Commission (to keep business practices fair).
And he changed the tax system (to a graduated tax system).
He passed all sorts of progressive laws in his first term- some highlights include ending child labor, and limiting railroad workers to an 8 hour day.
Oh, and he is also credited with creating an official national Mother's Day.
But the Presidency is a lot for anyone, especially unwell man like Woodrow Wilson. In addition to his previously mentioned partial blindness, he also suffered crushing headaches that never went away, lived with reoccurring stomach pain, lived through a crapload of strokes, had random stabbing pains, and dealt with writer's cramp.
That didn't stop him from writing pervy love letters to Ellen though, which he always signed Tiger. (I know the weirdest things about presidents, you guys.)
Despite the fact that Woodrow Wilson photographed like an uptight miserable stiff of a banker, he was actually REALLY into women. Maybe because of the stacks of love letters, Ellen let his supposed fling with a woman in Bermuda go. But, maybe she was just preoccupied by her kidney disease. Ellen learned her condition was terminal- and two days after Woodrow was informed she wouldn't recover, Ellen died in her bed at the White House. She was the third first lady to die while her husband was in office. (Leticia Tyler, and Caroline Harrison are the other two).
At the same time Woodrow's personal life shattered, World War I broke out in Europe. (You know that little war involving 32 nations starting with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Just google it if you need a reminder.) Seeing first hand the destruction the Civil War caused, Woodrow wasn't about to get involved in the war if he could help it.
Ellen, meanwhile, was buried in an unmarked grave (for a year- until she finally got a marker).
Meanwhile, Woodrow didn't even wait until the body was cold to get remarried (which set off all kinds of rumors of adultery and even murder!). Meet Edith. She was a direct descendant of Pocahontas and John Rolfe.
Edith enjoyed the crowds and power of being First Lady more than Ellen ever did, and was often involved in political decisions.
A year after their wedding, it was time for re-election for Woodrow. He was worried about a reunited Republican Party- but ran on the fact " he kept us out of war", and beat Republican Charles Hughes, who probably super regretted leaving his spot on the Supreme Court to run for president.
Woodrow Wilson's second term saw the addition of the 18th Amendment (Prohibition) and the 19th Amendment (Woman can vote!)
But, WWI dominated his second term. German subs were attacking our merchant ships.
Then they sunk the Lusitania, a cruise ship with American citizens on board. It sunk in just 18 minutes, killing 1,198 passengers.
And we intercepted the Zimmerman Telegraph where the Germans were trying to entice Mexico to join them and attack us.
Those issues, along with some other economic and political issues- and Woodrow Wilson's hand was forced. On April 6, 1917 he announced "the world must be safe for democracy" and declared war on Germany.
American joined the Allied Powers, and our fresh troop and abundant supplies helped tip the balance to the Allies favor.
Oh, and you've got Herbert Hoover handing out food and sipping Gibson martinis.
Woodrow Wilson played a key role during the events of WWI, and he also drafted the peace plan to end the war. Cease Fire was issued at 11 pm on the 11th day of the 11th month 1918 and the war was declared over. America was not without it's casualties though. More than 117,000 Americans were killed during the war (and nearly twice that were injured).
Woodrow proposed a worldwide association of governments (The League of Nations) and issued his 14 points of peace (Come on, you have to remember Wilson's 14 points- it's still pretty famous!) . Those 14 points helped him win the 1919 Nobel Peace Prize.
Let's not mistake that peace prize for tolerance though. Wilson did a lot of great things, but he was also one of our most racist presidents. He had a very traditional view of segregation and let that spread throughout his cabinet, putting segregation to levels that hadn't been seen since the Civil War. He believed minorities in America were trying to dominate the white majority, and they needed to be put in their place (he also supported the creation of a film that sponsored support for the Ku Klux Klan).
He also limited first amendment rights, when he passed an act that would limit criticism of government during war (he was worried about espionage!)
Because of WWI, Woodrow Wilson spent longer outside the U.S. than any other president (it took six months to negotiate his peace plan), and by then Congress was full of Republicans rejecting whatever the Democratic president put in front of them.
Wilson was all about his idea of a League of Nations, but nobody else was behind it. Woodrow was exhausted, and his already shaky health was being tested. And the lack of support was just making him sicker and crazier.
Oh right, the craziness. Wilson was by his own description "impulsive, passionate and cold; a dormant volcano, placid on the inside, a boiling cauldron within." But when nobody supported the League of Nations, Wilson got angrier and angrier. He grew irritable and suspicious of even his closest friends, something historians attribute to brain damage from that crapton of strokes we previously discussed. He went days without sleeping and his brain started to deteriorate, which was only making him angrier, crazier and more stubborn. And his outside appearance started to line up with his angry crazy self.
Determined to win public support for the League of Nations, he decided to tour the country and give some speeches. His doctors, his wife, his kids- everyone knew it was a bad idea- but Woodrow went anyway. It went like you'd expect it to go for a guy who was just falling apart- physically and mentally. And then he suffered ANOTHER stroke--
--though some have labeled it as a Nervous breakdown. Whatever it was his daughter Margaret, and his wife Edith hid his illness from the country and basically ran the place on their own. The public had no idea just how bad off the president was.
His health had gotten so bad he could barley walk, his mind deteriorated so thoroughly he couldn't make decisions, and his demeanor was getting so nasty his aids began to resign one by one, having grow tired of the president's hurtful outbursts and personal attacks. It's obvious President Wilson would not be running for re-election.
Instead, Warren Harding, a Republican from Ohio who opposed the League of Nations was elected as our 29th president.
Woodrow retired/remained on his deathbed at his home in D.C. There he fantasized about running for a third term in 1924. But it was obvious that he wasn't well, and running again was a delusion. The guy was rarely seen in public, mostly blind, and partially paralyzed. He actually didn't even make it to the next election. He died February 3, 1924 at the age of 67.
He was buried at the National Cathedral, and is the only president not buried in one of the 50 states. (We've been there!) Edith lived another 37 years, dying on December 28, 1961- what would have been Woodrow's 101st birthday! That very same day she was supposed to be the guest of honor at the opening of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge across the Potomac River near Washington. (Fun fact: Edith was even present at the inauguration of JFK!)
Despite his failing health, his craziness and his anger, Woodrow ranks in the top 10 of presidents. Not only did he help shape the modern presidency, and make the Democratic party a party of reform- but his New Freedom deal wasn't too shabby either. Oh, and there's that whole thing where it could have been a lot worse for the US during WWI. (Oh and fun fact: He's honored on the $100,000 bill- even though it's not in circulation).
If you remember, our December birthday boys all have their own books.
We added some things to the inside. We've got some Woodrow Wilson fun facts.
His biggest presidential issues.
And his quote is one of my favorites.
And we put in all our props.
We made him some birthday cards.
Peyton every once in awhile still folds his card the wrong way. How has he not gotten this down? He's made 42 cards!
We did our owl mail.
And we did our historical hashtag: Whats the line of succession again? #EdithWantsToKnow
For our activity today we made a various poppy crafts. You know, poppies, a symbol of the end of the WWI (Armistice Day / Remembrance Day) - made famous from the poem "In Flanders Fields".
Everyone took a little bit different route, but they all used poppy seeds in the middle.
I think they turned out great!
We had a dinner of chicken salad sandwiches,
and we will be having strawberry ice cream for dessert- all Woodrow's favorites.
That my friends is it for Woodrow Wilson, the Schoolmaster.
42 down, only 1 to go. I just put up our very last presidential owl mail, and I'm SO excited about it, I can't even tell you. I don't usually boast about my accomplishments, but holy geez, this sure has been something.
Next Up: Tomorrow we have our VERY. LAST. BIRTHDAY! I will see you then.
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