Woodrow WilsonThe 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