Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the United States, serving from March 4, 1913 to March 4, 1921. A Democrat and Progressive reformer, he led major domestic changes and guided the nation through World War I while advocating the League of Nations.
Wilson's presidency brought significant progressive reforms: he helped create the Federal Reserve System, strengthened antitrust enforcement, established the Federal Trade Commission, lowered tariffs and introduced a federal income tax. His administration also enacted labor protections and regulatory measures that reshaped the national economy.
Internationally, Wilson led the United States into World War I, articulated the Fourteen Points and pressed for a League of Nations to secure a new world order, but the Senate refused to ratify U.S. membership. His record is contested: he expanded federal authority and wartime censorship and instituted segregationist policies in the federal government, outcomes that have substantially affected historical assessments of his presidency.
Established the Federal Reserve System (1913) and modernized banking; Enacted antitrust and regulatory reforms including the Clayton Antitrust Act and Federal Trade Commission (1914); Lowered tariffs and introduced a federal income tax (Underwood Tariff, 1913); Led the U.S. through World War I and proposed the Fourteen Points; Championed the League of Nations but failed to secure Senate ratification; Implemented segregationist policies in federal offices and oversaw wartime suppression of dissent
Key highlights and dated events associated with this presidency.
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Electors met nationwide and cast their ballots, formally selecting Republican Warren G. Harding as President and Calvin Coolidge as Vice President for the term beginning in March 1921.
President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation designating Thursday, November 25, 1920 as a national day of Thanksgiving and prayer.
President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation observing Armistice Day on November 11, 1920, marking the second anniversary of the end of World War I.
The November 2, 1920 presidential election was the first national election held after ratification of the 19th Amendment, allowing women across the United States to vote.
In the November 2, 1920 elections, Republican candidates captured large majorities in both the U.S. House and Senate.
On November 2, 1920, Republican Warren G. Harding won the presidential election in a decisive victory over Democrat James M. Cox, while Republicans captured large majorities in both the House and Senate.
A wagon loaded with explosives detonated outside the J.P. Morgan & Co. building on Wall Street, killing 38 people and injuring more than 140 in one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in U.S. history.
On August 26, Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby issued the official proclamation certifying that the 19th Amendment had become part of the U.S. Constitution.
Tennessee's legislature voted to ratify the 19th Amendment on August 18, giving the required three-fourths of states for adoption of the amendment.
The Democratic National Convention convened in San Francisco to begin selecting the party's presidential and vice-presidential nominees amid President Wilson's prolonged illness and absence from public activity.
The Republican National Convention in Chicago concluded with Warren G. Harding winning the presidential nomination (on the 10th ballot), with Calvin Coolidge chosen as the vice-presidential nominee during the convention.
Allied leaders convened at San Remo (April 19–26, 1920) and allocated League of Nations mandates—assigning Palestine and Iraq to Britain and Syria/Lebanon to France—while the United States did not participate in the conference.