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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On March 19, 1920 the U.S. Senate failed to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to approve the treaty (including the Lodge reservations).
President Woodrow Wilson signed the Transportation Act of 1920 (commonly called the Esch–Cummins Act), returning U.S. railroads to private ownership and strengthening the Interstate Commerce Commission's regulatory authority.
At 12:01 a.m. the Eighteenth Amendment and the Volstead Act came into force nationwide, criminalizing the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors in the United States.
The Treaty of Versailles and its Covenant formally took effect on January 10, 1920, bringing the League of Nations into existence.
Federal agents and local police conducted coordinated raids against suspected radicals and anarchists in dozens of cities, resulting in thousands of arrests during the height of the First Red Scare.
The transport ship USAT Buford left New York on December 21 carrying several hundred noncitizen alleged radicals deported following the Palmer Raids, later dubbed the 'Soviet Ark.'
On December 21, 1919, the U.S. government deported 249 noncitizen radicals—including Emma Goldman—aboard the USAT Buford to Soviet Russia as part of nationwide Palmer-led anti-radical operations.
On December 10, 1919, the Nobel Committee awarded President Woodrow Wilson the Nobel Peace Prize for his advocacy of the League of Nations and efforts to secure a just peace after World War I.
The U.S. Senate, led by Republican opponents under Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, voted and failed to ratify the Treaty of Versailles with the League of Nations covenant, rejecting President Wilson’s terms.
On November 11, 1919 communities and government bodies across the United States held ceremonies and memorials to mark the first anniversary of the World War I armistice.
The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed convictions under the Espionage Act for defendants who distributed leaflets urging strikes and opposition to U.S. intervention in Russia.
On November 7, 1919 federal agents under Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer carried out coordinated raids and mass arrests of suspected anarchists and radicals in multiple U.S. cities.