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.
Showing 12 of 252 entries.
On July 27, 1919, violence broke out on Chicago's South Side after a Black teenager drowned and a white crowd attacked Black beachgoers, sparking a week-long riot with numerous deaths and extensive destruction.
Violent clashes between white and Black residents erupted in Washington, D.C., on July 19, 1919, initiating several days of rioting, attacks, and property damage.
One day after President Wilson transmitted them, the U.S. Senate received the Treaty of Versailles and the Covenant of the League of Nations and referred both to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for consideration.
A white mob attacked Black residents in Longview, Texas, burning homes and forcing many African Americans to flee the town amid accusations of a crime, with several casualties reported.
Following his return from Paris, President Wilson formally submitted the signed Treaty of Versailles and the Covenant of the League of Nations to the U.S. Senate for advice and consent on July 10, 1919.
Woodrow Wilson arrived in New York on July 8, 1919, aboard the USS George Washington, returning from the Paris Peace Conference and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.
On June 28, 1919 Woodrow Wilson and representatives of the Allied and German governments signed the Treaty of Versailles in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, formally ending World War I with Germany and incorporating the Covenant of the League of Nations.
President Woodrow Wilson and other Allied leaders signed the Treaty of Versailles in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, formally concluding World War I with Germany and incorporating the Covenant of the League of Nations.
On June 28, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson and the other Allied leaders signed the Treaty of Versailles in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, formally ending the state of war with Germany after World War I.
Allied leaders, including President Wilson representing the United States, signed the Treaty of Versailles in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, formally ending World War I with Germany.
President Woodrow Wilson joined Allied leaders in signing the Treaty of Versailles at the Palace of Versailles, formally concluding the state of war with Germany and establishing the Covenant of the League of Nations.
On June 4, 1919 the U.S. Senate voted 56–25 to approve the 19th Amendment, sending the proposed constitutional amendment to the states for ratification to prohibit denying the right to vote on the basis of sex.