Presidency Chart – Woodrow Wilson (28th) (1913 - 1921)
The Election of 1912
Candidates:
Wilson = (Progressive) Democrat
Taft = (Conservative) Republican
T. Roosevelt = Progressive (Bull Moose)
Debs = Socialist
Chafin = Prohibition Party
Issue: How progressive should the gov’t be?
Wilson = moderate reform = Wilson's New Freedom
advocated antimonopoly policies and a return to small
businesses.
T.R. = major reform = Roosevelt's New Nationalism called
for an interventionist government with robust regulatory
powers.
The Election of 1916
Candidates:
Wilson = (Progressive) Democrat
Charles Hughes = Republican
****T.R. supported Hughes!!!!!!!****
Benson = Socialist
Issue: WWI
Wilson = U.S. will stay neutral in WWI as long as we can;
“He kept us out of war;” Hughes will get us into war.
Hughes = Anti-war too; Wilson hasn’t remained neutral in the
war.
Close election: Wilson won b/c he carried California
Not a close election: Republican vote split – easy victory
for Demo.
Domestic Policy
Underwood Tariff and income tax (1913)
-lowered tariffs on hundreds of items that could be
produced more cheaply in the United States than abroad.
The tariff reduced the rates of the Payne-Aldrich Tariff
(1909) by about 10 percent. As the first bill since the Civil
War to lower tariff rates, the Underwood Tariff included
an federal income tax to make up for the loss in revenues
caused by the lower tariffs.
Foreign Policy
Mexican Revolution and US intervention (1914)
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Federal Reserve Act (Glass-Owen Act) (1913)
-created the de-centralized banking system of the United
States. The most important job of the Federal Reserve
System, also known as the Fed, is to manage the country's
supply of money. The president appoints a Federal Reserve
Board of seven members to staggered terms of fourteen
years to supervise the conduct of the banks in the Federal
Reserve System. The act divided the nation into twelve
districts, each with a Federal Reserve bank.
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Sixteenth Amendment (1913)
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Federal government can tax income. 
**[In response to Supreme Ct. case Pollock v Farmer's Loan and
Trust (1895), where the Court disallowed a federal income tax.]
Seventeenth Amendment (1913)
Direct election of U.S. Senators
***[In response to the “Millionaire Congress” being bought off
by business/trusts.]
Eighteenth Amendment (1919)
Prohibition – illegal to sell, transport, manufacture or
consume alcohol.
***[Anti-patriotic during WWI]
***Volstead Act = enforcement legislation
In early 1913, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico was
involved in plotting the coup d'état that overthrew the
Mexican president, Francisco Madero, and installed
Victoriano Huerta.
The United States then began its involvement in the
Mexican Revolution in 1913 with President Wilson's
decision to later remove Huerta, leader of a military junta
that overthrew and murdered Mexico's president, Madero.
In 1914, diplomatic actions failing, Wilson sent a
powerful American naval force and seized Mexico's
principal seaport, Veracruz, cutting off Huerto’s supplies
from abroad and occupied the city for six months. Yet, all
the while, Mexico and the United States were technically
at peace.
In May 1916, six American soldiers led by Lieutenant
George S. Patton, Jr., surrounded a building near Rubio,
Chihuahua. When the occupants burst out of the door,
guns blazing, Patton and his men cut them down. A
month later 70 American troopers charged into a strong
Mexican position at Carrizal; 10 were killed and 23 taken
prisoner.
When in 1916 the legendary bandit Pancho Villa raided
Columbus, New Mexico, Wilson sent General John J.
Pershing into Chihuahua to capture him. While American
troops performed well, U.S. intervention had no effect
on the outcome of the Mexican Revolution. The
American army had a taste of battle and Pershing went on
to become the greatest American hero of the First World
War.
Interventions in Nicaragua, Dominican Republic & Haiti
Nicaragua = 1907 U.S. sent there; "Dollar Diplomacy" protectorate
set up; (1912-1933) 20-year occupation, fought guerrillas
Dominican Republic = 1916-1924; U.S. Marines occupied it for 8
years
Haiti = U.S. troops occupied it from 1914-1934 after Haitian revolts;
U.S. Marines occupy Haiti to restore order, and establish a
protectorate which lasts till 1934. The president of Haiti is barred
from the U.S. Officers' Club in Port-au-Prince, because he is black.
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Nineteenth Amendment (1920)
Purchase of Virgin Islands (1917)
Women’s Suffrage = The right of citizens of the United
States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United
States or by any State on account of sex.
***[NAWSA; NWP; Women’s effort in WWI]
The islands remained under Danish rule until 1917, when the United
States purchased them for $25 million in gold in an effort to improve
military positioning during critical times of World War I. St. Croix,
St. Thomas and St. John became the US Virgin Islands.
Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914)
Road to World War I
-Anti-Trust law 
Major causes for WWI in Europe:
-an amendment to clarify and supplement the Sherman Antitrust Act of
1890. The act prohibited exclusive sales contracts, local price cutting to
freeze out competitors, rebates, interlocking directorates in corporations
capitalized at $1 million or more in the same field of business, and
intercorporate stock holdings. Labor unions and agricultural
cooperatives were excluded from the forbidden combinations in the
restraint of trade. The act restricted the use of the injunction against
labor, and it legalized peaceful strikes, picketing, and boycotts. It
declared that "the labor of a human being is not a commodity or article of
commerce."
1. Nationalism
2. Rivalry over colonies
3. Arms Race
4. Military Alliances
****Spark = assignation of Austrian-Hungarian Archduke
Franz Ferdinand
Federal Trade Commission (1914)
-Anti-Trust law 
-It is an independent federal agency whose main goals are to
protect consumers and to ensure a strong competitive market by
enforcing a variety of consumer protection and antitrust laws.
These laws guard against harmful business practices and protect
the market from anti-competitive practices such as large mergers
and price-fixing conspiracies.
-The FTC deals with complaints that are filed regarding unfair business
practices such as scams, deceptive advertising and monopolistic practices.
It reviews these complaints to determine if businesses are in fact engaging
in harmful practices.
-Generally speaking, the FTC does not have the ability to directly
enforce its “cease & desist” rulings, but it can go to the courts to
have them enforced.
Child Labor Laws
1. State Laws: Many states passed child labor laws during the
Progressive error banning child labor. 
2. Federal Law: Keating Owen Child Labor Act (1916)
The tireless efforts of reformers, social workers and unions
seemed to pay off in 1916 - at the height of the progressive
movement. This federal law prohibited interstate commerce of
any merchandise that had been made by children under the age of
14, or merchandise that had been made in factories where
children between the ages of 14 and 16 worked for more than 8
hours a day, worked overnight, or worked more than 6 days a
week. (The act was struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme
Court just two years later.  )
3. Hammer v. Dagenhart (1918)
Issue: Does Congress have the right to regulate commerce of
goods that are manufactured by children under the age 14, as
specified in the Keating-Owen Act of 1916, and is it within the
authority of Congress in regulating commerce among the states to
prohibit the transportation in interstate commerce of
manufactured goods by the child labor description above?
Answer: No; No.
Why?: Congress has no power under the Commerce Clause to
regulate labor conditions. It is a right enumerated (given) to the
states in the 10th Amend.
Major Causes the U.S. joined WWI:
1. Wilson’s Moral Diplomacy Policy
2. British propaganda
3. Lusitania
4. Zimmerman Note
5. German Unrestricted submarine warfare
Lusitania (1915)
BRITISH SHIP SUNK BY A GERMAN U-BOAT IN 1915. MORE
THAN 1,000 PEOPLE KILLED INCLUDING 128 AMERICANS.
US Reaction
ALTHOUGH THIS EVENT ANGERED MANY AMERICANS,
THE U.S. DID NOT JOIN THE WAR FOR 2 MORE YEARS
Zimmermann Telegram (1917)
The Zimmermann Telegram was dispatched by the Foreign Secretary
of the German Empire, Arthur Zimmermann, on January 16, 1917, to
the German ambassador in Mexico, Heinrich von Eckardt, at the
height of World War I. It instructed the ambassador to approach the
Mexican government with a proposal to form an alliance against the
United States. If they joined the Germans, Mexico would get back its
lost territory from the Mexican War in return when if the Germans
won. It was intercepted by the British and its contents hastened the
entry of the United States into the war.
Fourteen Points (1918)
Pres. Wilson delivered a speech to Congress on January 8, 1918,
outlining Fourteen Points for reconstructing a new Europe
following World War I. While many of the points were specific,
others were more general, including freedom of the seas, abolishing
secret treaties, disarmament, restored sovereignty of some occupied
lands, and the right of national self-determination of others. The
speech, that was made without prior coordination or consultation
with his counterparts in Europe, reached for the highest ideals, and
was a precursor to the League of Nations (14th Point). However,
history shows that despite the idealism, the post-war reconstruction
of Europe adopted only a few of the points.
[**** Hammer v. Dagenhart will be overruled in 1941 in the case of
United States v. Darby.]
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Schenck v. US (1919)
World War One (1914-1918)
During WWI Congress passed the Espionage Act, outlawing any
attempt to cause insubordination or obstruct the draft. Charles
Schenck, general secretary of the Socialist Party, was arrested for
conspiring to print and circulate leaflets that would obstruct and
hinder the enlistment service of the United States. Schenck
argued that the Espionage Act violated his rights to freedom of
speech and press. The Supreme Court held that in a time of war,
extraordinary conditions may take effect where Congress has the
right to forbid printed materials or speech aimed at hindering the
war effort. The test for "a clear and present danger" was
formulated to deal with questions regarding freedom of speech.
-WWI, also known as the First World War and (before 1939) the Great War,
& War to End All Wars was a world conflict lasting from August 1914 to the
final Armistice (cessation of hostilities) on November 11, 1918.
-Allied Powers vs. Central Powers; resulting in eventual victory for the
Allies.
-No previous conflict had mobilized so many soldiers or involved so many in
the field of battle.
-U.S. fought in WWI from 1917-1918 to “make the world safe for
democracy”
-The Treaty of Versailles of 1919 was the peace treaty which officially
ended WWI.
Abrams v. US (1919)
-Jacob Abrams and other anarchists distributed leaflets attacking
the U. S.'s decision to send troops to Europe to defend Czarist
Russia against the Bolsheviks. This violated the Sedition Act
(1918).
-The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Sedition
Act of 1918.
-Why? The Defendants' criticism of U.S. involvement in World
War I was not protected by the 1st Amendment, because the
speech advocated a strike in munitions production and the violent
overthrow of the government during war time & presented a clear
& present danger for U.S. security.
[***This case is overturned during the Vietnam War***]
Domestic Polices to run the war
War Industries Board (Baruch)
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Created by Pres. Wilson & headed by Bernard Baruch
To increase industrial production & coordinate different
industries
The gov’t took over all factories & ran them like on big
factory
The Board instructed the factories on what to produce, how
much to produce, and the costs of the items
The WIB aids in the uprise of many unions because of the war's
demand for products. The government cannot argue prices and
cannot handle worker strikes so they regulate the two to decrease
tension by stopping strikes with wage increases to prevent a
shortage of supplies going to the war in Europe.
Women’s blouse factories made signal flags; Radiator
manufacturers made guns; Automobile factories made
airplane engines; Piano companies made airplane wings
Under the WIB industrial production in the U.S. increased 20 %.
Food Administration (Hoover)
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Headed by future President Herbert Hoover.
It never imposed specific rations but relied upon voluntary
participation
RATION: TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF FOOD OR
RESOURCES PEOPLE CAN USE
Famous slogan: “FOOD WILL WIN THE WAR – DON’T
WASTE IT”
The U.S. had to provide food for its own citizens as well as the
Allied countries
This was the most successful of the wartime administrations.
Fuel Administration (Garfield)
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Headed by Harry A. Garfield, son of the murdered President
Designed to control America’s use of fuel since it was needed
overseas
As with the Food Administration, Americans were asked to
voluntarily conserve their use of fuel
Lightless nights & gasless days were observed
Daylight Savings Time was observed for the first time in U.S.
history in order to cut back on the use of fuel & electricity
RR Administration (McAdoo)
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Headed by William McAdoo, Pres. Wilson’s son-in-law.
The nation's railroads proved inadequate to the task of
serving the nation's war efforts.
So, Pres. Wilson took federal control over the railroads
creating the United States Railroad Administration
(USRA).
The USRA was name of the nationalized railroad system
of the United States between 1917 and 1920.
The Railroad Control Act guaranteed the return of the
railroads to their former owners within 21 months of a
peace treaty.
It was possibly the largest American experiment with
nationalization, and was undertaken against a background
of war emergency.
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National War Labor Board (Taft)
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Headed by Ex-President Taft
Formed to unify labor policies and serve as the court for
labor disputes.
Hoped to prevent strikes as they could stop production of
much needed goods for the war.
During the war there were over 6,000 strikes, and the
NWLB heard over 1,000 cases. (many Wobblie strikes)
The NWLB also worked to improve working conditions:
an 8 hour work day was est. in some areas, and standards
for employment of women & children were est.
Espionage Act (1917)
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A federal “spy” law passed shortly after entering World
War I. It made it a crime to help wartime enemies of the
United States.
A crime, punishable by a $10,000 fine and 20 years in jail,
for a person to convey antipathy with intent to interfere
with the operation or success of the military or naval
forces of the U.S. or to promote the success of its enemies.
The legislation was passed at the urging of President
Wilson, who feared any widespread dissent in time of war
constituted a real threat to an American victory.
The law was later extended by the Sedition Act (1918).
The laws were ruled constitutional in the U. S. Supreme
Court case Schenck v. United States (1919)
Sedition Act (1918)
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It made it a federal crime to utter, print, write or publish
any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language
about the United States' government, or armed forces
during war.
It was an amendment to the Espionage Act of 1917.
The act also allowed the Postmaster General to deny mail
delivery to dissenters of government policy during
wartime.
Socialist Eugene V. Debs was sentenced to 10 years in
prison under this law.
Both the Espionage Act and the Sedition Act were repealed
in 1921.
Treaty of Versailles (1919)
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It was created to solve problems made by World War I.
Germany was forced to accept the treaty. It was composed
of only four of the original points made by Pres. Wilson.
The treaty punished Germany and did nothing to stop the
threat of future wars. It maintained the pre-war power
structure.
It had 4 main part:
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5.
TERRITORIAL ADJUSTMENTS
REPARATIONS
ARMAMENT RESTRICTIONS
WAR GUILT
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
League of Nations
In 1919, after the war, Wilson proposed the League in the 14th point
of his peace plan. He envisioned it as an Assembly with seats for all
nations and a special council for the great powers. The US voted not
to join the League because in doing so, it would have taken away our
self-determination, and Congress could not decide whether to go to
war or not.
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