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Woodrow Wilson: Rise in Politics
Woodrow Wilson was elected governor of New Jersey, where he fought machine politics and garnered national attention as a progressive reformer -
Presidency
The Democrats nominated Wilson for president, selecting Thomas Marshall (1854-1925), the governor of Indiana, as his vice presidential running mate. -
Woodrow Wilson's Second Administration
Woodrow Wilson’s second term in office was dominated by World War I. In early 1917 German submarines launched unrestricted submarine attacks against U.S. merchant ships. Around the same time, the United States learned about the Zimmerman Telegram, in which Germany tried to persuade Mexico to enter into an alliance against America. On April 2, 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany. -
14 Points
Wilson had initially advanced the idea for the League in a January 1918 speech to the U.S. Congress in which he outlined his “Fourteen Points” for a postwar peace settlement -
Victory
America’s participation helped bring about victory for the Allies, and an armistice was signed by the Germans. -
Peace Conference
At the Paris Peace Conference, which opened in January 1919 and included the heads of the British, French and Italian governments, Wilson helped negotiate the Treaty of Versailles.The agreement included the charter for the League of Nations, an organization intended to arbitrate international disputes and prevent future wars.
