Wilson Administrations - Introduction

Introduction

A strong and persuasive speaker, Woodrow Wilson used these talents throughout his life to encourage reform and improvement of U.S. government, education, and society. A political scientist who made important contributions to the study of U.S. government, Wilson spent many years at Princeton University as a professor and president, helping to lead the reform of U.S. higher education. After Princeton, Wilson took his passion for reform to the governorship of New Jersey and then to the presidency of the United States. Wilson's ideals were translated into many important innovations, including the institution of an income tax, suffrage for women, and reforms to the U.S. fiscal system. Wilson also guided the nation through World War I (1914–18), but in the peace that followed, Wilson's devotion to his ideals and unwillingness to compromise contributed to the Senate's failure to ratify the Treaty of Versailles and the rapid deterioration of Wilson's health.