Woodrow Wilson Born in Staunton

Summary

Thomas Woodrow Wilson was born on December 28, 1856, in Staunton, Virginia. He pursued an academic career in political science, eventually becoming president of Princeton University before entering electoral politics as governor of New Jersey. Wilson won the presidency in 1912 and served as the twenty-eighth president from 1913 to 1921. His domestic New Freedom program produced major legislation including the Federal Reserve Act, Federal Trade Commission Act, and Clayton Antitrust Act. After initially maintaining American neutrality in World War I, Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany in 1917. He later promoted his Fourteen Points and the League of Nations as foundations for a new international order, though the Senate rejected U.S. membership. Wilson's administration also expanded racial segregation within parts of the federal workforce, a policy that harmed Black federal employees. He suffered a severe stroke in 1919 and completed his presidency with substantial disability.