Nobel Peace Prize Winners, 1919 -
Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson is usually considered to be one of our nation's three or four most successful presidents. He was without a doubt one of the the most remarkable figures in American history. Although he led the nation through a terrible war, he is best remembered as a man who devoted his life to making the world a more peaceful place for all humankind.

Thomas Woodrow Wilson was born around midnight on December 28, 1956. His mother named him after her father, but Wilson dropped the name Thomas after he graduated college. From very early on, religion and education were stressed in the Wilson household. Young Woodrow's earliest memories were of the election of Abraham Lincoln and the outbreak of the Civil War. The war forced many schools in the South to close, so Woodrow's father had to teach him at home. And every evening the Wilson's would gather to read the Bible together. In 1875, Wilson enrolled at the College of New Jersey, now called Princeton University. After graduation, Wilson went on to work as a lawyer, teacher, and politician. He served as the president of Princeton and in 1910 was elected governor of New Jersey. Wilson's strong belief in fairness, democracy, and clean government soon made him famous across the nation,and it helped him get elected President in 1912.

As President, Wilson tried desparately to keep the United States out of World War One. In fact, he was re-elected in 1916 with the campaign slogan: "Wilson – He Kept Us Out of War." But when Germany began attacking U.S. ships, Wilson was left with no choice but to enter the war. Wilson proved to be a great wartime leader, and when the war ended he set up a plan for lasting peace. But one of the key points of his plan – the creation of an international peacekeeping organization called the League of Nations – failed to gain support. Nevertheless, Wilson's efforts won him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919. About thirty years later, Wilson's dream came true with the creation of the United Nations. Sadly, President Wilson suffered a stroke later in 1919 and lived as an invalid until his death in 1924.

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The Big Four, Photographic Print
The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 was organized by the victors of World War I to negotiate the peace treaties between the Allied and Associated Powers and the defeated Central Powers.

Photograph of the “Big Four” outside Wilson's apartment in Paris: David Lloyd George of England, Vittorio Orlando of Italy, Georges Clemenceau of France, and Woodrow Wilson of the United States.

America in the 20th Century -
World War I (1914-1919)

Poster Text: At first, the United States tried to stay out of World War One. Then, when it entered, the governemt described the war effort as another kind of progressive crusade – an effort "To make the world safe for democracy. " But in a way, the war brought on end to the Progressive Era, as millions of Americans lost interest in politics and crusades for refom. Horrified by the bloodshed, many of them longed for a quieter, more private age.

1). World War One began in Europe in the summer of 1914, when a Serbian nationalist assissinated the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary. Armed to the teeth, and grouped in two great alliances, the most powerful nations of Europe all soon became involved in the conflict. Deadly modern weapons – the machine gun, the submarine, the tank, poison gas – and the misery of stalemate and trench warfare made this the worst war the world had yet experienced.

2). At first, President Woodrow Wilson promised that the United States would stay out of Europe's war. But most U.S. trade and billions in U.S. loans went to the Allies, especially Britain and France. And when German submarines sank the Lusitania, a British ship with 128 Americans on board, the country was outraged. Still, as the banner here suggest, most Americans continued to hope the U.S. could stay out of the conflict.
President Wilson was re-elected in 1916 on the slogan, "He kept us out of war." But expanded German submarine attacks finally led the U.S. to join the conflict. On April 17, 1917, President Wilson went before Congress to ask it to declare war on Germany.

3). The governemt mounted a huge effort to convince Americans the war was worth fighting. This included recruiting posters, news bulletins, movies, rallies, speakers, and campaigns to sell Liberty Bonds. About 53,500 U.S. soldiers died from the influenza epidemic that ravaged the world while America was at war. But U.S. losses were nothing compared with the total of 10 million soldiers and 20 million civilians who died worldwide in this terrible conflict.

4). While most Americans supported the war, many did not. Some continued to believe the United States had nothing to gain from involvement in Europe's battles. Socialist leader Eugene V. Debs went to prison for urging workers to "resist militarism".

5). President Wilson wanted World War One to be a "war to end all wars." And at the Paris peace conference of 1919, he was able to get other nations to agree to establish the League of Nations to resolve international onflicts peacefully. But many Americans were tired of worrying about the troubles of the world. On a grueling trip across the country to win support for the League, on exhausted Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke. His wife Edith had to help him finish out his term. And in the meantime, Congress failed to agree to let our own nation join the League. An era of isolationism had begun.

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The Burning of Jamestown, 1676, from “Colonies and Nation” by Woodrow Wilson, 1901, Illustrated by Howard Pyle, GicleePrint

History of the United States by Woodrow Wilson - published while Wilson was still President of Princeton University.

Suffragists Bonfire Outside White House Photograph - Washington, DC, Giclee Print

In 1917 a group called the Silent Sentinels protested in front of the White House for 18 months to call attention to the issue of a woman's right to vote. The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which prohibits both the local government and the states from using a person's sex as a qualification to vote, was ratified on August 18, 1920. • more women's rights posters

Au Congres des Etats-Unis -
American President Woodrow Wilson Asks Congress to Declare War, Giclee Print

Prohibition Raid, New York City, Photographic Print

The Eighteenth Amendment (1919) of the United States Constitution established Prohibition in the United States and went effect one year later. It was repealed by the Twenty-First Amendment in 1933, and remains the only constitutional amendment to be repealed in its entirety.

Woodrow Wilson's Stone Casket in a Quiet Alcove of the Washington National Cathdral
Photographic Print

Simplicissimus, a satirical German weekly magazine published 1896 - 1944, was usually in trouble with the establishment.

The first issue boldly proclaimed:
“No sword, nor helm, nor lance shall I now bear,
The deadly word’s my weapon, I declare.”

These two covers are “President Wilson Mounted on Morgan's Gold-Mountain” and “Sound Basis for the League of Nations”.

In 1913 Wilson signed into law the Federal Reserve Act which could adjust interest rates and the nation's money supply - clearly the established banking system was lobbying heavily for the privilige of sitting on the Federal Reserve Board - and thus the reference to banker J. P. Morgan.

The United States never joined the League of Nations despite the efforts of Wilson who suffered a debilitating stroke while campaigning for public support.

The most notable daughter of Wilson family was the eldest, Margaret, who sang to AEF troops in World War I Europe, trained as a Montessori teacher and established a Montessori classroom in the basement of the White House, helped Joseph Campbell (Power of Myth fame) with editing, and joined an ashram in Pondicherry, India, typing and editing the work of Sri Aurobindo.

Understanding Stroke Poster
Defines and illustrates stroke, including the two main types: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Lists and explains events leading to a stroke. Shows the brain and discusses its functional areas and their roles in the body. Lists risk factors and common neurological deficits after stroke.

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