Woodrow Wilson: Changing America by Annalisa

Woodrow Wilson: Changing America by Annalisa - October 2017 Scholarship Essay

In the words of our 28th president, Woodrow Wilson, “If you want to make enemies, try and change something”. Wilson was a democrat and leader during the Progressive Movement in the United States. He made many changes that affected the lives of ordinary American citizens. Not all of the changes that he fought for were originally supported by the majority of Americans but WIlson continually fought for the changes that he wanted to see in the world. I would choose to have dinner with President Woodrow Wilson because of the numerous positive and radical changes he made to help America during a time of need.
Woodrow Wilson grew up in Virginia during the ravaging of the Civil War. He saw first-hand his own war-torn country and the destruction that follows such a bitter rivalry. During his re-election campaign, World War One started to generate across seas. Wilson’s famous campaign slogan, “He kept us out of the war”, ultimately led to his re-election as president. I admire Wilson’s strong urge to keep this country away from violence and death. Wilson also attempted peace towards the end of the war by suggesting the Fourteen Points agreement which would establish, “It is that the world be made fit and safe to live in; and particularly that it be made safe for every peace-loving nation…”. Although, neither of Wilson’s attempts to keep the peace between countries was successful, I still admire the way he wanted nations to become one through peaceful interactions. Wilson fought for what he believed in even though many others did not want the same uniform peace as him. He fought for the betterment of our country as well as the improvement of worldwide communication.
Wilson also kept attempting to better our nation through the many progressive reforms that he put into action. He passed the Federal Trade Commission law that enforced the investigation of corrupt business practices. He wished to get rid of all unfair business practices and corrupt men that had been put into power. Wilson also was a supporter of the women’s suffrage movement and during his second presidential term, Congress passed the 19th Amendment which officially gave women the right to vote. On August 28, 1917, WIlson was greeted by protesters known as suffragettes outside of the white house. This particular day the women became extremely violent and many were put into jail by authorities. Some of the women taken to jail went on a hunger strike and had to be force-fed by the police officers. Wilson was moved by these suffragettes and finally officially joined the movement alongside his daughter, Jessie Woodrow Wilson Sayre. Together, they led the movement that resulted in giving women the deserved and long-anticipated right to vote alongside their male equals.
Wilson also fought for his platform called New Freedom. This was a series of acts that included the Federal Reserve Act, the Federal Farm Loan Act, and the Adamson Act. The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 set up twelve regional reserve banks that could easily adjust the interest rates and control the nation’s banks, credit, and money supply. The Federal Farm Loan Act lent money at moderate interests to farms and helped them gain more profit to help boost the agricultural economy. The Adamson Act mandated eight hour work days and overtime pay for railroad workers who would have to spend more than eight hours working a day. The concept of New Freedom changed the lives of many working class Americans. Wilson wanted to help out the “little-man” as much as he could. He believed these average working people to be the basis of American success.
I would be honored to have a dinner with Woodrow Wilson. He crusaded America through many trials and learned from his mistakes throughout his presidency. I admire Wilson’s eagerness to keep America out of harm's way, even though he did not always succeed in his tasks. If I were able to have dinner with this great American leader, I would ask him many questions regarding how he wished he could better our nation in today’s world. Wilson gave many Americans hope for the future development of our country and the ambitious attitude to change the something you believe in, no matter the cost.