Woodrow Wilson’s presidential accomplishments:
When Wilson was elected, he devoted his efforts to three main points. Those three points were trusts (monopolies), tariffs, and banking. He worked to eliminate trusts, tariffs, and he reformed the way the US banks. Other things he reformed during his administration include foreign affairs, child labor, women’s rights, merchant marine’s rights, and railway guidelines.
Reforming Trusts:
Under the Wilson administration, the Clayton Antitrust Act was established in 1914. This act emphasized the previously established Sherman Antitrust Act. It was enacted in order to eliminate monopolies by making exclusive sales contracts, lowering prices to take out competition, rebates, and buying stock from a corporation if it would result in a monopoly illegal. It also allowed strikes, boycotts, picketing, and collecting of strike benefits. Another way Wilson fought to reform trusts was the Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914. This act set up the Federal Trade Commission. It protected consumers against fraud, false advertising, and monopolies. This is who people who have complaints against businesses report to. Then they determine if the businesses are being unethical or not. If what the business is doing is unethical they’ll fight to change it.
Reforming Tariffs:
If there was one act that Wilson really wanted to establish, it would the Underwood Act of 1913. This act reduced costs on manufactured goods. Though manufacturing companies fought back to protect their own greedy interests, Wilson came out on top. Since a great amount of money had been lost, Wilson legalized Federal Income Tax. This tax was made official by the Sixteenth Amendment. This graduated income tax meant that the greater the income you make, the greater amount of tax you must pay. It ranged from 1% to 6%. In the end, the government made more money off this than they did off tariffs.
Reforming Banks:
Wilson made an act that greatly strengthened the US banking system. This was the Federal Reserve Act of 1913. This act established the Federal Reserve System. This was one of Wilson’s best ideas. This new banking system put Federal Reserve banks in all 12 districts. This made banks safer for and reduced risks of depression. This allowed banks to give out loans.
Women Suffrage:
Though Wilson put minimal effort into this category, Carrie Chapman Catt influenced the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment. The only real involvement of Woodrow Wilson had was the fact that it was during his administration
Merchant Marine’s Rights:
The Seamen’s Act of 1915 was an act that protected the rights of merchant marines. It was brought up as a result of the sinking of the Titanic. It gave the seamen permission to sue ship owners for damages due to the poor quality of the ship. It also limited working hours to nine- hour work days. It was very similar to the acts supporting factory workers.
Legislative Solutions: When progressives started leaning back towards the Republican Party, Wilson established these acts to persuade them to stay with the Democratic Party.
-Federal Farm Loan Act: This was made to win the votes of farmers. 12 regional Farm Loan Banks were established. Through these, the farmers could get loans.
-Keating-Owen Act: To please muckrakers and the Department of Labor’s Children’s Bureau, this act was established. I prohibited to ship products into the US that had been manufactured by child labor.
-Workingmen’s Compensation Act: This act provided financial assistances to injured workers
-Adamson Act: This act gave guidelines to railway workers. It established eight hour work days for railway workers and if they worked overtime they should be paid more.
Four Amendments were established during his administration:
-Sixteenth Amendment- allows graduated income tax
-Seventeenth Amendment-makes it legal to elect senators directly
-Eighteenth Amendment-banned consumption of alcohol
-Nineteenth Amendment-gave women the right to vote
Missionary Diplomacy:
Wilson had a policy to not recognize any bad Latin American government. This influenced Latin American nations to make their government less hostile and more democratic.
Intervention of Mexico:
Wilson hated the Mexican government, and he then acted against it. This intervention killed many men and made Mexico very angry. When other Latin American countries stepped in to try to resolve this problem, both Wilson and Mexico rejected their idea. Though, Wilson's efforts soon did pay off, for the Mexican leader, Huerta, was taken down and replaced by Caranza. President Wilson finally approved of their government.
The best act that I think was created under his administration is the Federal Reserve Act. I think it is a neccesity that people have a safe place to put their money. Plus, it helps to keep the economy out of depression.
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1057.html
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h990.html
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1055.html
https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3310321797?profile=original
https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3310294948?profile=original
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0812484.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Trade_Commission
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3406400975.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve_Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_amendments_to_the_United_States_Constitution
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