Woodrow Wilson accomplished much in his two terms in office. Rarely mentioned, however, are his antidemocratic policies and racist beliefs.
Woodrow Wilson is remembered for leading the U.S. to victory in World War I, his Fourteen Points of Light, and for championing the League of Nations – a precursor to the United Nations. Not commonly known, however, are his antidemocratic policies and his deeply held racist beliefs.
Though no one can question the accomplishments of the 28th president of the United States, the ever present and long standing practice of glossing over any short-comings or simply blotting out ideological faults, makes our leaders super humans of sorts. The implied perfection makes untouchable, unreachable heroes out of flawed, ordinary men though they may have accomplished extraordinary things.
Woodrow Wilson attended Princeton University and served as its president for eight years followed by a stint as Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913. Virginia born Wilson was the first southerner elected to the White House since the 1844 election of James Polk, and was only the second Democrat to take the White House since Reconstruction—Grover Cleveland being the other.
Wilson and the Question of Race
Wilson took his southern outlooks and feelings towards race with him to the White House. Almost upon taking office, he fired most of the African Americans who held posts within the federal government, and segregated the Navy, which until then had been desegregated. Many of the newly segregated parts of Wilson’s federal government would remain so, clear into the 1950s.
In an article that appeared in the 1999 Canadian Review of American Studies entitled “Race and the Southern Imagination: Woodrow Wilson Reconsidered”, Michael Dennis explores Wilson’s racism and gives some insight to why such feelings might not have been viewed as severe as they actually were. Dennis states that during this time in history when crowds would gather from all around “to watch Henry Smith lynched, his feet seared with a red-hot iron, the word "Justice" emblazoned on the scaffold, his grisly demise captured in souvenir photographs, whites who promoted segregation seemed comparatively mild.”
Dennis goes on to write that due to historians’ desire of an example of a southern silent liberal, many have “held up Wilson as an example of racial enlightenment” and have even called him “benevolent towards blacks”. Given that Wilson was not an advocate of violence in dealing with what he called the “race question”, his desire to simply keep blacks and whites separate seemed almost genteel. Yet, when one looks at the terrible long term effects that Wilson’s policies had, it is anything but. When it came to his attitudes and treatment towards African Americans, Wilson was neither enlightened nor benevolent.
Wilson's Racism Eternally Endures in his Writings
Wilson’s two-volume book, “A History of the American People”, was so racially biased that D.W. Griffith quoted the sitting president’s writings in his 1915 silent film, The Birth of a Nation, “The white men were roused by a mere instinct of self preservation… until at last there had sprung into existence a great Ku Klux Klan, a veritable empire of the South, to protect the Southern country.” Not only did Wilson proudly stand by those words, but he also had a private showing of the movie at the White House. In the book “Lies My Teacher Told Me”, Professor James W. Loewen quotes the president’s words after seeing The Birth of a Nation, “It is like writing history with lightning, my only regret is that it is all so true.”
Loewen states that a new incarnation of the KKK is directly attributed to the great success of Griffith’s film. The Klan soared in popularity thanks in part to support stemming from the highest office in the land.
Woodrow Wilson took advantage of his presidency to help correct many of what he considered to be the wrongs of the Reconstruction. Wilson believed white southerners to be the only real citizens and feared what might arise from a south “ruled by an ignorant and inferior race.”
Wilson remains a controversial historical figure—with both his supporters and detractors. He is viewed a scholar and a man of peace. He is also regarded as a white supremacist. There is an abundance of historical documentation to support all aspects of his professional and personal life. Wilson’s accomplishments over his two terms as president should be praised, but his shortcomings as a person, shouldn’t be ignored. The only way to learn from history is to examine it all. Not just the pleasant parts.
Sources:
Dennis, Michael. Canadian Review of American Studies, “Race and the Southern
Imagination: Woodrow Wilson Reconsidered”1999, Vol. 29 Issue 3, p109
Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me.Touchtone. New York. 1995
The copyright of the article Woodrow Wilson and White Supremacy in American History is owned by Elvira Nieto. Permission to republish Woodrow Wilson and White Supremacy in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Very well written. I had no idea that Wilson had a racist side to him, but
one cannot help but believe it. Think of the times he lived and lead in.
This was decades before any civil rights movement took place. These times
were full of corruption and hatred. The world was at war and although most
would not believe me, the Civil War here in America never really ended
either. Still to this day, there are these invisible barriers between him
and her, between white and black, and an even more subtle barrier between
right and wrong. It's not a shock that Wilson had a predjudiced mentality.
The bigger shock is when, even today, someone claims they aren't
predjudiced. We all are to some extent. No one can be blamed. It's human
nature. He took what he believed and he exercised it. It's a shame more
of us don't.
Jun 22, 2009 9:52 AM
Guest :
A refreshing take on history. One wonders what other facets of our nations
forefathers were covered up. As Miss Nieto states, "The only way to
learn from history is to examine it all." This article challenges the
reader to go back research what was taught in schools and to discover for
themselves that you must always be diligent in the pursuit of truth.
Bravo!
Jun 22, 2009 11:26 AM
Guest :
Wilson although did some good things for this country. Definitely did some
AWFUL things as well. Here is a quote from him BIGGEST mistake he
made:"I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A
great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system
of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our
activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the
worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated
Governments in the civilized world no longer a Government by free opinion,
no longer a Government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a
Government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant
men." -Woodrow Wilson, after signing the Federal Reserve into
existence he himself although probably a good man surrounded himself with
corrupt men. He also tried to get us into the League of Nations (its
counterpart is the U.N. now)and that was/is a HUGE mistake. However I
find this article very well written and very informative. As I was unaware
of Wilson having prejudice.
Jun 22, 2009 11:37 AM
Guest :
This was very insightful information. I can't wait to see what else you
have to write. I enjoy reading about racism in American History and to know
the truth behind, essentially, a government cover-up is need-to-know! Well
done!
Jun 22, 2009 2:09 PM
Guest :
Very well written article!! I can't wait what you will be writing next.
Looking forward......
Jun 22, 2009 3:49 PM
Guest :
Equally terrible among the disturbing facts surrounding Woodrow Wilson
would be his hand in the creation of the Federal Reserve. In other words,
the racist AH that Ms. Nieto describes in her well-written article is the
same piece of human garbage who bears culpability in placing chains around
the necks of generations of Americans. We still wear those chains today.
Thanks for nothing, Woodie.
Jun 22, 2009 9:28 PM
Guest :
Every life lesson is usually painfully drawn from good and evil. Our
country is still learning, growing, evolving. I pray we incorporate only
the very best of these lessons. Looking forward to more of your insights.
Jun 23, 2009 8:45 PM
Guest :
few people are aware he is the only president to hold a PhD.
Jul 12, 2009 12:19 PM
Guest :
It's important to take the subject of Wilson in the context of the times
and the relatively unenlightened beliefs of the day. What is shocking to us
today was widely tolerated and even accepted in another time. When judging
history this must be taken into account - just as, we hope, future
generations will take our limited understanding into account when judging
us.
Aug 26, 2009 9:00 AM
Guest :
Funny how Wilson is still hailed as a great man. Why? He managed to get
elected by "keeping us out of war" then immediately sent us into
war, a horribly bloody war which maimed and killed a generation of young
men, and an unnecessary war which in retrospect was waged to enrich small
groups of special interests on both sides of the ocean, businessmen,
bankers and his own cronies. Worse, it laid a direct pathway to the next
war! He urged the rabid anti-Germanism that the Creel gang viciously
created as they embarked upon the largest ethnic concerted assault in US
history on everything and anything German. On top of it all, Wilson was a
bigot. So what's to love? Isn't it time we shed our false heroes?
Jun 20, 2009
