专八人文知识需知的美国名人--伍德罗·威尔逊

专八人文知识需知的美国名人--伍德罗·威尔逊

　　英语专八人文知识涵盖的知识面较广，考生们需要平时多积累小常识，这样在专八考试中才能游刃有余，新东方在线整理了专八人文知识需知的美国名人系列知识点供考生们参考。

　　托马斯·伍德罗·威尔逊(Thomas Woodrow Wilson，1856年12月28日-1924年2月3日)，美国第28任总统。作为进步主义时代的一个领袖级知识分子，他曾先后任普林斯顿大学校长，新泽西州州长等职。1912年总统大选中，由于西奥多·罗斯福和威廉·塔夫脱的竞争分散了共和党选票，以民主党人身份当选总统。迄今为止，他是唯一一名拥有哲学博士头衔的美国总统(法学博士衔除外)，也是唯一一名任总统以前曾在新泽西州担任公职的美国总统。

　　Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 – February 3, 1924) was the 28th President of theUnited States. A leading intellectual of the Progressive Era, he served as President of PrincetonUniversity from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913. WithTheodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft dividing the Republican Party vote, Wilson waselected President as a Democrat in 1912.

　　In his first term, Wilson persuaded a Democratic Congress to pass the Federal Reserve Act,Federal Trade Commission, the Clayton Antitrust Act, the Federal Farm Loan Act and America'sfirst-ever federal progressive income tax in the Revenue Act of 1913. Wilson brought many whiteSoutherners into his administration, and tolerated their expansion of segregation in many federalagencies.

　　Narrowly re-elected in 1916, Wilson's second term centered on World War I. He based his re-election campaign around the slogan "he kept us out of the war", but U.S. neutrality waschallenged in early 1917 when the German government proposed to Mexico a military alliance in awar against the U.S., and began unrestricted submarine warfare, sinking without warning everyAmerican merchant ship its submarines could find. Wilson in April 1917 asked Congress to declarewar.

　　He focused on diplomacy and financial considerations, leaving the waging of the war primarily in thehands of the Army. On the home front in 1917, he began the United States' first draft since the UScivil war, raised billions in war funding through Liberty Bonds, set up the War Industries Board,promoted labor union growth, supervised agriculture and food production through the Lever Act,took over control of the railroads, enacted the first federal drug prohibition, and suppressed anti-war movements. National women's suffrage was also achieved under Wilson's presidency.

　　First term as President, 1913–1917

　　Wilson is the only President to hold a Ph.D. degree and the only President to serve in a politicaloffice in New Jersey before election to the Presidency. He was the first person identified with theSouth to be elected President since Zachary Taylor and the first Southerner in the White Housesince Andrew Johnson left in 1868. Wilson had a strong base of support in the South. He was thefirst president to deliver his State of the Union address before Congress personally since JohnAdams in 1799. Wilson was also the first Democrat elected to the presidency since GroverCleveland in 1892 and only the second Democrat in the White House since the Civil War.

　　Wilson addressing the U.S. Congress, April 8, 1913In resolving economic policy issues, he had tomanage the conflict between two wings of his party, the agrarian wing led by Bryan and the pro-business wing. With large Democratic majorities in Congress and a healthy economy, he promptlyseized the opportunity to implement his agenda. Wilson experienced early success byimplementing his "New Freedom" pledges of antitrust modification, tariff revision, and reform inbanking and currency matters.He held the first modern presidential press conference, on March15, 1913, in which reporters were allowed to ask him questions.

　　Wilson's first wife Ellen died on August 6, 1914 of Bright's disease. In 1915, he met Edith Galt. Theymarried later that year on December 18.

　　Second term as President, 1917–1921

　　Decision for War, 1917

　　Before entering the war in 1917, the U.S. had made a declaration of neutrality in 1914. During thistime of neutrality, President Wilson warned citizens not to take sides in the war in fear ofendangering wider U.S. policy. In his address to congress in 1914, Wilson states, "Such divisionsamongst us would be fatal to our peace of mind and might seriously stand in the way of theproper performance of our duty as the one great nation at peace, the one people holding itselfready to play a part of impartial mediation and speak the counsels of peace and accommodation,not as a partisan, but as a friend."

　　The U.S. maintained neutrality despite increasing pressure placed on Wilson after the sinking of theBritish passenger liner RMS Lusitania with American citizens on board. This neutrality woulddeteriorate when Germany began to initiate its unrestricted submarine warfare threatening U.S.commercial shipping. When Germany started unrestricted submarine warfare in early 1917, despitethe promises made in the Arabic pledge and the Sussex pledge, and attempted to enlist Mexico asan ally (see Zimmermann Telegram), Wilson took America into World War I as a war to make "theworld safe for democracy". He did not sign a formal alliance with the United Kingdom or France butoperated as an "associated" power. He raised a massive army through conscription and gavecommand to General John J. Pershing, allowing Pershing a free hand as to tactics, strategy andeven diplomacy.

　　Woodrow Wilson had decided by then that the war had become a real threat to humanity. Unlessthe U.S. threw its weight into the war, as he stated in his declaration of war speech on April 2, 1917, western civilization itself could be destroyed. His statement announcing a "war to end allwars" meant that he wanted to build a basis for peace that would prevent future catastrophic warsand needless death and destruction. This provided the basis of Wilson's Fourteen Points, whichwere intended to resolve territorial disputes, ensure free trade and commerce, and establish apeacemaking organization. Included in these fourteen points was the proposal of the League ofNations.

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