Although he was the president that took the United States into World War I, Woodrow Wilson also worked hard to keep neutral in the conflict. Before he was even president, he had gained high leadership roles as the president of Princeton, followed by becoming the governor of New Jersey. During the conflict of World War I, Wilson worked on his idea of a united government system that would work together as allies, known as the League of Nations.Born to a Presbyterian minister, young Thomas Woodrow was given an excellent education, but one that was strict and unyielding. After graduating from Princeton, he attempted law school and eventually a practice, but left the field for his graduate work and eventual doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. During his time, he fine-tuned his ideas about what the President should be, how he should lead the country, and what his defined roles would be. After his doctorate, he taught political science.
When Woodrow Wilson became a governor in 1910, he was a gifted leader who fought corruption and helped employees who were treated unfairly by their jobs. He also worked to create a balanced system between public utilities and taxpayers. By the time he became president in 1912, he was ready to put his theories of leadership into direct practice.
President Woodrow Wilson served two terms in office. In his first years, he created the Federal Reserve Act that would put banking systems under federal control. He also saw the Federal Trade Commission come into existence and was able to avoid war in Mexico with the help of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Even though he attempted to keep out of World War I, by the time Germany kept showing itself as probably victors in France and England, and after sinking American ships with submarines, Wilson declared war and sated that the country would be held accountable for every American life it ended. By forming the League of Nations, he hoped that any future bloody incidents would be avoided. Wilson saw the fruition of the Treaty of Versailles, which held Germany responsible for the war. Even though some of his policies backfired or have been criticized, Woodrow Wilson is regarded as one of the greatest presidents of all time who did not simply rush into war on a whim, but attempted, above all else, peace.