This is a selection of the public communications of President Wilson to the American people. First come the public expositions of the President's policy, in his first inaugural address, some of his annual messages, and the numerous addresses to Congress which have been a feature of the administration. No President between John Adams and Wilson approached Congress in any other way than through the written messages sent by a subordinate, which were begun by President Thomas Jefferson. Some very characteristic short pieces in this volume are the letters and telegrams, sent on various occasions, such as the dedication of Cleveland's birthplace, the seventieth birthday of Edison, and greetings to the French and Russian governments.

Some of today’s premier experts on Woodrow Wilson contribute to this new collection of essays about the former statesman, portraying him as a complex, even paradoxical president. Reconsidering Woodrow Wilson reveals a person who was at once an international idealist, a structural reformer of the nation’s economy, and a policy maker who was simultaneously accommodating, indifferent, resistant, and hostile to racial and gender reform. Wilson’s progressivism is discussed in chapters by biographer John Milton Cooper and historians Trygve Throntveit and W. Elliot Brownlee. Wilson’s philosophy about race and nation is taken up by Gary Gerstle, and his gender politics discussed by Victoria Bissel Brown. The seeds of Wilsonianism are considered in chapters by Mark T. Gilderhus on Wilson’s Latin American diplomacy and war; Geoffrey R. Stone on Wilson’s suppression of seditious speech; and Lloyd Ambrosius on entry into World War I. Emily S. Rosenberg and Frank Ninkovich explore the impact of Wilson’s internationalism on capitalism and diplomacy; Martin Walker sets out the echoes of Wilson’s themes in the cold war; and Anne-Marie Slaughter suggests how Wilson might view the promotion of liberal democracy today. These essays were originally written for a celebration of Wilson’s 150th birthday sponsored by the official national memorial to Wilson—the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars—in collaboration with the Woodrow Wilson House. That daylong symposium examined some of the most important and controversial areas of Wilson’s political life and presidency.

This volume contributes to the Routledge Seminar Studies history series by providing a concise narrative overview of the ideas and foreign policy of Woodrow Wilson. It focuses on Wilson’s response to the First World War and his efforts to formulate a new international system, while also outlining Wilson’s policies toward different parts of the world. The book shows how Wilson shaped the direction of the 20th century in areas such as global governance, nationalism, decolonization, and international relations theory. In doing so, the book introduces the reader to the many debates over Wilsonian foreign policy. With a target audience of college undergraduates and non-experts, readers will gain a better understanding of Wilson’s vision for the world, his administration’s approaches to foreign policy, particularly during the First World War, and the global impact of his program.

"In these volumes will be found the diplomatic correspondence that preceded our decision to enter the war, and the subsequent statements made by Mr. Wilson to Congress and the country which resulted in our adoption of the status of belligerency."--Page xix.