To what extent did President Woodrow Wilson provide a "New Freedom" for the American people?

2/25/2013

In his Fourteen Points, President Woodrow Wilson spoke of a New World order being established in a League of Nations.

Wilson's domestic policy was called the New Freedom. He believed government's role was to create a level playing field for all competitors in the market place.

Alice Paul said, "There will never be a new world order until women are a part of it."

How would Alice Paul answer the above question?

Taylor Dunn

2/27/2013 09:51:43 am

Woodrow Wilson provided a "New Freedom" for the United states, but it was a freedom of finance and economy. Wilson worked to crush the special privileges received by the rich and powerful of the nation and to expand the opportunities economically for the people on the lower end of society. However, giving economic freedom is not freedom at all to a woman of this time period that had no say in who held office and governed them. To a woman who sat in a home and cared for children while the men went out and made the world and made it IN the world. Wilson had to be hounded, had to be pushed over and over before he finally made the amend. And only did he even offer this to congress when a woman was ready to die in his jail for this movement, and it was leaked to the press of the terrible circumstances of which she faced for it. Yes, a new freedom. But he didn't see the need for women to be a part of this "new freedom", until it was thrown in his face and would make him be seen as an incompetent President to foreign countries if he did otherwise.

Tanner Flint

2/28/2013 09:24:31 am

During President Woodrow Wilson's campaign against President Roosevelt, Wilson promoted his "new freedom" as freedom for enterprise. He was outright against Theodore Roosevelt on the topic of antitrust modification. Woodrow Wilson claimed that "If America is not to have free enterprise, he can have freedom of no sort whatever." It was apparent he wanted a more free economy, but I do not believe he had intentions of tackling women's suffrage rights when he first took office in 1913. Women eventually did gain the right to vote in 1920 with the 19th amendment, which could indirectly credit him with a "new freedom" for American people. However, Alice Paul would most likely have given him no credit for granting new freedom to American people. She would say that he made it more difficult for women to acquire suffrage by clearly ignoring the women's righteous protest until the last moment.

Ivana Cooke

2/28/2013 11:06:26 am

President Wilson's "Fourteen Points" speech was basically about justifying the United States joining the Great War by saying it was being fought for just causes. He had a nice idea, no more secret arrangements, free navigation of all seas, an end to economic barriers between countries etc. Wilson included everything his new policy was going to do for the other nations of the world in his plan however nowhere did he include a solution to a major issue going on right in the U.S. During this time period woman in the U.S. were still fighting for suffrage. In Wilson's speech he says "An evident principle runs through the whole program I have outlined. It is the principle of justice to all peoples and nationalities, and their right to live on equal terms of liberty and safety with one another, whether they be strong or weak." Alice Paul would say that President Wilson greatly contradicted himself in his speech .

Ivana Cooke

2/28/2013 11:10:58 am

Sorry my last sentence got cut short. What I meant to say was..

Alice Paul would say that President Wilson greatly contradicted himself as this speech, which talked about the right of everyone to live on equal terms, was presented in 1918 and women did not gain the right to vote until 1920.

chelsea landor

3/4/2013 11:43:06 am

President Woodrow Wilson provided a “new freedom” for the American people because he recognized that the main issue was the relationship between big business and government. Woodrow’s main goal was to create success by reforming tariffs, banking and currency matters, antitrust modifications, negotiating foreign affairs and creating peace. In Wilson’s Fourteen Points the first five dealt with issues of broad international concern while the next eight points referred to specific territorial questions. Woodrow Wilson wanted to create peace so that it could be embraced by many populations that were enemies with one another in order to generate a hope to end the war. Alice Paul once said, "There will never be a new world order until women are a part of it." Alice Paul was a women suffragist fighter and leader who wanted equal rights for all. She believed that a new world would only exist if women were part of it having the same opportunities as men. Alice would of said that in order to make the world considered “new freedom” women would need to be included with the same rights as everyone else. Wilson tried really hard to pass the 19th amendment, giving women the right to vote but congress had denied it, women having to wait another year. Wilson did care towards women. Wilson said, “we have made partners of the women in this war...Shall we admit them only to a partnership of suffering and sacrifice and toil and not to a partnership of privilege and right?" Wilson basically saying that since they are in this war together why not make them permanently free, in other words give them their rights they deserve.

Kevin Napier

3/5/2013 04:08:41 am

Alice Paul was not a big fan of President Woodrow Wilson, if nothing else, for his lack of zeal in pushing a women's suffrage bill. Wilson was reluctant to give women voting rights. In 1917, Paul said, "MR. PRESIDENT, HOW LONG MUST WOMEN WAIT FOR LIBERTY?" Paul attacked Wilson on the platform that he was waging war abroad, while ignoring the needs of womens' suffrage at home. She called this hypocritical. Though Wilson created much opportunity for the American people socially and economically, womens' voting rights seemed to fall by the wayside. This is what Paul spoke of when she said, "there will never be a new world order unless women are a part of it." Paul would say that Wilson did not help the American people as a whole, unless the voices of women were included in his quest. When women were granted the right to vote in 1920 with the 19th amendment, Alice Paul would not give muh credit to Wilson for the accomplishment, as he had very little to do with its occurrence.

Maddie Dupuis

3/5/2013 10:37:42 am

alice Paul felt as if president Woodrow didn't respect woman. He flamed to be for change but wouldn't help woman's suffrage. If the president was truly for change he would have backed up Alice Paul and her group of independent woman. There for the president was not looking towards the future in the eyes of the woman. He is staying in the past believing woman can't contribute towards the future if America.

Tessa Goodine

3/6/2013 03:00:00 am

How can Woodrow Wilson say he is providing a new freedom? How dare he have the audacity to say that it is necessary for the United States to join the war in order to spread the seeds of democracy when he is the president of a country whose own democracy is being asphyxiated? President Wilson is waving a false front, standing up for freedom as a pompous bringer of light. He cares for his economy and personal gain. He doesn't care about his people, he doesn't care for the people in foreign countries. Wilson supported entering the war saying that it was purely altruistic, but this is a fallacy. He wanted to join the war because of the pressure England's trade policies were exhibiting on the economy. President Wilson pushed so avidly for a free peaceful trade network throughout the world because he wanted uninhibited economic power. When Wilson said he wanted to create an equal playing field for for all competitors he just accidentally forgot to think of the hundreds of thousands of women under his government. Oops, honest mistake I'm sure. Let's not worry about a "new" freedom before ALL citizens have a basic one.

Gaanploo Somboon

3/8/2013 08:38:25 am

President Woodrow Wilson provided his so-called “New Freedom” to those who already possessed freedoms to begin with, the men, just as the government of the United States had always done since its inception. The “New Freedom” is meant to level the playing field for the marketplace and yet, the playing field for equality and even for life in the United States has not yet been leveled. President Wilson’s blatant disregard for the welfare of women echoes the sentiments of many leaders in the country, all of whom are also male. It is the widely held belief that the “problems of men” are of a higher priority than ensuring the equality of all people regardless of gender. After all, why worry about equality when one already has rights? This is precisely why President Wilson’s “New Freedom” excludes women’s equality as it blazes the path of tariff, business, and banking reform with such acts as the Underwood Tariff Act, the Federal Trade Act, and the Clayton Anti-trust Act as well as establishing the Federal Trade Commission. While the “New Freedom” may have brought about a new world order for many working men in the United States, it is the unfortunate fact that “there will never be a new world order until women are a part of it” seeing as it is both ridiculous and unpractical to ignore the needs of and infringe upon the rights of half the population of this country.

Courtney Densmore

3/10/2013 08:03:47 am

"They call to us to say what it is that we desire, in what, if in anything, our purpose and our spirit differ from theirs; and I believe that the people of the United States would wish me to respond, with utter simplicity and frankness. Whether their present leaders believe it or not, it is our heartfelt desire and hope that some way may be opened whereby we may be privileged to assist the people of Russia to attain their utmost hope of liberty and ordered peace."

-Woodrow Wilson

Unfortunately, there are some Americans who feel they do not withhold basic liberty themselves in their home country, let alone support the independence of Russia. While optimistic in his foreign affairs policies, President Wilson fails to take into consideration the role of women during the early twentieth century. After the American war entrance, suffragists believed that if the United States would defend democracy abroad, they deserved it at home, especially women, who had been long awaiting the right to vote. Angered suffragettes, led by Alice Paul in 1917, picketed outside the White House, demanding female suffrage. Wilson tipped his hat, smiled, invited the ladies in for coffee. Not very good manners or respect from an American president. As 1917 rolled on, women remained in front of the iron gates. They were arrested, detained, and sentenced to beating and force-feeding in workhouses for 60 days. They were dragged, punched, and choked by angry crowds. And yet women remained. Presidents have to remain open-minded on politically hot issues, which Wilson did with difficulty. He believed these suffragettes were unfeminine, unpatriotic, and insulting. And the only reason he began to reconsider his stance on women's rights, and even address the Senate in favor of women's suffrage (to which was rejected), was because Wilson realized that he needed women's votes, nearly half of the American population, to be in favor of his unsuccessful policies and opinions on the war.

So, keeping this political story time in mind, one can infer that if you asked Alice Paul to what extent he provided a "New Freedom" to the American people, she would scoff.

Nate Woodcock

3/17/2013 11:05:04 am

Ever sense the Presidential campaign of 1912 Woodrow Wilson didn't support women's suffrage. He wasn't in favor of women's suffrage while his opponent Theodore Roosevelt was in favor of it. So right from the start, Wilson wasn't supported by women. Alice Paul organized "Silent Sentinels who protested in front of the White House, holding banners which stated "Mr. President -- What will you do for woman suffrage?" As you can see Paul didn't much support or appreciate the President. Wilson was used to these types of protest such as the Anti-war protests outside of the White House's gates. The women while plead for suffrage a lot of the time had been anti-war supporters. Wilson had seen these protests as becoming increasingly more disruptive. One day the protectors and bystanders who supported the war went against each other and fought. Wilson had all these people arrested and many of the women "fasted" or went on hunger strikes. Because of this President Wilson was nervous about a bad reputation and didn't want his administration brandished so in January of 1919 he agreed to a suffrage amendment. Two years later the 19th Amendment was passed and women were granted suffrage. I believe Paul would say that American's were not given a "New Freedom" and that Wilson only support the businesses of the time. Wilson did pass a tariff reform,a business reform, and a bank reform but nothing for women until late in his presidency. Alice Paul would simply say that Woodrow Wilson waited too long and many women went through too much before they were granted suffrage. Also, I believe Paul would Woodrow Wilson little credit to the 19th Amendment saying that he only did this too keep his reputation from being tarnished. But I believe Wilson deserves a little more credit then he's given. In his speech to congress of September of 1917 he said this about women who were contributing to the home front during WWI, "we have made partners of the women in this war...Shall we admit them only to a partnership of suffering and sacrifice and toil and not to a partnership of privilege and right?". Wilson was trying to protect his self but I think hat he realized that women deserved this right and deserves some more credit then he usually receives because throughout his presidency his opinion towards women's suffrage grew in favor of it.

Nate

3/17/2013 11:07:39 am

I meant reputation tarnished instead of brandished..oops

Paige Hawkins

3/18/2013 11:48:18 pm

During his campaign against Roosevelt President Wilson won the 1912 Elections through his speeches. Wilson spoke of a better society and recieved 42% of the vote. After winning wilson addressed his "New Freedom" Through his fourteen points which spoke out against the causes of the war and economic barriers of trade in the world, Wilson believed the the government should play the field so to speak. He believed that in the business society the only way to tame monopolys were by anti trust acts.

Paige

3/19/2013 12:01:29 am

Computer gave up on me, wasn't completely done..
Wilsons idea to a new freedom began with a Stronger democratic party, he strived to replace the republican administration for placing high tariffs on commonly imported goods wilson felt that high tariffs were a economic downfall and hurt the pockets of average americans. Wilson was successful in his attempts to change the tariffs acts and congress eventually passed the Underwood act which decreased the tarriffs on all imported goods by 25%. Wilson also sought to improve the nations federal banking system which had been very inefficient up until his time of presidency. During his "New Freedom" reform Wilson only thought of himself he wanted to provide a new freedom for himself and men like him he did not think of the women or children whom were not affected by his changes directly but who felt the effect due to his attitude toward their struggles. During the 1900s women wanted nothing more than the right to a voice and to feel equal to their spouse but with a president like wilson they did not get the respect they deserved. Women like alice paul did not support Wilson because he was not supportive of them, Paul gathered a group of women to protest infront of the white house questioning wilsons support of womens reform.

Paige

3/19/2013 12:05:43 am

In my opinion wilson did not provide a "New Freedom" he made changes that would later only affect the MEN of his caliber which was a selfsh move seeing as though he was not only the president to men but the president to every person male or female in American society during that time. He made beneficial changes but to say he provided a "New Freedom" shows his bold arrogance .

Coleman Reardon

4/12/2013 01:24:36 am

While in his first term, President Wilson enacted many policies as a part of "The New Freedom". The most important programs of this New Freedom were attempts at trying to better the economy of the U.S. While some of these programs, such as the creation of a federal reserve, were successful, some people of the time speculated that the New Freedom did not go far enough to help the other aspects of American life. One of these critics was Alice Paul, an advocate of women's suffrage. Alice Paul thought that President Wilson should have focused on the important topic of suffrage amongst his other ideas when creating the New Freedom. While much of the country during President Wilson's tenure bought into his New Freedom, a very large portion (women) thought it didn't go far enough.

To what extent did President Woodrow Wilson provide a "New Freedom" for the American people?

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