A 1915 Spring in Washington

Yesterday was the 100th anniversary of the Lusitania. You heard about the tragic deaths that resulted in this attack, but how about another view? Director Robert Enholm at the President Woodrow Wilson House explains what was happening in President Woodrow Wilson's life during this tragedy.

The azaleas and dogwoods are abloom as spring erupts across Washington, D.C.

President Wilson’s wife, Ellen Axson Wilson, had died in the White House that previous summer, the very week that the German Empire invaded Belgium to commence the “Great War.” The fall and winter were hard as Wilson dealt with his personal grief and witnessed the growing tragedy of the global war and strained to keep the United States out of the cataclysm.

The arrival of springtime is always greeted with a smile in Washington, and it must have been especially so for President Wilson in 1915. The longer days and bright flowers were accompanied by a personal turn of events: The President had fallen in love! In late March, through serendipitous circumstances, President Wilson had been introduced to a Washington widow named Edith Bolling Galt. They fell for each other immediately.

The circumstances for this budding romance were difficult. How does a sitting President woo a lady in the early twentieth century? There were no tweets or email. Telephones were still novel, and telephone conversations were not confidential. Prevailing rules of decorum prevented the couple from even meeting together without a chaperon.

The answer in 1915 was handwritten letters. Woodrow Wilson and Edith Bolling Galt commenced a flurry of romantic correspondence, much of which has survived to the modern day.

Mr. Woodrow Wilson and Edith Wilson
on their Wedding Day in 1916
President Woodrow Wilson House

President Woodrow Wilson even sent a letter on the day that the RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German torpedo. The passenger ocean liner on her way from New York to Liverpool sank in 18 minutes. Nearly 1,200 died, 127 of them Americans.

Many thought the sinking of the Lusitania would plunge the United States immediately into The Great War. Instead, it took two years, until April 1917, before President Wilson sought a declaration of war.

President Wilson relied on diplomacy in responding to the Lusitania sinking. His love for Edith Bolling Galt surely provided emotional strength to him in this time. By Sunday, May 9, President Wilson was writing to her:

“My love for you passes current expression. I need you. … Do you think it an accident that we found one another at this time of my special need and that it meant nothing that we found each other so immediately and so joyously? … I hope that you will be thinking of me to-night. I shall be working on my speech for to-morrow and on our note to Germany. Every sentence of both would be freighted with greater force and meaning if I could feel that your mind and heart were keeping me company!” 

-(The Papers of Woodrow Wilson, Arthur Link, ed., vol. 33, 1980) 

It was an amazing spring in Washington.

-Director Robert Enholm

War & Art

Today, War & Art: Destruction and Protection of Italian Cultural Heritage during World War I will be on display at the President Woodrow Wilson House through July 2015.

The tragedy of World War One included not only human casualties but also the damage and destruction of cities, towns, great buildings, gardens, statues, libraries, museums and the works of art within them. Throughout the “Great War,” the Italian people struggled to protect their cultural patrimony from the ravages of war. These photographs in the War & Art exhibition document their efforts to protect these iconic works.

St. Marks Basilica, Venice
 (Photo Courtesy of Archaeology Travel) 

One of the historical structures protected during this time was St. Marks Basilica in Venice, Italy. Considered a treasure of Italian cultural heritage, St. Marks has been the Cathedral Church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice since the 1000s. War & Art shows the extensive efforts the Italians made in order to protect and preserve the Cathedral. These preventative measures ranged from using sandbags to building fences to protect the Basilica’s interior and façade.

In addition to the Cathedral, the Italians also cared for the four life-size bronze horses on the Basilica’s front façade. To many, these sculptures might seem less significant compared to the structure of the Basilica. However, these horses symbolize the long and vast history of Venice to the Italian people.

MCRR Album V, 60x:
Venice, St. Mark's Basilica,
removal of the bronze horses on the facade,
1915

Originally, these bronze horses belonged to the Byzantine Empire and stood as part of the Hippodrome of Constantinople for centuries. During the 1200s, the Venetians triumphed over the Byzantine Empire in the Fourth Crusade. Their victory led them to take home the riches of the capital—including these horse sculptures. Doge Dandolo, the Venetian leader, arranged for the four horses to be installed on the front façade of St. Marks Basilica. Ever since, the Venetians take pride with this symbol of their triumph over the Byzantine Empire. 

Due to this rich history, the destruction of World War I proved to be too vast and great to leave the horses unprotected. In 1915, the Italians decided to dismantle and relocate the sculptures. War & Art shows the process of the horses moving from the front façade to the ground where they were packaged in order to be shipped to safety.

St. Marks Basilica and the bronze horses are only some of the many stories incorporated into War & Art. The photographs in this exhibition not only document early preservation efforts, but have also become works of arts in their own right. 

MCRR Fp2 0081: Possagno in the province of Treviso,
transportation of the gypsum statue of George
Washington by Antonio Canova after the museum was bombed
1918

As a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the President Woodrow Wilson House is pleased to co-sponsor and to display this remarkable collection of photographs taken in Italy during World War One. We extend our thanks to the Italian government and people and to the Embassy of Italy to the United States for making this exhibition possible.

This exhibition has been organized by Istituto Per La Storia Del Risorgimento Italiano, Roma, the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute in Washington D.C., with support from theItalian Cultural Institute of Chicago.

Thanksgiving During the First World War

            As we reach mid-November, more and more Americans are turning their thoughts towards their Thanksgiving plans. Setting aside a day to enjoy good food and company and to reflect on the blessings and good fortunes in our lives is a tradition older than the country itself. The Continental Congress of the United States proclaimed two official Days of Thanksgiving during the Revolutionary War: the first after the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga and the second when the war ended with the Treaty of Paris. Presidents George Washington, John Adams, and James Madison all issued presidential proclamations declaring official days of thanks, as has every president since Abraham Lincoln. [1] Every year that he was president, Woodrow Wilson followed their example by declaring the last Thursday in November to be “…a day of thanksgiving and prayer, and [he invited] the people throughout the land to cease from their wonted occupations and in their several homes and places of worship render thanks to almighty God” every year of his presidency.[2]

   However, the outbreak of war in Europe during President Wilson’s first term in office impacted how many Americans, including the President himself, viewed the traditional day of feasting. While measures such as the ration stamps of World War II were never used in the United States during World War I, Americans were called to be mindful of what they were using and to conserve food even prior to the United States joining the conflict in 1917. In his 1916 Thanksgiving Proclamation, President Wilson reminded the American people that many were struggling in war-torn Europe, stating:

…And I also urge and suggest our duty in this our day of peace and abundance to think in deep sympathy of the stricken peoples of the world upon whom the curse and terror of war has so pitilessly fallen, and to contribute out of our abundant means to the relief of their suffering. Our people could in no better way show their real attitude towards the present struggle of the nations than by contributing out of their abundance to the relief of the suffering which war has brought in its train.[3]

November 29, 1916 ad from the 4th page of the Janesville Daily Gazette mentioning the “prohibitive cost of foodstuffs.” 

            Americans during World War I were called on to remember that things like sugar, meat, wheat, and other necessities were becoming more and more difficult to provide to Allied soldiers in Europe, and that they could do their part year-round by buying local foods, wasting nothing, and choosing to go without certain items as often as possible. When it came to the holiday season, Americans were no less mindful of their duty to conserve food. The Food Administration asked Americans to grow their own food and to buy as little as possible for their Thanksgiving feasts, and newspapers and magazines of the time printed tips and substitutes for traditional foods such as sugar-laden cranberry sauce.[4]

Posters reminded Americans of food rations abroad and urged them to limit their use of sugar (Library of Congress)

            President and Mrs. Wilson tried to set an example for the American people to follow when it came to cutting back around the holidays. According to an article printed on the fourth page of the November 30, 1917 Boston Globe, the first family spent that Thanksgiving by attending church that morning and an evening ball held by the Navy Relief Society after enjoying a small meal at the White House. “Only members of the President’s household were present and the menu was arranged with a view to food conservation, Mrs. Wilson having been one of the first signers of the food pledge cards.”

Americans around the country forwent traditional dishes in order to support the war effort. San Jose Mercury News,28 November 1917, page 9. Accessed through GeneologyBank.com.

            If you are interested in learning more about the holiday seasons of the past, including during President Wilson’s lifetime, consider attending the Holidays through History event that will be held on December 6, 2014. This ticketed event includes a tour of The President Woodrow Wilson House, Dumbarton House, Anderson House, and Tudor Place, all decorated in period style for the holidays. Refreshments and live music will be provided at each site.For more information, please visit our website. If you are unable to attend the event, The President Woodrow Wilson House will be decorated throughout the holiday season.

-Sophia Vayansky, Fall 2014 Intern

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[1]  “Thanksgiving Proclamations 1789-Present,” WhatSoProudlyWeHailed.org, accessed November 14, 2014.

[2]  President Woodrow Wilson, “Proclamation 1496 - Thanksgiving Day, 1918,” accessed through The American Presidency Project, November 14, 2014.

[3]  President Woodrow Wilson, “Proclamation 1352 - Thanksgiving Day, 1916,” accessed through The American Presidency Project, November 14, 2014.

[4]  Gena Philibert-Ortega, “Rationing Thanksgiving Dinner during World War I,” accessed through GeneologyBank.com, November 14, 2014.

Mrs. Wilson's Travels

           After President Woodrow Wilson’s death in 1924 his wife, Edith Bolling Galt Wilson, remained dedicated to her husband’s work and memory. She personally worked with President Wilson’s biographer and with those responsible for writing the 1944 film, Wilson.[1] Mrs. Wilson was also responsible for preserving her husband’s birthplace in Staunton, Virginia as a museum, and it was Mrs. Wilson who donated their S Street home in Washington, D.C. and its contents to the National Trust for Historic Preservation after her death.[2] However, the former First Lady was not satisfied in protecting her husband’s legacy in the United States, and she often traveled abroad in order to continue her work around the world.

            Mrs. Wilson became familiar with international travel during her husband’s time in office. After World War I, Mrs. Wilson accompanied her husband to Europe while he negotiated the Treaty of Versailles, making her the first current First Lady to travel to Europe.[3] After President Wilson’s death, Mrs. Wilson felt that, in addition to guarding her husband’s historical reputation, it was her duty to travel the world in order to continue the work that he started with the League of Nations.

President and Mrs. Wilson in Paris, Photo from Library of Congress

           In 1929, Mrs. Wilson set off on a world tour, during which she visited China, England, France, and Japan. Her cousin, Rudolph Bolling Teusler, was the head of the St. Luke’s International Hospital in Tokyo at the time, and he came to the United States in order to be with Mrs. Wilson as she traveled from New York to Paris. Teusler’s wife, children, and one of his coworkers from St. Luke’s eventually joined the party in France.[4] Mrs. Wilson made more trips in the 1930’s to new places, such as Egypt, Poland, Germany, and Mexico. Every year, Mrs. Wilson traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, the head quarters of the League of Nations, in order to “observe the workings of the organization her husband has labored so hard to establish.”[5]

            However, while Mrs. Wilson certainly worked to support the League of Nations after her husband’s death, other Americans continued to reject the idea. Many people in congress were afraid that the United States would become a de facto member if they worked too closely with the League of Nations, and Washington therefore avoided working with Geneva whenever possible. Furthermore, the League’s association with the very flawed Treaty of Versailles soon caused the international community to lose faith and confidence in the League of Nations.[6]

President Roosevelt signing the Declaration of War with Japan, Photo from Library of Congress

             However, the idea of an international organization did not disappear. On December 8, 1941, with Mrs. Wilson in the audience, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on the Japanese Empire, bringing the United States into World War II. The war ended a little less than four years later and the American public, by then veterans of two global conflicts, supported the idea of a new organization, which would become the United Nations.


-Sophia Vayansky, Fall 2014 Intern

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[1] “First Lady Biography: Edith Wilson,” National First Ladies’ Library.

[2] Caroli, Betty Boyd, “Edith Wilson,” Encyclopedia Britannica.

[3] “First Lady Biography: Edith Wilson,” National First Ladies’ Library.

[4] Streich, Mary, “Edith Wilson & the Orient: 1928, 1932.”

[5] Streich, Mary, “Edith Wilson & the Orient: 1928, 1932.”

[6] “League of Nations, 1920,” United States Department of State, Office of the Historian.

Spotlight on our Collections: Princeton University Pennant

Princeton University banner.
Photo courtesy of WWH. 

             As the only president to earn a PhD, Woodrow Wilson is often remembered as a prominent scholar. This brown and orange banner emblazoned with the word “Princeton” is representative of the four years Woodrow Wilson spent as an undergraduate at Princeton University, originally known as the College of New Jersey, and the eight years he served as president of the university. Hung in what was colloquially referred to by President Wilson as the “dugout,” the banner emphasizes the important role that education and scholarship played in Wilson’s life. Before becoming a politician, Wilson pursued an academic career and spent many years as a prominent professor of political science.

A collection of Wilson's Princeton memorabilia.
Photo courtesy of WWH. 

As a child, Wilson struggled in school and did not learn to read until the age of 10. He truly began to succeed academically when he transferred to Princeton University in 1875 from Davidson College in North Carolina. Wilson made the most of his four years there by engaging in a wide variety of extra-curricular activities. For example, Wilson organized a pick-up baseball team called the Bowery Boys and by his junior years was the managing editor of the school newspaper. Additionally, Wilson spent a great deal of time learning and perfecting his public speaking skills as part of the debate club. Despite all of the time he dedicated to activities outside of the classroom, “…Wilson ultimately distinguished himself most as a scholar, through countless hours of independent thought and work. He was bursting with ideas, as every book he read seemed to inspire one he hoped to write.”[1] After graduating in the top third of his class, Wilson enrolled in Law School at University of Virginia but soon realized that he was not interested in the practice of law. After a short stint as a lawyer in Atlanta, Wilson returned to graduate school at Johns Hopkins University. After three years of study, Wilson received his doctorate and began his teaching career. Wilson was an immensely popular professor and “At the end of his classes, Wilson was often given a standing ovation.”[2] Although Wilson had always wanted to pursue a career in politics, this desire lay dormant during his years spent as a lecturer. He spent several years teaching political science at Bryn Mawr and Wesleyan but eventually returned to his Alma Mater, Princeton University.

Woodrow Wilson in his Princeton University robes.
Photo courtesy of WWH. 

After distinguishing himself as a professor and competent public speaker, Wilson was selected as the 13^th President of Princeton University in 1902. As a deeply religious person who was committed to leaving the world a better place than he had found it, Wilson was happy to this position because “…he considered Princeton’s goals tied to those of every college, and the role of higher education bound to the progress of the nation.”[3] Wilson served as President of Princeton for eight years and made several notable improvements during that time, such as: improving the curriculum, establishing a graduate school, and increasing the number of distinguished professors. Today, Woodrow Wilson’s legacy of scholarship and international understanding are preserved on the Princeton University campus through the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. The school, named in Wilson’s honor, works to prepare students for careers in public service and frequently collaborates with the President Woodrow Wilson House Museum. 

-Madison Keller

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[1] H.W. Brands, Woodrow Wilson (New York: Henry Holt and Company LLC, 2003), 69.

[2] PBS American Experience, directed by Carl Baker and Mitch Wilson (2001; California: PBS, 2001), DVD.

[3] A. Scott Berg, Wilson (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2013), 146.

2014 Kalorama House and Embassy Tour

             Last Sunday, those interested in everything from architecture to foreign cultures and everything in between had the opportunity to attend the annual Kalorama House and Embassy Tour, organized by The President Woodrow Wilson House. Visitors had the option to tour six different embassies and a private residence on S Street. They enjoyed refreshments, a jazz ensemble, and an open-house atmosphere at the President Woodrow Wilson House, which is also located on S Street.

Crystal Chandelier, a jazz ensemble, provided live music at the President Woodrow Wilson House on Sunday.

            The Kalorama neighborhood of Washington D.C. was named by Joel Barlow, a poet who moved into the area in 1808. “Kalorama” is Greek for “a beautiful view.” Since the early nineteenth century Kalorama neighborhood was a largely undeveloped, suburban area overlooking downtown D.C., Barlow thought that the name suited the area quite well.[1]

            President Wilson and his wife, Mrs. Edith Wilson, moved into the neighborhood in 1921 after leaving the White House, making the Wilsons the first and only presidential couple to make Washington their permanent residence after leaving office. Their home on S Street, now The President Woodrow Wilson House, was a stately four story mansion that was grand enough to receive guests, but still quiet enough President Wilson could rest, recuperate (he had suffered from a stroke during his second term) and enjoy a peaceful retirement. Waddy Woods built the Wilson house in the Georgian Revival style, one several popular styles of architecture in the neighborhood. Kalorama is also home to examples of Beaux Arts, Mediterranean, and other interesting and beautiful architectural styles.[2] 

 

Guests had the opportunity to enjoy refreshments and music in the back garden at the President Woodrow Wilson House.

            The area continued to develop and urbanize throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as the streetcar and other transportation systems transformed D.C. into the modern city that it is today. However, it was not until the Great Depression hit the United States 1929 that the beautiful embassies and ambassadorial residences that visitors had the chance to tour last Sunday began to show up in Kalorama. After the stock market crash, many of the area’s wealthier families and homeowners hit hard times and were forced to sell their homes. In many cases, those home were bought by the U.S. government, who transformed the buildings into foreign embassies.[3]

Among the stops on the tour was the Cultural Center at the Korean Embassy. Visitors were able to see beautiful art, try Korean food, wear traditional Korean clothing, and learn about Korean culture.

            The 2014 Kalorama House and Embassy Tour allowed visitors a special chance to explore parts of this beautiful and historic neighborhood that are not generally open to the public. However, the area is always a wonderful place to take a quiet walk and admire the houses and imposing architecture of the modern embassies. Of course, while you are in the area, be sure to visit The President Woodrow Wilson House on S Street!

-Sophia Vayansky

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[1]Shilpi Paul, “Kalorama: A Posh View From Embassy Row,” D.C. Urban Turf.

[2]The President Woodrow Wilson House, “Wilson House,” www.woodrowwilsonhouse.org/wilson-house

Shilpi Paul, “Kalorama: A Posh View From Embassy Row,” D.C. Urban Turf

[3] Shilpi Paul, “Kalorama: A Posh View From Embassy Row,” D.C. Urban Turf.

A Decade of Change

The years from 1910 to 1920 were a time of great change for the United States. Led by President Wilson from 1913 till 1921, the nation became a true world power. The country was involved in numerous foreign affairs, from the completion of the Panama Canal in 1914 to entering the Great War in 1917. At home, Americans saw a lot of change in their day to day lives as well.

During the first five years of the decade, 1910-1915, immigrants were entering the US at an average of 900,000 per year. Immigrants were arriving at record breaking numbers; more than 22 million had set foot in America by 1914. All of this changed when WWI broke out in Europe in 1914. From 1915-1919, the number of immigrants entering the United States dropped to an average of only a quarter of a million per annum¹. Answering the call of their home nations embroiled in conflict, many immigrants left the US, most of them from eastern cities. Labor shortages resulted from young men enlisting in the war effort and from the lack of immigrant laborers. Other minorities - such as women and African Americans - began to take advantage of the large amounts of work left undone.

  

An African American family moving up north
Source: International African American Museum

Referred to as the Great Migration, millions of African Americans migrated from the southern states to the more industrialized north to answer the call to work. African Americans could expect to earn three times more working in a Northern factory as compared to working in the Southern fields. Between 1910 and 1920, northern industrial cities saw large booms in their African American populations. New York’s African American population experienced an increase of 66%. Chicago’s population grew by 148%. Detroit, the center of the newly invented automobile, grew by 611%². Many of these new workers took jobs in factories, slaughterhouses, and foundries, or metal casting factories.

An increase in the manufacturing and mechanical industries was not only a result of a greater demand for these services through war efforts but also a result of the changing living and working conditions. The Keating-Own Child Labor Act was signed in 1916, limiting the work hours for children which began a new program of federal regulation in the industry³. Workdays, in general, became shorter. For example, railroad workers, with the help of the Adamson Act in 1916, had an eight-hour workday established. Labor unions also increased in prominence and power with the passing of the Clayton Antitrust Act in 1914. Unfair business practices were clearly defined, and peaceful strikes and picketing were legalized³. 

A Ford car factory in 1917
Source: Library of Congress

The 1910s saw a great change in transportation as well. Americans became captivated by the introduction of automobiles and airplanes. With the introduction of the automobile in 1886 and the Ford Model T in 1908, people were able to travel farther distances at a much faster rate than ever before. In 1910, there were 458,500 registered automobiles in the US⁴; by 1920, that number had risen to 9.2 million⁵. The number of public roads increased drastically, from 2,151,570 miles in 1910 to 2,777,687 in 1920⁵. Other industries tied to the automobile also benefitted from its invention. Automobiles became the lifeline of the petroleum industry and one of the chief customers of the steel industry.

With the Wright Brothers’ first flight in 1903, the world was brought into the aerial age. The first commercial flight took place on January 1, 1914. Abram C. Pheil became the first paying passenger as he won a bid to fly for $400. Pheil, along with pilot Tony Jannus, flew from St. Petersburg, Florida to Tampa, Florida on a round trip that lasted less than an hour and half⁶. Interests in flight continued to take off after the end of WWI. Experienced fighter pilots were eager to come home and show America their newly developed skills. Air shows sprang up around the country, as pilots competed for awards in distance, speed, and acrobatic stunts⁷. 

Claude Grahame-White was the first to fly over
our nation's capital on October 14, 1910.
Source: Library of Congress 

Wilson’s presidency was a landmark time that highlights a period when the United States was coming into the modern era. People were starting to realize their rights and to fight for them. New inventions changed the way the old methods of communication and transportation. Many of this decade’s events, including the Great War, would pave the way for future leaders.

¹ Increase of Population in the United States 1910-1920, William S. Rossiter

² Great Migration, History Channel 

³ Legislation during the Wilson Administration, PBS

⁴ The History of American Technology, Bryant University

⁵ 1920s, Federal Reserve Archive [PDF]

⁶ The First Commercial Flight, FirstFlight Centennial

⁷ The Aerial Age Begins, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum 

-Catherine Yuan

The 26th Annual Garden Party at The President Woodrow Wilson House

The 26th Annual Garden Party Invitation.
The Woodrow Wilson House, Washington DC.

The 26^th Annual Garden Party at the President Woodrow Wilson House was a spectacular event this year. Live music, pink drinks, floral prints, and to “top” it all off—hats galore!

The home and gardens were designed by architect Waddy Butler Wood in 1915. President Wilson and his wife Edith often enjoyed the view of the garden from their bedroom balcony or from the solarium, where Wilson preferred to have most of his meals.

The layout of the garden is unique. It has an upper level and a lower level. Situated in the middle of the lower level of the garden is a circular pond with a statue of Pan, the Greek god of the wild, shepherds and flocks. The landscape is very simple and classical, reflecting the time period very well.

Set up for the 26th Annual Garden Party.
(Photo Credit: Rebecca McGovern)

For the Garden Party event, the Woodrow Wilson House transformed the garden into a chic outdoors area where guests could mingle among the flowers, lounge on the patio, or groove to the live music inside the tent. Inside the house, guests could explore Wilson’s library, the solarium, the drawing room, and the dining room.

(Photo Credit: Rebecca McGovern)

Occasions catering provided many delectable appetizers such as individual corn soufflés, pomegranate glazed chicken, bite-sized caprese salad, asparagus and gruyére beignets, and miniature grilled cheese and short rib sandwiches. Desserts were not lacking either; blueberry, coconut and lemon tartlets, carrot cake push pops parfaits, honey ganache beehives, and miniature chocolate éclairs! 

At the bar, two specialty cocktails made a splash at the event. A Watermelon Vodka Cooler sponsored by Maryland’s Own Betty Sloop Vodka and Mayan Ruins, a sweet and spicy Jalapeño cocktail sponsored by Vida Tequila. For those who prefer a nice glass of wine, Narmada Winery provided two signature white wines for the event. 

Top image: Chris Keller and Director Bob Enholm.
(Photo Credit: Colour Me Glam)
Bottom images (from left): Tisha Jepson, Charlotte Aukamp,
and Dr. Dianne McRae all with Director Bob Enholm.
(Photo Credit: Rebecca McGovern)

To celebrate President Wilson’s and Edith’s fancy for hats; guests were eligible to win prizes for the best hats. The winner of “best gentlemen’s hat” went to Chris Keller, who used fresh flowers from his home garden. Tisha Jepson captured the win for “best lady’s hat” sporting her great grandfather’s antique top hat. For “most creative,” Dr. Dianne McRae took the prize with her emerald green hat from the Middleburg Steeplechase. Honorable mention went to Charlotte Aukamp for her unique and stylish hair piece.

The 26^th Annual Garden Party proved to not only be a successful social event full of fun and fashion, but also an opportunity for guests to admire President Wilson’s historic home and gardens. While exploring the venue, guests couldn’t help but discover a little history here and there about President Wilson and Edith’s life. 

(Photo Credit: Rebecca McGovern)

- Rebecca McGovern

Propaganda Posters of WWI

When President Wilson ran for his second term, his campaign slogan was “He Kept Us Out of War.” He shared the same sentiment as most Americans at that time, which was one of American neutrality. But with the Germans continued use of unrestricted submarine warfare and the sinking of the American liner Housatonic in February 1917, public outcry against Germany convinced Wilson to ask for a declaration of war on April 2, 1917.

Uncle Sam was a key figure used throughout the
war campaign.

Once in the war, Wilson led a war-mobilization effort across the nation. The Selective Service Act was enacted in May 1917, requiring men between the ages of 21 and 35 to register for the draft. The government also gained control over the railroad industry to prevent strikes and work stoppages. In an effort to increase morale for the war, Wilson created the Committee on Public Information and appointed George Creel, an outspoken supporter of Wilson during both his elections in 1912 and 1916, as its leader. The committee’s strategy was to utilize all aspects of media, including film, art and posters, to address all parts of society to help ensure the full backing of the US war effort. 

The army was a place for men to learn skills
and to better themselves.

For young men, the committee called upon their patriotic spirit to enlist in the army. The use of American icons, such as Uncle Sam, gave them the message that joining the army was a duty to the country. Posters also showed the military as a place to better educate and prepare men with trade skills. Men would not only be doing a service to their country but also a service to themselves. Propaganda techniques like these can still be seen in military recruitment advertisements today.

The government borrowed money from Americans
through the sale of liberty bonds.

An American Red Cross nurse was also
called "our greatest mother."

On the homefront, the Committee of Public Information used posters to persuade women and other members of the public to help out in any way possible. War bonds were cleverly nicknamed liberty bonds in hopes of raising sentiments of freedom and hope. Representatives from the committee, called four-minute men, traveled cross country to give public speeches urging Americans at home to help fund the war. While the men were overseas, women were recruited to join the American Red Cross and become nurses. Nursing offered women the opportunity to work outside of the home and directly with the war.

President Wilson had said that
gardening was "just as real and patriotic
an effort as the building of ships
or the firing of cannon."

Diets were also a part of life that changed.
Certain foods, such as wheat, were conserved
to be sent overseas. 

In an effort to include all Americans, efforts were also used to call upon the services of young children. They were encouraged to join the United States School Garden Army as they were seen as the “soldiers of the soil”. Gardening efforts also helped increase the food supply available for both the homefront and overseas. Posters even appealed to the littlest of Americans by asking them to change their diets to include corn cereals instead of wheat. By presenting simple tasks like these, the committee made it seem that joining the war effort was easy.

President Wilson and the Committee on Public Information were tasked with the job of uniting a country made primarily of immigrants with differing opinions of the war. Through government legislation and the use of propaganda, Wilson and the committee were able to muster enough support to turn the war in favor of the Allies. A year after the US entered the war, Germany surrendered in November 1918.   

All posters images are from the online site: UNC School of Education. 

-Catherine Yuan