We the People Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn
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Nov 28, 2024 Christopher Cox, a scholar and former U.S. representative, joins Geoffrey Stone, a distinguished professor at the University of Chicago, to delve into Woodrow Wilson's complex legacy. They tackle his inconsistent stances on women's suffrage, free speech, and racial equality, highlighting his administration's harsh suppression of dissent during WWI. The conversation also examines the tensions between national security and individual rights, alongside Wilson's troubling resegregation policies, offering a nuanced perspective on his historical impact.
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Grandmother's Mistake
- Christopher Cox's grandmother mistakenly believed women first voted in 1920.
- This sparked his interest in women's suffrage and its constitutional aspects.
Wilson and Free Speech
- Woodrow Wilson had zero tolerance for dissent, viewing disloyalty as beyond debate.
- He implemented the Espionage Act of 1917, suppressing free speech more than any time since the Alien and Sedition Acts.
Eugene Debs' Imprisonment
- Eugene Debs, head of the Socialist Party, was jailed for criticizing the war under Wilson's administration.
- This exemplifies Wilson's suppression of free speech during wartime.
