President Woodrow Wilson, seated at desk with his wife, Edith Bolling Galt, standing at his side
The previous October, Wilson had suffered a stroke and many believe that Edith became the de facto President of the United States. For the next 1.5 years of his presidency, he was partially paralyzed and blind and also suffered brain damage.
The French ambassador to the US said that "Wilson was a non-factor in governance. The real power rested with “Mme. President.”
Can a woman be US President? Well, many would argue that a woman has been President. 100 years ago, Wilson suffered a stroke (10/1919) and for the next 1.5 years, his wife, Edith, either carried out his wishes - or made the decisions?
Surely behind the scenes Presidential advisors were very helpful and made sure necessary things got done very quietly. The wife likely did help but I doubt she did a lot of governance and political decision-making. Just my own opinion here.
So, you bring up an interesting point! Actually, at that time (when we were a nation of laws), there was no law that governed this. The 25th Amendment wasn't passed until after Kennedy was killed. And Wilson didn't resign or die. So (as it is reported, anyway), Edith limited access to him and no one could prove that he wasn't running the nation on his own. So many possibilities!!
Being incapacitated as he was someone had to make the decisions and who better than the one closest to him (probably in an advisory way as a go-between with his "Ministers of State")
Legally, due to being sworn in, HE was president.. regardless of his level of incapacitation.. She was a wife helping and supporting her husband in his time of need..
I think we're looking at the question wrong. It shouldn't be "Can a woman be President" - of course she could, IF she were elected. The question SHOULD BE - is America ready to elect a woman to the highest office in the land? Is America READY to trust a woman over a man, with the HIGHEST office in our land. I think not (this time or this next election). We aren't just looking for change here - we are looking for "stability" with a comfy, non-threatening and respected President we can be proud of again. To pull us all back together.
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, serving two terms from 1913 to 1921.
Born on December 28, 1856, in Staunton, Virginia, Wilson was the son of a Presbyterian minister and grew up in the South during the Civil War. He was a scholar, a professor, and a politician, who is widely regarded as one of the most influential presidents in American history.
During his presidency, Wilson implemented several important progressive reforms, including the creation of the Federal Reserve System, the Clayton Antitrust Act, and the first federal income tax. He also led the United States through World War I, playing a significant role in the Allies' victory and advocating for the League of Nations.
Despite his achievements, Wilson's presidency was also marked by controversy and criticism (like many of our U.S. Presidents see Presidential Scandals - 1776 through early 1900's), particularly in relation to his handling of race relations, civil liberties, and the Treaty of Versailles.
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Please reach out and message us here if you have any questions, feedback, requests to merge biographies, or just want to say hi! 2020 marks 20 years since the inception of AncientFaces. We are the same team who began this community so long ago. Over the years it feels, at least to us, that our family has expanded to include so many. Thank you!
I love researching my family and the main names I'm searching for in my family are: Taylor/Horner/Sims/Baker/Dennis/Fife/
White/Miller/Jackson/Essick/Todd/Romine
& Perrin
In my husband's family: Lanza/Meier/
Cassel/Noland/Thompson/Payne/Rees/
Marheine/Falikowski/Mohrhoff/Johnson
Gurecio/Gustafson/Thom
Areas are: Ireland/Germany/England to:
PA-OH-Wis-Iowa
I want to build a place where my son can meet his great-grandparents. My grandmother Marian Joyce (Benning) Kroetch always wanted to meet her great-grandchildren, but she died just a handful of years before my son's birth.
So while she didn't have the opportunity to meet him, at least he will be able to know her.
For more information about what we're building see About AncientFaces. For information on the folks who build and support the community see Daniel - Founder & Creator. My father's side is full blood Sicilian and my mother's side is a combination of Welsh, Scottish, German and a few other European cultures. One of my more colorful (ahem black sheep) family members came over on the Mayflower. He was among the first to be hanged in the New World for a criminal offense he made while onboard the ship.