Is This Wilson?

Spiritualism drew a lot of attention from Americans in the decades between the Civil War and the Great Depression. Scientists, celebrities, and presidents all debated communication with spirits and many of them, like everyone else, visited mediums. In elaborate seances, people got the chance to talk to the departed dead. Some of the messages could be heartrending. Others had advise from historical figures. And many of the voices of the dead were just spooky.

100 Years Ago Today

Everyone Was Expected to Help the US Fight the War

The International Workers of the World, sometimes known as Wobblies, were active in the Pacific Northwest in the early decades of the 20th century, organizing workers to protect their rights but also calling for more radical changes to American labor conditions.

Clifford Berryman Cartoons

One hundred years ago, Americans began to prepare for what joining the conflict in Europe would mean for them.

Wartime Washington

After the declaration of war, it took awhile for the United States to get the military and the economy geared up for the international conflict.

Eleanor Randolph Wilson McAdoo

Women’s Work in Wartime

Just as they did famously during World War Two, American women took on more types of work during the Great War than most of them could find during times of peace. The country organized for the production of huge amounts of weapons and supplies, using as much labor as possible, while the conscription of men left many of their regular jobs short of workers. So, women had chances at new opportunities in the labor market. Many of these wartime jobs were not well-paid or particularly easy. They did, however, provide the opportunity for new experiences and better incomes.

Otto Kappelmann World War I Collection

This year marks the centennial of the United States entering World War One. The Great War had a huge effect on the development of the modern world and on the everyday lives of millions of people in America and around the globe.

The Oddest Remedies

When Woodrow Wilson had a serious stroke in early October 1919, the public was told only that he was suffering from “nervous exhaustion” following a grueling speaking tour throughout the western U.S. to sway opinion in favor of the League of Nations. Cary Grayson, Wilson’s physician and friend was inundated with suggestions from other doctors and members of the general public who held President Wilson in high esteem and wanted to help him recover.

Woodrow Wilson’s Death

Woodrow Wilson’s health took a precipitous turn on January 30, 1924. His physician and friend, Dr. Cary T. Grayson, who was on a hunting trip with Bernard Baruch in South Carolina, was urgently summoned back to the S Street residence of Woodrow and Edith Wilson by telegram.

Meeting Royalty

Woodrow and Edith Wilson with the British Royal Family, 1918: Cary T. Grayson Papers, WWPL: Staunton, VA

After the end of World War I, President Wilson traveled to Europe in order to be involved in the negotiations of the Paris Peace Conference, ultimately producing the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. However, he first traveled to London, England and met with the British Royal family.

Presidential Health and Protection

Dr. Cary T. Grayson, Woodrow Wilson’s physician and friend, believed that outdoor exercise was a key to keeping the President healthy. Among the thousands of documents generously donated to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library by the Grayson family in 2005 are two letters that highlight the tension that existed between Grayson’s desire for the President to get adequate physical exercise and the need to keep him safe.