SS I - Cross Country Tour + Health Crisis

Why did the Treaty of Versailles require Senate approval in the U.S.?

Because the Constitution requires a two-thirds Senate vote to ratify treaties

Which branch of Congress controlled ratification of the Treaty of Versailles?

The Senate

Who was the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee?

Massachusetts Senator Henry Cabot Lodge

What was Lodge’s relationship to Wilson?

He was Wilson’s greatest rival and friend/ally of Theodore Roosevelt

What group of senators opposed the League without reservations?

Reservationists

How many senators were Reservationists as of March 1919?

Thirty-nine

Which article of the League’s Charter did Lodge strongly criticize?

Article X

What did Article X of the League’s Charter require?

Members to respect and preserve the territorial integrity and political independence of all members

Why did Lodge and many Americans oppose Article X?

They saw it as a threat to American sovereignty and power

Who were the “Irreconcilables”?

Isolationist senators who opposed the Treaty and the League entirely

Which senator was a famous Irreconcilable from Idaho?

William E. Borah

What was Borah’s quote about European concerns?

“Once having surrendered and become part of European concerns, where, my friends, are you going to stop?”

Why did Wilson exclude Republicans from the American peace delegation?

He believed he could bind the League and treaty together and persuade the nation without compromise

When did Wilson personally submit the final Treaty of Versailles to the Senate?

July 10, 1919

What was Wilson’s message about opposing the League?

Opposing the League was opposing progress and peace itself

How many amendments did Lodge draft to gain support for the treaty?

Forty-two

When did Wilson begin his cross-country speaking tour?

September 3, 1919

How long was Wilson’s cross-country speaking tour?

9,981 miles over three weeks

What was the name of Wilson’s private railcar used on the tour?

The Mayflower

Where did Wilson begin his cross-country speaking tour?

Columbus, Ohio

Which mountain ranges did Wilson cross during the tour?

The Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains

Which regions did Wilson visit after the Rockies?

The Pacific Northwest and California

How large was the audience at Wilson’s San Francisco speech?

12,000-seat auditorium

How large was the audience at Wilson’s San Diego speech?

Over 50,000 people

Where did Wilson give his final public speech?

Pueblo, Colorado

What quote did Wilson tell the crowd in Pueblo, Colorado?

“There is one thing that the American people always rise to and extend their hand to, and that is the truth of justice and of liberty and of peace”

What happened to Wilson during his Pueblo speech?

He became garbled and confused due to exhaustion and thin mountain air

What happened after the remaining stops of Wilson’s tour were canceled?

He rushed back to the White House

When did Wilson suffer a massive stroke?

October 2, 1919

What effect did Wilson’s stroke have?

Left him partially paralyzed

Who took charge after Wilson’s stroke?

First Lady Edith Wilson

How did Edith Wilson manage the presidency?

Controlled access to the president, kept press at bay, delegated duties to cabinet officials

How long was the U.S. effectively leaderless due to Wilson’s illness?

Eighteen months

Which constitutional article addressed presidential incapacity?

Article II, Section I

When was the Twenty-Fifth Amendment ratified to handle presidential disability?

1967

When is the photo of Wilson visiting Pueblo, Colorado dated?

September 25, 1919