In 1916, Woodrow Wilson was reelected for president by a narrow margin against Associate Supreme Court Justice and former governor of New York, Charles Evans Hughes. Wilson ran on an anti-war platform with Democrats coining the slogan “He Kept Us Out of War.” Hughes, supported by former president Theodore Roosevelt, desired to intervene in World War I. However, as it is known, America joined its allied forces one year after Wilson’s reelection.
Political campaign ad for Wilson, featured in October 28, 1916 Perth Amboy Evening News.
Article, featured in September 28, 1916 Perth Amboy Evening News. about Hughes speaking to thousands of people in Trenton.
The brief article above, featured in November 2, 1916 Bridgeton Pioneer, features an all-too familiar story of families divided over political beliefs. Although many women opposed Wilson, they were unable to officially weigh in at that time, as they did not win the right to vote until 1920.
Source:
Turner, J., & Gillespie, C. (2020, April 9). Janine Turner and Cathy Gillespie. Retrieved from https://constitutingamerica.org/1916-woodrow-wilson-defeats-charles-evans-hughes-guest-essayist-daniel-a-cotter/.
If you are interested in reading more about this election, feel free to check out:
Lewis L. Gould’s The First Modern Clash Over Federal Power: Wilson Versus Hughes in the Presidential Election of 1916.
“Presidential Election of 1916: A Resource Guide. (2018). Web Guides: Virtual Services Digital Reference Section. Library of Congress. Received from https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/elections/election1916.html.