- Woodrow Wilson was president of the United States and tried to keep the country out of World War I while in office before 1917. He passed several domestic reforms like the Federal Reserve System and regulating big business. - In April 1917, Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany after two years of neutrality. The US entered World War I to defeat German militarism and establish a just peace. - Wilson helped create the League of Nations after the war to promote international cooperation and prevent future conflicts. He saw American involvement in the war as a way to make the world safe for democracy.