The political career of Woodrow Wilson is chronicled, beginning with his decision to leave his post at Princeton to run for Governor of New Jersey, and his subsequent ascent to the Presidency of the United States. During his terms in office, Wilson must deal with the death of his first wife, the onslaught of German hostilities leading to American involvement in the Great War, and his own country's reticence to join the League of Nations.

A gifted orator, Woodrow Wilson was supremely confident before crowds, yet uneasy in small groups. An intellectual with inflexible moral principles, he led America into World War I, threatening all that he cherished. This film recalls the transformation of a history professor into one of America's greatest presidents, brought down by his stubborn search for peace and an incapacitating stroke.