3/27/12

Congratulations: YOU are rich!!!


I have never seen a $100,000 bill before.  Woodrow Wilson I recognized and remembered he was the president during World War I, but frankly, not a lot more.  So, I looked up some quick facts about him...

Historical Significance:

Woodrow Wilson played a huge role in determining if and when America would get involved in World War I. He was an isolationist at heart who attempted to keep America out of war. However, with the Lusitania, the continued harassment of American ships by German submarines, and the release of the Zimmerman Telegram, America would not be held back. Wilson fought for the League of Nations to help avert another World War which won him the 1919 Nobel Peace Prize.

Events and Accomplishments of Woodrow Wilson’s Presidency:


One of the first events of Wilson's presidency was the passage of the Underwood Tariff. This reduced tariff rates from 41 to 27%. It also created the first federal income tax after the passage of the 16th Amendment.
 
In 1913, the Federal Reserve Act created the Federal Reserve system to help deal with economic highs and lows. It provided banks with loans and helped smooth out business cycles.

In 1914, the Clayton Anti-Trust Act was passed to help labor have more rights. It allowed important labor tools like strikes, pickets, and boycotts.

During this time, a revolution was occurring in Mexico. In 1914, Venustiano Carranza took over the Mexican government. However, Pancho Villa held much of northern Mexico. When Villa crossed into America in 1916 and killed 17 Americans, Wilson sent 6,000 troops under General John Pershing to the area. Pershing pursued Villa into Mexico upsetting the Mexican government and Carranza.

World War I began in 1914 when Archduke Francis Ferdinand was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist. Due to agreements made amongst the European nations, many eventually joined the war. The Central Powers: Germany, Autstria-Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria fought against the Allies: Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Japan, Portugal, China, and Greece. America remained neutral at first but eventually entered the war in 1917 on the side of the allies. Two reasons were the sinking of the British ship Lusitania which killed 120 Americans and the Zimmerman telegram which revealed that Germany was trying to get an agreement with Mexico to form an alliance if the U.S. entered the war. America officially entered the war on April 6, 1917.

Pershing led American troops into battle helping to defeat the Central Powers. An armistice was signed on November 11, 1918. The Treaty of Versailles signed in 1919 blamed the war on Germany and demanded huge reparations. It also created a League of Nations. In the end, the Senate would not ratify the treaty and would never join the League.

In Wilson's day, $100,000 was a huge sum; many decades of earning for the ordinary person.  Today, its still a large sum of money, but many successful people make this much and more in a single year.  If you actually owned a bill this large, even a rich man would be careful with it.  I wonder what people would actually DO TO ACQUIRE IT?  In fact, there is nothing wrong with money; we all have some, but when acquiring and hoarding money becomes an overwhelming desire, THEN WE DO HAVE A PROBLEM!!!  The Bible recognizes this as truth and speaks directly to the problem...

WEB: Hebrews 13:5. Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.”

WEB: I Timothy 6:10. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

If you love and are loved by God, money is not a problem because knowing and obeying God place HIM first.  Because you know that ultimately HE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR REAL NEEDS, money has a much lower consideration in the life of a Christian.  God is first, HE rules, not GREED!!!  Greed will cause sorrow and frankly, WHO NEEDS THAT?  Work, be a good steward of whatever God has given you and let the rest go.  You may never be a president or ever have a large denomination bill like the one in the picture but if God is in your life you are rich!!!