Wadsworth's political career occurred during the upheaval of progressivism, two world wars, the Depression and the New Deal, Korea and the early Cold War. This is the story of his life and career. He was a player in the New York State Republican party before age 30. He served as a U.S. Senator for two terms and a Congressman from 1932 to 1950. His aristocratic heritage made him a strong internationalist and a lifelong advocate of military preparedness by Universal Military Training. As chairman of the Senate Military Affairs during and after WWI, he fought against isolationism and for the UMT. in domestics politics he was a strict consitutional conservative, opposing social or regulatory legislation. His campaign against prohibition, chiefly on constitutional grounds, cost him his Senate seat in 1926. As a Congressman he opposed the Roosevelt and Truman domestic programs, but supported their foreign policy.