美国总统13 富兰克林·皮尔斯.docx

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1、美国总统13富兰克林皮尔斯FranklinPierce:IneffectiveVOALearningEnglishpresentsAmericasPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutFranklinPiercezthe14thpresidentoftheUnitedStates.Hetookofficein1853atage48,Atthattime,hewastheyoungestpersonelectedtotheWhiteHouse.Piercewasknownforbeingsocial-andforhisgoodlooks.Buthispersonall

2、ifewasfulloftragedy,andhewasnotaneffectivechiefexecutive.Overtime,hehascometoberememberedasoneofthecountrysworstpresidents.EarlylifeFranklinPiercewasborninthenorthernstateofNewHampshire.Hewasoneofeightchildren.Heattendedschoolregularlyasachild,andhewentontoBowdoinCollegeinMaine.There,hedevelopedhiss

3、killsasanexcellentpublicspeaker.Healsobecameanablelawyer.Piercesabilitiescarriedhimfar.Buthispersonalconnectionshelped,too.HisfatherbecamethegovernorofNewHampshire.Shortlyafter,Piercewaselectedtothestatelegislature.HesoonbecameamemberoftheU.S.Congress-firstasamemberoftheHouseofRepresentatives,andthe

4、nasasenator.SeveralimportantthingshappenedinPiercespersonallifeduringthoseyearsinWashington,DC.HemarriedJaneMeansAppleton.Theysoonhadason,butthechilddiedafteronlythreedays.Thecouplewentontohavetwomoreboys.InWashington,FranklinPiercealsodevelopedfriendshipswithmanypeoplefromtheSouth.Theydefendedtheri

5、ghtofstatestopermitslavery.AlthoughhewasfromtheNorth,PiercecametosharetheopinionsofhisSouthernfriends.Hegrewtodislikeanti-slaveryactivists,whowereknownasabolitionists.Asapolitician,PiercewasamemberoftheDemocraticPartyandstronglysupportedtheideasofPresidentAndrewJackson.Butpoliticsdidnotappealtohiswi

6、fe.Shealsodidnotlikeherhusbandshabitofdrinkingalcoholwithhisfriends.JanePiercebelongedtothetemperancemovement,whichurgedAmericanstoavoidtheuseofalcoholicdrinks.SoPierceresignedhisjobintheSenateandmovedbacktoNewHampshire.There,hestoppeddrinkingalcoholandearnedfameasalawyerandpublicspeaker.Buttragedys

7、truckagain:hissecondsonbecamesickanddied.FaintingFrankPierceremainedactiveinpoliticsinNewHampshire.HehelpedtheDemocraticcandidateforpresidentatthetime,JamesK.Polk,winvotesinthestate.WhenPolkenteredtheWhiteHouse,hegavePierceapositionasageneralintheMexican-AmericanWar.Piercedidnotearntherespectofhistr

8、oops.Inonebattle,hepassedoutafterhefelloffhishorseandcrushedhisleg.Someofhismen,seeingwhathappened,fledthebattlefield.OtherscalledhimFaintingFrank.AlthoughPiercehadhiscritics,hereturnedtoNewHampshireasaleaderinthestatesDemocraticParty.YetnooneexpectedhimtobecomepresidentoftheUnitedStates.Piercesnomi

9、nationcameduringtheDemocraticnationalconventionin1852.Partyleaderscouldnotagreeonacandidate.Theyweresplitamongthethreetopchoices.SothepartyturnedtoPierce.Theylikedthefactthathewasnotwellknownorhadtakenanystrongpositionsasalawmaker.Asaresult,fewerpeoplecouldobjecttohim,theyreasoned.Piercedidverylittl

10、eduringtheelectioncampaign.Hedidnotneedto.Manyvoters,especiallyintheSouth,didnotlikehisopponent.Whentheelectionwasheld,Piercewoneasily.Butbeforehetookoffice,anotherterriblethinghappened.FranklinandJanePierceweretravelingbytrainwiththeiryoungestsonBenjamin,whowas11-years-old.Thetrainwentofftherails.B

11、enniewaskilledinstantlyinfrontofhisparents.NeitherFranklinnorJanePierceeverreallyrecovered.JanebelievedtheirsonsdeathwasapunishmentfromGodforherhusbandbecomingpresident.PresidencyAspresident,Piercefacedanextremelydifficultsituation.Thecountrysongoingdisputeaboutwhetherandwheretopermitslaverywasbecom

12、ingmoreintense.UnderPiercezthedisputecenteredontheareasofKansasandNebraska.Atthetime,bothareaswereconsideredterritories,notstates.AndeachterritorywasabovethelineoftheMissouriCompromiseof1820.Thatact,approvedbylawmakersnearly35yearsbeforePiercetookoffice,bannedslaveryinnorthernareas,includingwhatwoul

13、dbecomeKansasandNebraska.Violencebetweenpro-slavery,free-state,andabolitionistgroupscontinuedforsevenyearsbeforeKansasenteredtheUnionasafreestatein1861.ThattimebecameknownasBleedingKansas.Butpro-slaverysettlersdemandedthatKansasandNebraskavoters-agroupcomprisedofwhitemen-decidetheissueforthemselves.

14、AmajorityofU.S.lawmakersagreed.Underpressure,PresidentPiercesignedtheKansas-NebraskaActin1854.ThemeasurewasoneofthemostimportantinU.S.history.ItoverturnedtheMissouriCompromiseandcancelledthebanonslavery.ItincitedyearsofintenseOfviolencebetweenpro-slaveryandanti-slaveryactivists.Anditpushedadividedna

15、tionevenfurtherapart.ThetroublesalsoshowedPiercetobeanineffectivepresident.Hecouldnoteasethetensionsoverslavery,norunitethecountrybehindtheKansas-NebraskaAct.AndhedelayedusinghispowertostoptheviolenceinKansasuntilitwasfartoolate.Finally,hissympathyforpro-slaverygroupsangeredmanyintheNorth,includingp

16、eopleinhisownparty.TheDemocratsdidnotnominatehimagainatthenextelection.1.egacyAfterfouryearsaspresident,PiercereturnedtoNewHampshire.Herarelysocializedandbegandrinkingalcoholagain.Afterhiswifediedin1863,Pierceseemedtodisappearfrompubliclife.Americansheardlittleabouthimuntilhisdeathin1869.ButhelivedtoseetheultimatetragedyoftheCivilWarthathe-likeotherpresidentsbeforehim-hadfailedtoprevent.mKelly