美国总统12 米勒德·菲尔莫尔.docx

美国总统12米勒德菲尔莫尔MillardFillmore:ForgottenVOALearningEnglishpresentsAmerica'sPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutMillardFillmore,the13thpresidentoftheUnitedStates.Fillmoreisalsolikelytheleastrememberedpresident.Hehasbeencalled"uninspiring"andhavingonly"somecompetence."ButFillmoreprovidedanexampleoftheAmericandreamcometrue.Herosefromapoorfamilytobecomeawealthyman.HewaselectedtoCongressfourtimesandnominatedforvicepresidentunderZacharyTaylor.WhenTaylorunexpectedlydiedinofficein1850,Fillmoretookhisplace.EarlylifeOtherpresidents'campaigns,suchasAndrewJackson's,hadspokenproudlyoftheircandidates'modestbeginnings.WilliamHenryHarrison'ssupportersespeciallylinkedhimwiththeimageofasimplehousecalledalogcabin-eventhoughWilliamHenryHarrisonwasawealthyman.ButMillardFillmorereallywasborninalogcabin.Hisfamilywaspoor.TheyraisedhimandhissevenbrothersandsistersinaruralpartofNewYorkState.Fillmoredidnotreceivemucheducationasachild.However,hewasveryinterestedinlearning-sointerestedthathefellinlovewithhisteacher,AbigailPowers.Thetwomarriedafterhelaunchedhiscareerasalawyer.Theyhadtwochildren,asonandadaughter.MillardFillmoresoonenteredpolitics.HewonelectionstotheNewYorkStateAssembly,andthentotheU.S.HouseofRepresentatives.AftereightyearsinWashington,DC,FillmorereturnedtoNewYork.Hefailedtobeelectedgovernor,butsucceededtobecomecomptrollerofNewYork.Inotherwords,heoversawthestate'sfinances.Atthattime,Americanswerepreparingforanotherpresidentialelection.PresidentJamesPolkwasretiringfromtheWhiteHouseafteronlyoneterm,ashehadpromised.Theoppositionparty,theWhigs,nominatedZacharyTaylorastheirpresidentialcandidate.TaylorzapopularwarherofromtheSouth,ownedslaves.ButtheWhigsrealizedthatmanyanti-slaveryvotersintheNorthwouldnotsupportTaylor.Partyleaderswerelookingforsomeonetobalancetheticket-aNorthernervoterswouldconsiderafriendofbusiness.TheyfoundMillardFillmore.In1847,theWhigsnominatedFillmoreasTaylor'svicepresident.Thetwomenhadnevermet.And,whentheydidmeet,theydidnotlikeeachotherverymuch.ZacharyTaylorandMillardFillmoreTaylorwasshort-legged,poorlyeducated,andrarelyseemedconcernedabouthisphysicalappearance.Fillmorewastaller,learned,andelegant.Theirpersonalitiesdidnotfittogetheranybetterthantheirappearancesdid.Butamajorityofvoterslikedthem.TheWhigswontheelection,andFillmorereturnedtoWashington.AvicepresidentwithoutavoiceAsvicepresident,MillardFillmorewastheleaderoftheSenate.ButPresidentTaylordidnotseekhisadviceonthemajorpoliticalissueoftheday.Atthetimezbothlawmakersandthepublicweredebatingwhetherthegovernmentshould-andcould-banslaveryintheterritoriestheU.S.hadgainedafterthewarwithMexico.Ingeneral,Northernersdidnotwanttopermitslaveryinnewstates.ButmanySouthernersdid.ThedebatewassoheatedthatoneoftheSouthernstates,SouthCarolina,threatenedtoleavetheUnion.PresidentTaylordidnotwanttoexpandslavery.Torestrictit,heproposedachangetotherulessoCaliforniaandNewMexicocouldentertheUnionquicklyasslave-freestates.ButbeforeTaylor'sideacouldgettoofar,hebecamesick.Fillmorelearnedthepresidentwasnotwellandpreparedfortheworst.Itcame.Taylordiedafterbeinginofficeforonly16months.Thefollowingday,Fillmorewassworn-inaspresident.PresidencyOneofFillmore'sfirstactsaspresidentwastoshowwherehestoodontheslaveryissue.HeappointedamanwhoopposedTaylortosecretaryofstate.Thatman,DanielWebster-andothers-wantedtopassacompromisebillonslavery.WithFiIImore1Ssupport,theysucceeded.TheCompromiseof1850includedseveralmeasuresrelatedtoslavery.Twomeasureslimitedit:CaliforniawasadmittedasafreestatezandtheslavetradeinWashington,DCended.Ontheotherhand,NewMexicoandUtahwereleftopentoslavery,andboththefederalgovernmentandordinarycitizenswererequiredtoreturnsuspectedescapedslavestotheirowners.Thatlastmeasure,theFugitiveSlaveActof1850,targetedevenfreeAfrican-Americansandenslavedpeoplewhohadescapedtofreestates.TheCompromiseaimedtoendtheconflictbetweenpro-slaveryandanti-slaveryforces.Butneithersidewasreallysatisfied.AndPresidentFillmoredidnothelpmatters.Hewaspersonallyopposedtoslavery.However,hedidnotactonhisbeliefs.Instead,hetriedtokeeptheSouthintheUnionbystronglyenforcingtheFugitiveSlaveAct.BytheendofFillmore'sthreeyearsintheWhiteHouse,manymembersofhisWhigpartywereangrywithhim.Partyleadersdidnotnominatehimagainforthenextelection.Buttheirchosencandidatewasnotsuccessfuleither.FillmoreturnedouttobethelastWhigpresident.1.egacyTheendofFillmore'spresidencyincludeddifficultyinhisprivatelife,too.Hiswife,Abigail,becamesickonthedaythenextpresidentwassworn-in.Shediedwithinamonth.Soonafter,Fillmore'sdaughterdied,too.Tohelpdealwiththeirloss,Fillmoretriedtostayactiveinpolitics.Inthepresidentialelectionof1856,FillmoreservedasthecandidateforanewpartytheKnow-NothingParty.TheKnow-Nothingswerestronglyopposedtoimmigration.TheyespeciallywantedtolimitthenumberofIrishCatholicswhocouldcometotheUnitedStates.Fillmoredidnotagreewiththeparty'santi-immigrationpolicies.Buthedidnothaveachancetoputhisopinionsintopolicy.Fillmorefinishedthirdoutofthethreemajorcandidatesintheelection.Afterthatloss,hefinallyretiredtothecityofBuffalo,NewYork.There,Fillmoremarriedasecondtime-toawealthywidownamedCarolineMcIntosh.Heremainedanimportantfigureinthecity'scharitiesandothercauses.Butthepoliticalsituationinthecountrygrewonlymoreintense.Americanscontinuedtobedividedovertheissueofslavery.Fillmore'stimeinofficeandhiscompromisebillmayhavedelayedbutdidnotstoptheAmericanCivilWar.mKellyJeanKelly.KellyJeanKellywrotethisstoryforLearningEnglish.GeorgeGrowwastheeditor.WordsinThisStorycertified-adj.officiallyconfirmedasrealortrueWewanttohearfromyou.WritetousintheCommentsSection.