美国总统6 约翰昆西亚当斯.docx

美国总统6约翰昆西亚当斯JohnQuincyAdams:GreatDiplomat,PoorPoliticianVOALearningEnglishpresentsAmerica'sPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutJohnQuincyAdams.Doeshisnamesoundfamiliar?JohnQuincyAdams,thesixthpresident,wasthesonofJohnAdams,thesecondpresident.JohnQuincyAdamsportraitbyGilbertStuart.QuincyAdamswaspresidentfrom1825-1829.1.ikehisfather,QuincyAdamshadasharpmindandadifficultpersonality.And,likehisfather,QuincyAdamsservedonlyonefour-yearterminoffice.ButQuincyAdamswentontohavemanysuccessfulyearsworkinginadifferentjob.Heistheonlyformerpresident(sofar)toserveintheHouseofRepresentatives.GreatexpectationsTheparentsofJohnQuincyAdams,JohnandAbigail,werestrongpatriots.TheirswasoneofthefoundingfamiliesofAmerica.AbigailAdamsespeciallyraisedhersontoservehiscountry.Sheexpectedhimtobecomepresident.Shetoldhimthat,withhisgoodeducationandtraining,ifhedidnotserveinahighpublicofficeitwouldbehisownfault.QuincyAdamsdidnotdisappointhismother.Asachild,helearnedtospeakatleastfourlanguagesandreadGreekandLatin.HealsostudiedShakespearezSplays.Atage10,hetraveledwithhisfathertoEurope.Asayoungman,heworkedalongsideJohnAdamsinAmericandiplomaticofficesinParis,AmsterdamandSt.Petersburg.Finally,QuincyAdamsreturnedtohishomeinBostonintimetograduatefromHarvard.Hewasworkingasalawyerbytheageof23.StoriesconfirmthatQuincyAdamswasabrilliantboyandyoungman.Butherarelycompromisedhisideas.Hisinabilitytoworkwithotherlawmakersandtoconsiderpublicopinionwerepartlytoblameforhisdifficultpresidency.Poorpolitician.ExcellentdiplomatQuincyAdamsmayhavebeenapoorpolitidanzbuthewasanexcellentdiplomat.Intheearlypartofhiscareer,heservedastheAmericanambassadortotheNetherlands,Germany,RussiaandBritain.HehelpedleadthenegotiationsthatendedtheWarof1812.AndheservedforeightyearsassecretaryofstateunderJamesMonroe.Someofthatpresident'saccomplishmentsowealottoQuincyAdams.HehelpednegotiatethepurchaseofFloridafromSpain.And,hewasofthepeopleresponsiblefortheMonroeDoctrine.ItwarnedEuropenottointerfereintheWesternHemisphere.ButQuincyAdamscouldbeimpatient,especiallywithlawmakers.Manyofthem,hebelieved,didnotcaremuchaboutthecountryandwantedtohelponlythemselves.QuincyAdamsalsoavoidedpoliticalbattles.Assecretaryofstate,heappointedpeoplewhomhethoughtwerecapable,eveniftheydidnotsupporthispoliticalparty.Similarly,whenhebecamepresident,hetriedtobringpoliticalopponentsalongwithrepresentativesofdifferentpartsofthecountrytogetherinhiscabinet.Hisopponents,however,refusedtoserve.And,althoughhiscabinetincludedsoutherners,hedidnotreallyhavethesupportoftheSouth.PresidencyYetQuincyAdamstalkedaboutunityinhispresidentialinauguralspeech.AdamssaidtheConstitutionandtherepresentativedemocracyoftheUnitedStateshadprovedasuccess.Thenationwasfreeandstrongandstretchedacrossthecontinent,fromtheAtlanticOceantothePacific.Henotedthatpoliticaldivisionshadeased.Sonow,hesaid,itwastimeforthepeopletosettletheirdifferencesandmakeatrulynationalgovernment.InhisfirstmessagetoCongress,PresidentAdamsdescribedhisideas.Thechiefpurposeofthegovernment,hesaid,wastoimprovethelivesofthepeopleitgoverned.Todothis,heofferedanationalprogramofbuildingroadsandcanals.Healsoproposedanationaluniversityandanationalscientificcenter.AdamssaidCongressshouldnotbelimitedtomakinglawsonlytoimprovethenation'seconomiclife.Hesaiditshouldmakelawstoimprovetheartsandsciences,too.ButmanypeopleoftheWestandSouthdidnotbelievethattheConstitutiongavethefederalgovernmentthepowertodoallthesethings.Theybelievedthesepowersbelongedtothestates.TheirrepresentativesinCongressrejectedthepresident'sproposals.Inaddition,anewoppositionpartywastryingtoweakensupportforQuincyAdams.TheysupportedageneralfromTennesseenamedAndrewJackson.HistorianHarlowGilesUngersaysJohnQuincyAdamswasneverabletomeetthehighexpectationsmanypeoplehadforhim.''Hispresidencywasacompletefailure/7UngertoldVOA.''Hewasabletoaccomplishnothing/Retirement.sortofQuincyAdamslostthepresidentialelectionof1828inalandslide.HerefusedtoattendtheinaugurationofAndrewJackson.HereturnedtohishomeinQuincy,Massachusettsdepressedandworriedaboutthecountry.Hiswife,LouisaCatherineJohnsonAdamszbelievedtheywerereturningtoMassachusettstostay.ShewasanAmerican,butwasborninEngland.HermotherwasBritish.Shewaszatthetime,thefirstforeign-bornfirstlady.JohnandLouisahadfourchildren,buttheironlydaughterhaddiedasababy.TheirsonsweregrownbythetimeQuincyAdamsretiredfromthepresidency.Soonhebecamerestless.SomeneighborsaskedifQuincyAdamswouldconsiderrepresentingthedistrictasamemberoftheU.S.Congress.Heagreed-butonlyifvoterswouldlethimactashebelievedwasright,insteadofaswhatwouldbepoliticallypopular.Apparentlytheyagreed,too,becausevoterselectedQuincyAdamstotheHouseofRepresentativesninetimes.InCongress,QuincyAdamsoftenfoughtforcitizen,sindividualliberty.Hestronglyopposedslavery.Hisideaswerenotwidelypopularatthetime,especiallyamongotherlawmakers.TheyhadcreatedarulethatsaidCongresswouldnotevenconsideranymeasuresagainstslavery.YetQuincyAdamsdefendedtherightsofenslavedpeople-frequently,andsometimessuccessfully.Hediedattheageof88zafewdaysaftersufferingastrokeontheflooroftheHouseofRepresentatives.Atthetime,lawmakerswereconsideringaproposal.And,asusualzJohnQuincyAdamswasloudlyvotingno.mKellyJeanKelly.KellyJeanKellywrotethisstoryforVOALearningEnglish.GeorgeGrowwastheeditor.WordsinThisStorypatriot-n.apersonwholovesandstronglysupportsorfightsforhisorhercountryfault-n.responsibilityforaproblem,mistakeorbadsituationdisappoint-v.tomakesomeoneunhappybynotbeingasgoodasexpectedorbynotdoingsomethingthatwashopedfororexpectedgraduate-v.toearnadegreeordiplomafromaschool,college,oruniversityaccomplishment-n.thesuccessfulcompletionofsomethinglandslide-n.anelectioninwhichthewinnergetsamuchgreaternumberofvotesthantheloser