美国总统13 富兰克林·皮尔斯.docx

美国总统13富兰克林皮尔斯FranklinPierce:IneffectiveVOALearningEnglishpresentsAmerica'sPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutFranklinPiercezthe14thpresidentoftheUnitedStates.Hetookofficein1853atage48,Atthattime,hewastheyoungestpersonelectedtotheWhiteHouse.Piercewasknownforbeingsocial-andforhisgoodlooks.Buthispersonallifewasfulloftragedy,andhewasnotaneffectivechiefexecutive.Overtime,hehascometoberememberedasoneofthecountry'sworstpresidents.EarlylifeFranklinPiercewasborninthenorthernstateofNewHampshire.Hewasoneofeightchildren.Heattendedschoolregularlyasachild,andhewentontoBowdoinCollegeinMaine.There,hedevelopedhisskillsasanexcellentpublicspeaker.Healsobecameanablelawyer.Pierce'sabilitiescarriedhimfar.Buthispersonalconnectionshelped,too.HisfatherbecamethegovernorofNewHampshire.Shortlyafter,Piercewaselectedtothestatelegislature.HesoonbecameamemberoftheU.S.Congress-firstasamemberoftheHouseofRepresentatives,andthenasasenator.SeveralimportantthingshappenedinPierce'spersonallifeduringthoseyearsinWashington,DC.HemarriedJaneMeansAppleton.Theysoonhadason,butthechilddiedafteronlythreedays.Thecouplewentontohavetwomoreboys.InWashington,FranklinPiercealsodevelopedfriendshipswithmanypeoplefromtheSouth.Theydefendedtherightofstatestopermitslavery.AlthoughhewasfromtheNorth,PiercecametosharetheopinionsofhisSouthernfriends.Hegrewtodislikeanti-slaveryactivists,whowereknownasabolitionists.Asapolitician,PiercewasamemberoftheDemocraticPartyandstronglysupportedtheideasofPresidentAndrewJackson.Butpoliticsdidnotappealtohiswife.Shealsodidnotlikeherhusband'shabitofdrinkingalcoholwithhisfriends.JanePiercebelongedtothetemperancemovement,whichurgedAmericanstoavoidtheuseofalcoholicdrinks.SoPierceresignedhisjobintheSenateandmovedbacktoNewHampshire.There,hestoppeddrinkingalcoholandearnedfameasalawyerandpublicspeaker.Buttragedystruckagain:hissecondsonbecamesickanddied.FaintingFrankPierceremainedactiveinpoliticsinNewHampshire.HehelpedtheDemocraticcandidateforpresidentatthetime,JamesK.Polk,winvotesinthestate.WhenPolkenteredtheWhiteHouse,hegavePierceapositionasageneralintheMexican-AmericanWar.Piercedidnotearntherespectofhistroops.Inonebattle,hepassedoutafterhefelloffhishorseandcrushedhisleg.Someofhismen,seeingwhathappened,fledthebattlefield.Otherscalledhim"FaintingFrank."AlthoughPiercehadhiscritics,hereturnedtoNewHampshireasaleaderinthestate'sDemocraticParty.YetnooneexpectedhimtobecomepresidentoftheUnitedStates.Pierce'snominationcameduringtheDemocraticnationalconventionin1852.Partyleaderscouldnotagreeonacandidate.Theyweresplitamongthethreetopchoices.SothepartyturnedtoPierce.Theylikedthefactthathewasnotwellknownorhadtakenanystrongpositionsasalawmaker.Asaresult,fewerpeoplecouldobjecttohim,theyreasoned.Piercedidverylittleduringtheelectioncampaign.Hedidnotneedto.Manyvoters,especiallyintheSouth,didnotlikehisopponent.Whentheelectionwasheld,Piercewoneasily.Butbeforehetookoffice,anotherterriblethinghappened.FranklinandJanePierceweretravelingbytrainwiththeiryoungestsonBenjamin,whowas11-years-old.Thetrainwentofftherails.Benniewaskilledinstantlyinfrontofhisparents.NeitherFranklinnorJanePierceeverreallyrecovered.Janebelievedtheirson'sdeathwasapunishmentfromGodforherhusbandbecomingpresident.PresidencyAspresident,Piercefacedanextremelydifficultsituation.Thecountry'songoingdisputeaboutwhetherandwheretopermitslaverywasbecomingmoreintense.UnderPiercezthedisputecenteredontheareasofKansasandNebraska.Atthetime,bothareaswereconsideredterritories,notstates.AndeachterritorywasabovethelineoftheMissouriCompromiseof1820.Thatact,approvedbylawmakersnearly35yearsbeforePiercetookoffice,bannedslaveryinnorthernareas,includingwhatwouldbecomeKansasandNebraska.Violencebetweenpro-slavery,free-state,andabolitionistgroupscontinuedforsevenyearsbeforeKansasenteredtheUnionasafreestatein1861.Thattimebecameknownas"BleedingKansas."Butpro-slaverysettlersdemandedthatKansasandNebraskavoters-agroupcomprisedofwhitemen-decidetheissueforthemselves.AmajorityofU.S.lawmakersagreed.Underpressure,PresidentPiercesignedtheKansas-NebraskaActin1854.ThemeasurewasoneofthemostimportantinU.S.history.ItoverturnedtheMissouriCompromiseandcancelledthebanonslavery.ItincitedyearsofintenseOfviolencebetweenpro-slaveryandanti-slaveryactivists.Anditpushedadividednationevenfurtherapart.ThetroublesalsoshowedPiercetobeanineffectivepresident.Hecouldnoteasethetensionsoverslavery,norunitethecountrybehindtheKansas-NebraskaAct.AndhedelayedusinghispowertostoptheviolenceinKansasuntilitwasfartoolate.Finally,hissympathyforpro-slaverygroupsangeredmanyintheNorth,includingpeopleinhisownparty.TheDemocratsdidnotnominatehimagainatthenextelection.1.egacyAfterfouryearsaspresident,PiercereturnedtoNewHampshire.Herarelysocializedandbegandrinkingalcoholagain.Afterhiswifediedin1863,Pierceseemedtodisappearfrompubliclife.Americansheardlittleabouthimuntilhisdeathin1869.ButhelivedtoseetheultimatetragedyoftheCivilWarthathe-likeotherpresidentsbeforehim-hadfailedtoprevent.mKelly