美国总统23 本杰明·哈里森.docx

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1、美国总统23本杰明哈里森BenjaminHarrison:Grandsonplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-10:32repeatByKellyJeanKelly06August,2017VOALearningEnglishpresentsAmericasPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutBenjaminHarrison.BenjaminHarrisonbyEastmanJohnsonHisfamilynamemaysoundfamiliar.ThatisbecausehewasthegrandsonofPresidentWilliamHen

2、ryHarrison.ThatsituationisuniqueinU.S.historysofar.Harrisonplayedanunusuallyactiveroleaspresidentatatimewhenmostchiefexecutivessawthemselvesassimplyadministrators.AsaresultzAmericanwriterandintellectualHenryAdamssaidHarrisonwasthebestpresidentsinceLincoln.ButmostAmericansrememberlittleabouthimzexcep

3、thisconnectiontothepreviousPresidentHarrison,whohimselfdiedafteronlyamonthinoffice.EarlylifeBenjaminHarrisongrewuponafarmintheMidwesternstateofOhioasoneofeightchildren.HisgrandfatherwasnottheonlyfamouspoliticalHarrison.Hisgreat-grandfathersignedtheDeclarationofIndependence.Andhisfatherhadbeenacongre

4、ssman.YoungBenjaminHarrisonrespectedthesemenandbelievedhehadaroletoplayinhistory,too.Hereceivedagoodeducation,andevenoutsideofschoolhereadmanybooks.HishardworkandintelligencecarriedhimtoMiamiUniversityinOhio,andthentoacareerasalawyer.Alongtheway,hemarriedawomanhehadknownsincehewasateenager,CarolineL

5、aviniaScott.ThecouplesettledinanotherMidwesterncity,Indianapolis,Indiana,andhadasonanddaughter.Overtime,Harrisonsteadilybuiltacareerasapublicofficial.ButhispoliticalpathwasinterruptedbytheAmericanCivilWar.HarrisonrosetotherankofgeneralintheUnionArmy.HefoughtunderGeneralWilliamT.Shermanzandwasoneofth

6、efirstsoldierstoenterAtlanta,Georgiaafterthecitysurrendered.Afterthewar,hereturnedhometoIndianaandcontinuedhislegalandpoliticalcareer.In1881zhewaselectedtotheU.S.Senate.ButsixyearslaterhelosthisseatwhenDemocratscametopowerinhisstate.ReportssaythatHarrisonwasanexcellentsoldier.Buthedidnotenjoyfightin

7、gorfindwarromantic.HarrisonslossofhisSenateseatsoonturnedtoavictory.TheRepublicanPartynominatedhimastheircandidatetorunagainstGroverClevelandinthe1888presidentialelection.Clevelandseconomicpolicieshadbecomeunpopular,andRepublicansworkedhardtosupporttheircandidate.Theysucceeded.AlthoughClevelandwonth

8、epopularvote,HarrisonwontheElectoralCollege.In1889zhefollowedhisgrandfathersfootstepsallthewaytotheWhiteHouse.PresidencyHarrisonselectionwasamajorvictoryforhisRepublicanParty.InadditiontowinningtheWhiteHouse,RepublicansgainedseatsintheHouseofRepresentatives,heldamajorityintheSenate,andappointedsever

9、alRepublicanjusticestotheSupremeCourt.HarrisonandotherRepublicanlawmakersusedtheirpowertotakeactiononissuesathomeandinternationally.Oneactwastopreserveforests.Harrisonidentified17protectednaturalareas,andhelpedcreateYosemiteNationalParkinCalifornia.HisgovernmentalsoestablishedEllisIslandinNewYorktom

10、akeimmigrationtotheU.S.amoreorderlyprocess.Internationally,HarrisonsadministrationsoughttobuildtieswithLatinAmericancountries.Hisgovernmentestablishedwhatwould,intime,becometheOrganizationofAmericanStates.HisadministrationalsoincreasedtheUnitedStatesglobaltrade-aswellasthecountrysnavy.But,forthemost

11、part,themostpressingissuesofthedaywereeconomic.Thefederalgovernmentatthattimehadanunusuallylargesurplus.Somearguedthatthesurpluswashurtingbusiness.Inanswer,Harrisonsgovernmentplacedahighprotectivetariffonimportedgoods.ThelegislationwasknownastheMcKinleyTariffof1890.Officialsalsoaimedtolimitthepowero

12、flargecorporationstocontrolimportantmarketsintheU.S.Finally,theyagreedtorequirethegovernmenttobuysilvertouseascurrency.Theseactionspleasedsomeofhissupporters.But,theymayhavecontributedtothesevereeconomicdepressionthatfollowedHarrisonsterm.Andingeneral,votersdisapprovedoftheamountofmoneyRepublicanlaw

13、makerswerespending.Althoughthecountrywasatpeace,the51stCongressappropriated$1billion.Atthemidtermelections,manylawmakerspaidforallthespendingwiththeirseats.Twoyearslater,votersturnedHarrisonoutoftheWhiteHouse,too.TheyreturnedGroverClevelandtothepresidency.Harrisondidnotexpressmuchdisappointment.Heha

14、dworkedhardtobecomepresidentlikehisgrandfather.Buthefoundhedidnotlikebeingthechiefexecutive.HesaidwhenhelefttheWhiteHouse,itwaslikebeingreleasedfromprison.1.egacyAmongU.S.presidents,Harrisondoesnothaveoneofthemostdramaticbiographies.Thefactsofhislifeshowanintelligent,disciplinedmanwhotriedtolivebyhi

15、sbeliefs.Buthewasnotconsideredpassionateaboutmanythings,exceptperhapshisenjoymentofnature.Andhedidnothaveaneasywaywithpeople.Evenhisstaffcalledhimthehumanicebergbecausehecouldbealoofandactcoldlytowardpeople.YetHarrisonsfamilybroughtsomewarmthtohisadministration.Hiswife,Caroline,wasknowntobealively,s

16、ocialperson.ShewasthefirsttoinstallaChristmastreeintheWhiteHouse.SomeofHarrisonsgrandchildrenalsolivedintheWhiteHouse.Harrisonpermittedthemtoplayonthegroundswiththeirpetanimals.DuringHarrisonstermzthefamilykeptagoat,whichthechildrencalledOldWhiskers.HarrisonstimeintheWhiteHousesawsorrow,too.Towardtheendofherhusbandsterm,thefirstladybecameseriouslyillwithtuberculosis.Formonths,Benja