美国总统8 威廉·亨利·哈里森.docx

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1、美国总统8威廉亨利哈里森WilliamHenryHarrison:Short-LivedVOALearningEnglishpresentsAmericasPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutWilliamHenryHarrison.Althoughhewaselectedin1840zmanyAmericansstillrememberhiscatchycampaignslogan:TippecanoeandTylerztoo.TylerreferredtoJohnTyler,Harrisonspartnerontheticket.Inotherwords,Ha

2、rrisonwasthecandidateforpresident,andTylerwasthecandidateforvicepresident.Thatseemsstraightforwardenough.ButTippecanoe?ThatwasHarrisonsnickname.Itcamefromabattlehehadfoughtnearly30yearsbeforethepresidentialcampaign.Atthattime,HarrisonledtroopsagainstanallianceofNativeAmericantribes.Thealliancewasfig

3、htingwhiteAmericansettlerswhoweretakingnativepeoplesterritory.Harrisonandhismenwantedtopreventthealliancefromgettingthesuppliesandwarriorsitneededtofightalongwar.TheyplannedtoattackanimportantNativeAmericanbaseinwhatistodaythestateofIndiana.ButNativeAmericanwarriorsattackedfirst.Theystruckatdawn,whe

4、nHarrisonsmenwerestillsleepinginacampneartheRiverTippecanoe.Thebattlewasconfusedandbloody.Manyfightersonbothsidesdied.Afterseveralhours,HarrisonstroopspushedtheNativeAmericanfightersawayfromthecamp.Itwasnotreallyclearwhowon,butHarrisondeclaredvictory.Hispresidentialcampaignremindedvotersaboutthebatt

5、le.ThenicknameTippecanoesuggestedHarrisonwasasimpleyettoughwesternerwhowouldfightforwhiteAmericans.ButthatimageofHarrisonwasnotentirelytrue.EarlylifeHarrisondidnotcomefromasimple,westernfamily.Instead,hewastheyoungestchildofawealthyfamilyfromthesouthernstateofVirginia.TheHarrisonswereactiveinthepoli

6、ticsoftheyoungnation.HisfathersignedtheDeclarationofIndependenceandbecamethegovernorofVirginia.YoungWilliamHarrisonreceivedagoodeducation.Buthedidnotwanttobecomeadoctororlawyer.Hejoinedthemilitaryinstead.HarrisonsucceededquicklyasanArmyofficer.HeearnedareputationasanableleaderinfightsagainstNativeAm

7、ericans.HarrisonbecamethegovernorofwhatwasknownasIndianaTerritory.InthatjobzhepersuadedNativeAmericanstoenterintotreatiesthatsoldtheirlandtotheU.S.government-oftenforverylittlemoney.HarrisonsinsistenceonsecuringlandforwhitesettlerswasonereasonNativeAmericantribesformedanallianceagainsttheUnitedState

8、s.AmemberoftheShawneetribe,Tecumsehzwasoneoftheirmostprominentleaders.ItwasTecumseh,smenwhofoughtagainstHarrisonintheBattleofTippecanoe.TecumsehsmenclashedagainwithHarrisonduringtheWarof1812atabattleinOntario,CanadaneartheRiverThames.Inthatbattle,boththeBritishandNativeAmericanswereclearlydefeated.T

9、ecumsehwaskilled.Afterthat,theNativeAmericanalliancefellapart.AndHarrisonbecamefamousagain.PoliticalcareerAlthoughHarrisonwasawell-knownfighteragainstNativeAmericans,hecouldnotfindlastingsuccessasapolitician.HeservedbrieflyinboththeHouseofRepresentativesandtheSenate,buthedidnotstayinthosepositionslo

10、ng.Hestruggledwithdebt.HishomeinIndianawasveryexpensive.Healsohadtoprovideforhistenchildren.Theemotionalcostofhisfamilywasalsohigh:onlyfourofhischildrenlivedpasttheageof40.In1836zHarrisonsfortunesseemedtochange.Anewparty,calledtheWhigs,lookedtohimasapresidentialcandidate.TheWhigsstronglyopposedPresi

11、dentAndrewJacksonandhispolicies.TheydidnotwantJacksonsvicepresidentandright-handman,MartinVanBuren,tobecomepresident.ButtheyunderstoodthatJacksonwasverypopularwitheverydayAmericans.SotheWhigsthoughtthatHarrison-amilitaryherofromthewest,justasJacksonwas-wouldappealtovoters.(Atthetime,votingwaslimited

12、mostlytowhitemen.)TheWhigsnominatedHarrisonasoneoftheircandidates.Harrisondidwell-butnotwellenough.VanBurenwonthe1836election.ButthenextelectionbelongedtoHarrison.HiscampaigndevelopedthatmemorablesongaboutTippecanoeandTylerztoo.SupportersalsoturnedaninsultagainstHarrisonintoanadvantage.Harrisonsoppo

13、sitionsaidhewouldbehappytospendtherestofhislifejustsittinginalogcabinanddrinkinghardcider-analcoholicdrinkmadefromapples.TheoppositionwantedtosuggestthatHarrisonwasnotreallyinterestedinbecomingpresidentandworkinghardfortheAmericanpeople.ButHarrisonssupportersusedtheimagesofalogcabinandhardcidertopor

14、trayHarrisonasahumblemanwhocouldrelatetocommonAmericans.In1842,theplanwasasuccess:Harrisonwontheelection.AsurprisingturnofeventsAt68,Harrisonwastheoldestpersonyettotakeoffice.OnhisInaugurationDay,hereportedlywantedtoshowthathewasstrongenoughtoserveaspresidentbydeliveringaverylongspeechwithoutwearing

15、acoatorhat.SeveralweeksIaterzHarrisonbecamesick.Hecomplainedofmanyproblems:anietyzfatigue,andpaininhisstomach.Hishealthgrewworseandworse.Onemonthafterhewassworn-in,Harrisondied.Itwasthefirsttimeinthecountryshistorythatapresidenthaddiedinoffice.Theeventraisedmanyquestionsaboutwhowouldbecomepresident.

16、Thatquestionisansweredinthenextepisodeofthisseries.Forfuturegenerations,italsoraisedaquestionaboutwhatHarrisondiedof.Thetraditionalstoryisthathislonginauguralspeechledtoafatalpneumonia.Butresearchersin2014proposedadifferentreason.JaneMcHughandPhilipMackowiakwroteintheNewYorkTimesthat,whileHarrisonwasinoffice,Washington,DCdidnothaveagoodsewersystem.Humanwastesimp