美国总统 11 扎卡里·泰勒.docx

美国总统11扎卡里泰勒ZacharyTaylor:BriefVOALearningEnglishpresentsAmerica'sPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutZacharyTaylor,the12thpresident.Hetookofficein1849.OfficialWhiteHousePortraitofPresidentZacharyTaylor(c.1848)byJosephHenryBushTaylorhadsomethingsincommonwithearlierpresidents.1.ikesixothersbeforehimzhewasborninVirginia.1.ikeGeorgeWashingtonandAndrewJackson,Taylorwasawarhero.And,likeWilliamHenryHarrisonfhediedinoffice.ButTaylorbroughtatleastonespecialtraittothepresidency.AlthoughhewasofficiallyelectedasamemberoftheWhigparty,Taylorconsideredhimselfanindependent.EarlylifeWhenZacharyTaylorwasababyzhisfamilyleftVirginia.Theymovedwest,toatobaccoplantationinKentucky.There,theTaylorswerefinanciallysuccessful.BythetimeZacharywasayoungman,hisfamilyownedanumberofenslavedpeopleandover4,000hectaresofland.Taylortookpossessionofsomeofhisfamily'sland.HealsohadcottonplantationsinthesouthernstatesofMississippiandLouisiana.Heztoo,dependedonenslavedpeopletodomostofthework.ButTaylorwasunlikemanywealthyfarmersintheSouth.Hehadalwayswantedtobeasoldier.WhenTaylorwas24yearsold,hebecameanofficerintheU.S.Army.Shortlyafter,hemarriedMargaretSmith.Intime,theyhadfivedaughtersandoneson.ButTaylordirectedmostofhisattentiontohismilitarycareer.Forabout20years,hetriedtokeeppeacebetweenNativeAmericantribesandwhiteAmericans.SometimesthejobmeantleadingattacksagainstNativeAmericans.Attimes,itmeantdefendingtheirlandsfromwhitesettlers.Ineithercase,hispublicstandingasagoodsoldiergrew.Histroopscalledhim"OldRoughandReady"becausehewaswillingtofight-andsuffer-alongsidethem.Then,intheMexican-AmericanWarofthe1840szTaylorbecamereallyfamous.HeledU.S.troopstovictoryinseveralmajorbattles,includingonesatMonterreyandBuenaVista.Inawell-knownstory,thepowerfulMexicangeneralSantaAnnasurroundedTaylorandhissmallnumberoftroops.SantaAnnasentamessagedemandingthattheysurrender.Taylorreportedlysaid:"Tellhimtogotohell.',Thetwosidesclashedthenextmorning.SantaAnnahadaboutthreetimesthementhatTaylorhad.Yetzbylatethatday,Taylor'ssoldiershaddefeatedSantaAnna's.Taylor'ssuccessasageneralhelpedtheUnitedStateswinthewaragainstMexico.IntheTreatyofGuadalupeHidalgo,MexicoagreedtogiveupclaimstoorselltotheU.S.morethan1.3millionkilometersofitslands,includingwhatarenowthestatesofTexasandCalifornia.Butthenewlandsalmostimmediatelycausedproblems.Campaignof1848AtthetimeofthenextU.S.presidentialelection,publicopinioninthecountrywasseverelydivided.TheissuewaswhethertopermitslaveryinthenewlandswonattheendofthewarwithMexico.Ingeneral,Northernersopposedexpandingslavery.Ingeneral,Southernerssupportedit.Toappealtoboththesegroups,themajorpartiesatthetimelookedtoTaylortobetheircandidateforpresident.TheDemocratsandtheWhigsreasonedthatTaylorwasalreadywell-knownandwell-liked.HistorianMichaelHoltsaidin1848,Taylorwas"themostpopularmaninAmerica."ButTaylorwasnotreallypolitical.Hecalledhimselfanindependent.Hesharedsomebeliefswithbothmajorpartiesatthetime.Butmostlyhewantedtokeepthenationtogether.Intheend,heagreedtobethecandidateoftheWhigParty.Duringthecampaign,hedidnottakeastandonanyofthemajorissues.HisfameasamilitarygeneralcarriedhimintotheWhiteHouse.PresidencyThetruthwasthatTaylordidhaveanopiniononslavery:Hedidnotwanttoexpandit,especiallyinareasthatdidnotsupportcottonorsugarfarms.So,onceinofficezheproposedachangetotherulesabouthownewterritorieswouldbecomestates.Thechangewouldletwhite,American,malesettlersinCaliforniaandNewMexicodecideWhethertheywantedslavery.Then,thoseareascouldentertheUnionimmediatelyasstates.Tayloraimedtoquietthedebateaboutslavery.Buthisideaangeredalmosteverybody.SomeU.S.lawmakersbelievedthepresidenthadcutthemoutofthedecision.NorthernerssaidTaylor'sproposaldidnotgofarenough:Itdidnotsolvesomeoftheotherissuesrelatedtoslavery.AndSouthernersrealizedthatsettlersinCaliforniaandNewMexicowouldalmostsurelyrejectslavery,andgivefreestatesamajorityinCongress.Inonedramaticincident,someSouthCarolinaofficialscalledameetingtodiscusswithdrawingfromtheUnion.Inanswer,Taylorthreatenedtohangthem.ButbeforeTaylororhisideacouldgettoofarzthepresidentbecamesick.Thestoryisthatheattendedoutdoorcelebrationstomarkthenation'sbirthday,July4.Thenhewentforawalk.Theweatherwasveryhot.Tocooloff,Taylorateuncookedfruitanddrankicedmilk.Thatnighthetoldothersaboutpaininhisstomach.Fivedayslater,hewasdead.HisdoctorwrotethatTaylordiedofcholeramorbus-ageneraltermforseveredigestiveproblems.Afewpeoplethoughthemighthavebeenpoisoned.Thesuspicionremaineduntil1991,whenmedicalofficialsexaminedTaylor'sremains.Theyconfirmedthathediedofnaturalcauses.Amorerecentstudyoffersmoredetails.JaneMcHughandPhilipA.MackowiaksaythatTaylorwasavictimofthesameproblemthatkilledpresidentsWilliamHenryHarrisonandJamesPolk:dirtywaterintheWhiteHouse.1.egacyTaylor'sdeath,whileunfortunate,didnotcauseapoliticalcrisis.JohnTylerhadalreadyestablishedtherulethatzifapresidentdiesinoffice,thevicepresidentbecomespresident.ButTaylor'sdeathdidlikelychangethedirectionofhistory.Hisreplacemen