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1、美国总统11扎卡里泰勒ZacharyTaylor:BriefVOALearningEnglishpresentsAmericasPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutZacharyTaylor,the12thpresident.Hetookofficein1849.OfficialWhiteHousePortraitofPresidentZacharyTaylor(c.1848)byJosephHenryBushTaylorhadsomethingsincommonwithearlierpresidents.1.ikesixothersbeforehimzhewas
2、borninVirginia.1.ikeGeorgeWashingtonandAndrewJackson,Taylorwasawarhero.And,likeWilliamHenryHarrisonfhediedinoffice.ButTaylorbroughtatleastonespecialtraittothepresidency.AlthoughhewasofficiallyelectedasamemberoftheWhigparty,Taylorconsideredhimselfanindependent.EarlylifeWhenZacharyTaylorwasababyzhisfa
3、milyleftVirginia.Theymovedwest,toatobaccoplantationinKentucky.There,theTaylorswerefinanciallysuccessful.BythetimeZacharywasayoungman,hisfamilyownedanumberofenslavedpeopleandover4,000hectaresofland.Taylortookpossessionofsomeofhisfamilysland.HealsohadcottonplantationsinthesouthernstatesofMississippian
4、dLouisiana.Heztoo,dependedonenslavedpeopletodomostofthework.ButTaylorwasunlikemanywealthyfarmersintheSouth.Hehadalwayswantedtobeasoldier.WhenTaylorwas24yearsold,hebecameanofficerintheU.S.Army.Shortlyafter,hemarriedMargaretSmith.Intime,theyhadfivedaughtersandoneson.ButTaylordirectedmostofhisattention
5、tohismilitarycareer.Forabout20years,hetriedtokeeppeacebetweenNativeAmericantribesandwhiteAmericans.SometimesthejobmeantleadingattacksagainstNativeAmericans.Attimes,itmeantdefendingtheirlandsfromwhitesettlers.Ineithercase,hispublicstandingasagoodsoldiergrew.HistroopscalledhimOldRoughandReadybecausehe
6、waswillingtofight-andsuffer-alongsidethem.Then,intheMexican-AmericanWarofthe1840szTaylorbecamereallyfamous.HeledU.S.troopstovictoryinseveralmajorbattles,includingonesatMonterreyandBuenaVista.Inawell-knownstory,thepowerfulMexicangeneralSantaAnnasurroundedTaylorandhissmallnumberoftroops.SantaAnnasenta
7、messagedemandingthattheysurrender.Taylorreportedlysaid:Tellhimtogotohell.,Thetwosidesclashedthenextmorning.SantaAnnahadaboutthreetimesthementhatTaylorhad.Yetzbylatethatday,TaylorssoldiershaddefeatedSantaAnnas.TaylorssuccessasageneralhelpedtheUnitedStateswinthewaragainstMexico.IntheTreatyofGuadalupeH
8、idalgo,MexicoagreedtogiveupclaimstoorselltotheU.S.morethan1.3millionkilometersofitslands,includingwhatarenowthestatesofTexasandCalifornia.Butthenewlandsalmostimmediatelycausedproblems.Campaignof1848AtthetimeofthenextU.S.presidentialelection,publicopinioninthecountrywasseverelydivided.Theissuewaswhet
9、hertopermitslaveryinthenewlandswonattheendofthewarwithMexico.Ingeneral,Northernersopposedexpandingslavery.Ingeneral,Southernerssupportedit.Toappealtoboththesegroups,themajorpartiesatthetimelookedtoTaylortobetheircandidateforpresident.TheDemocratsandtheWhigsreasonedthatTaylorwasalreadywell-knownandwe
10、ll-liked.HistorianMichaelHoltsaidin1848,TaylorwasthemostpopularmaninAmerica.ButTaylorwasnotreallypolitical.Hecalledhimselfanindependent.Hesharedsomebeliefswithbothmajorpartiesatthetime.Butmostlyhewantedtokeepthenationtogether.Intheend,heagreedtobethecandidateoftheWhigParty.Duringthecampaign,hedidnot
11、takeastandonanyofthemajorissues.HisfameasamilitarygeneralcarriedhimintotheWhiteHouse.PresidencyThetruthwasthatTaylordidhaveanopiniononslavery:Hedidnotwanttoexpandit,especiallyinareasthatdidnotsupportcottonorsugarfarms.So,onceinofficezheproposedachangetotherulesabouthownewterritorieswouldbecomestates
12、.Thechangewouldletwhite,American,malesettlersinCaliforniaandNewMexicodecideWhethertheywantedslavery.Then,thoseareascouldentertheUnionimmediatelyasstates.Tayloraimedtoquietthedebateaboutslavery.Buthisideaangeredalmosteverybody.SomeU.S.lawmakersbelievedthepresidenthadcutthemoutofthedecision.Northerner
13、ssaidTaylorsproposaldidnotgofarenough:Itdidnotsolvesomeoftheotherissuesrelatedtoslavery.AndSouthernersrealizedthatsettlersinCaliforniaandNewMexicowouldalmostsurelyrejectslavery,andgivefreestatesamajorityinCongress.Inonedramaticincident,someSouthCarolinaofficialscalledameetingtodiscusswithdrawingfrom
14、theUnion.Inanswer,Taylorthreatenedtohangthem.ButbeforeTaylororhisideacouldgettoofarzthepresidentbecamesick.Thestoryisthatheattendedoutdoorcelebrationstomarkthenationsbirthday,July4.Thenhewentforawalk.Theweatherwasveryhot.Tocooloff,Taylorateuncookedfruitanddrankicedmilk.Thatnighthetoldothersaboutpain
15、inhisstomach.Fivedayslater,hewasdead.HisdoctorwrotethatTaylordiedofcholeramorbus-ageneraltermforseveredigestiveproblems.Afewpeoplethoughthemighthavebeenpoisoned.Thesuspicionremaineduntil1991,whenmedicalofficialsexaminedTaylorsremains.Theyconfirmedthathediedofnaturalcauses.Amorerecentstudyoffersmored
16、etails.JaneMcHughandPhilipA.MackowiaksaythatTaylorwasavictimofthesameproblemthatkilledpresidentsWilliamHenryHarrisonandJamesPolk:dirtywaterintheWhiteHouse.1.egacyTaylorsdeath,whileunfortunate,didnotcauseapoliticalcrisis.JohnTylerhadalreadyestablishedtherulethatzifapresidentdiesinoffice,thevicepresidentbecomespresident.ButTaylorsdeathdidlikelychangethedirectionofhistory.Hisreplacemen
