美国总统 约翰亚当斯.docx

美国总统约翰亚当斯JohnAdams:He'sNumberTwoVOALearningEnglishpresentsAmerica'sPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutJohnAdams.In1796zhewaselectedasthecountry,ssecondpresident.CourtesyTheWhiteHouseHistoricalAssociationBeingsecondcanbedifficult.Andbeingthesecondpresidentofanewcountry,followingapopularfirstpresidentsuchasGeorgeWashington,turnedouttobeextremelydifficult.Foronething,Adamsdidnotalwaysgetalongwithotherpeople.Hewasknowntogetangryeasily,andoften.Adamsalsowasleaderofadividedadministration.Hisownvicepresidentoftendisagreedwithhim-passionately.ThesituationwastheresultofaruleintheConstitutionatthetime.Itsaidthepersonwhoreceivedthemajorityofvotesbecamepresident.Thepersonwiththesecondlargestnumberofvotesbecamevicepresident.Theruleworkedfineforthefirsttwoelections.Washingtonhadwonthepresidency,andAdamswonthevicepresidency.Thetwomenbelongedtothesamepoliticalpartyandsharedmanypointsofview.Butin1796,Adams,opponentintheelection,ThomasJeffersonrbecamethevicepresident.Thetwomenwerepersonalfriends,butpoliticalenemies.PresidentAdamssupportedastrongfederalgovernmentthatprotectedtheinterestsofbusinessandthewealthy.VicePresidentJefferson,ontheotherhandzwantedtolimitthepowerofthefederalgovernment.Asaresult,AdamsandJeffersonoftenclashed.Adamsalsomadewhatmanyhistoriansconsideramistakeinchoosinghiscabinet.AdamssimplykeptWashington'sofficialadvisers,mostlytosatisfypoliticalopponents.Butlater,Adamslearnedthatmanyofhiscabinetmembersopposedhim,too.HistorianJohnFerlingsaysAdamswas''inoverhishead,andstartedswimmingupstreamwalmostfromthestartofhispresidency.ForeignpolicycrisisOntopofallthat,Adamsfacedaforeignpolicycrisis.AftertheFrenchRevolution,GreatBritainalliedwithotherEuropeannationsagainstFrance.Theywantedtokeeptheunrestfromspreadingtotheircountries.AdamsworkedhardtomakesuretheU.S.didnotgetpulledintoawarbetweenFranceandGreatBritain.ButFrancedidnottrusttheU.S.IttriedtointerrupttradebyseizingU.S.ships.Adamswantedtoresolvetheproblempeacefully.Hethreatenedmilitaryaction,buthealsosentdiplomatstotalkwithFrenchofficials.Adamsaimedfor''anhonorablepeace,zwithFrance.Ittooksometimebuthegotit.HistorianJohnFerlingsaysalthoughthecrisisinEuropecausedAdams''endlesstrouble/7hedealtwithitwell.ManyyearsIaterzAdamswrotethat''thegreatestjewelinhiscrown,zwasreachingpeacewithFrance.TheAdamsfamilyEvenifAdamsstruggledaspresident,hewassuccessfulinotherpartsofhislife.HegrewupoutsidethecityofBoston.Hisfatherwasafarmer,aswellasachurchofficialandtownleader.However,AdamschosetoattendHarvardUniversityandbecomealawyer.Adamswasaverygoodlawyer.Infact,hewasoneofthebusiestlawyersinBoston.Hissuccessenabledhimtobuyabig,two-storyhousethatstillstandsinQuincy,Massachusetts.Adamsalsohadahappymarriage.Therelationshipbetweenhimandhiswife,Abigail,isoneofthebest-knownofthattime.Thetwowrotemanyletterstoeachotherduringtheyearstheywereapart.Morethanlz000oftheirlettersstillsurvivetoday.JohnandAbigailAdamswerebothpassionatepatriotswhosupportedtheAmericanRevolution.AbigailAdamszPortraitbyBenjaminBlythzCirca1766Theyalsoagreedabouttheissueofslavery.UnlikemanyfoundingfamiliesoftheU.S.,thecoupledidnotownslavesandspokeoutagainstthesystemofpeopleowningotherpeople.Electionof1800InNovemberof1800zJohnandAbigailAdamsmovedtotheExecutiveMansioninWashington,D.C.AdamswasthefirstpresidenttoliveinwhatwenowcalltheWhiteHouse.Theywouldnotstaylong,however.Adamswasfacingadifficultre-electioncampaign.Hisvicepresident,ThomasJeffersonzwasrunningagainsthim.Hispartywasdivided-manyFederalistssupportedothercandidates.Andsomevotersdidnotlikehisdecisions-includingcreatingapermanentarmy,raisingtaxes,andlimitingtherightsofimmigrants.Thosefourlaws-calledtheAlienandSeditionActs-extendedthetimethatimmigrantshadtowaitbeforebecomingU.S.citizens.Theypermittedthegovernmenttodetaincitizensfromenemynationswithoutreasonduringwartime.Thelawsalsopermittedthepresidenttoexpelforeigncitizenshebelievedweredangerous.AndtheymadecriticizingthepresidentorCongressacrime.AdamssaidtheActsaimedtocontrolpeopleintheU.S.whosupportedFrance.Butmanypoliticiansatthetimearguedthatthelawsmostlyaffectedpeoplewhosupportedtheopposingpoliticalparty.HistorianJohnFerlingsaystheywereright.Andzhesays,AdamsmayhavebeenusingtheAlienandSeditionActstoprotecthispoliticalcareer.Buttheyendedupdamaginghispublicimage.Theyalsoraisedthequestionforthefirsttimeofwhetherstateshadtherighttoignoreafederallawiftheydisagreedwithit.AdamsandJeffersonSupportersofVicePresidentThomasJeffersonusedAdams*approvaloftheAlienandSeditionActsagainsthimeffectively.JeffersonzScampaignsaidAdamsexercisedsomuchpoweraspresidentthathemustwanttheU.S.tobecomeamonarchy.Adams,campaignsaidJeffersonwasaradicalwhowouldbringrevolutiontothecountry.TheU.S.hadneverexperiencedsuchanuglyelectionbefore.Somepeoplewonderedwhetherthecountrywouldbeabletotransferpowerpeacefully.JohnAdamsz1797-1800byWilliamWinstanley.WhenJeffersonwon,howeverzAdamsdidnotresist.HeretiredtohisfarminMassachusetts.Adamsspentmostofhisretirementwriting.Heevenbeganexchanginglongletterswithhisoldfriend-andoldenemy-ThomasJefferson.Theytwomendiscussedtheirfamilies,theirthoughtsonpoliticsandreligion,andtheirnation,shistory.Theletterswerebothpersonallyandhistoricallymeaningful:AdamsandJeffersonwerethelastlivingmembersoftheoriginalpatriotswhostartedanewcountry.OnJuly4,1826-thenation,s50thbirthday-thetwofriends,patriotsandformerU.S.presidentsdiedwithinhoursofoneanother.mKellyJeanKelly.AnneBallandKellyJeanKellywrotethisstory.CatyWeaverwastheeditor.Seehowwellyouunderstandthestorybytakingthislisteningquiz.Playeachvideo,thenchoosethebestanswer.WordsinThisStorypassionately-adv.having,showing,orexpressingstrongemotionsorbeliefsupstream-adj.inthedirectionoppositetotheflowinastreamorriverinterrupt-v.tocausesomethingtostophappeningforatimepatriot-n.personwhosupportedtheAmericanRevolutionaryWarforfreedomfromBritainugly-adj.unpleasanttransfer-v.togiverightstoanotherpersonoriginal-adj.existingfirstoratthebeginning