美国总统5 詹姆斯门罗.docx

美国总统5詹姆斯门罗JamesMonroe:LastoftheCockedHatsVOALearningEnglishpresentsAmerica'sPresidents.JamesMonroeeasilywonelectionin1816.Hehadarelaxed,likeablepersonalityandwaspopularwithvoters.Inaddition,manysawhimasalastconnectiontothecountry'sfoundinggeneration.MonroehadfoughtinGeorgeWashington'sarmyduringtheRevolutionaryWaragainstBritishrule.HewasadiplomatduringThomasJefferson'spresidencyandhelpedcompletetheLouisianaPurchase.MonroeservedasJamesMadison'ssecretaryofstateandbrieflyashissecretaryofwar,aswell-duringtheWarof1812.Voters'positivefeelingscarriedMonroeintoofficeanddefinedhispresidency.EraofGoodFeelingsWhenMonroebecamepresident,theUnitedStateshadjustdeclaredvictoryagainstBritishforcesintheWarof1812.TheAmericaneconomyalsowasdoingwell,atleastatfirst.Andthegovernmentwasmostlyunitedunderasingleparty.ButMonroedidhaveoneimmediateproblem:Heandhiswife,Elizabeth,couldnotmoveintothepresident'shouserightaway.TheBritishhadburneditbadlyinanattackonWashington,D.C.Workerswerebusymakingrepairs.So,Monroedecidedtogoonatrip.Hespentthefirstweeksofhispresidencytraveling.HewentnorthintoNewEngland,visitingimportantplacesfromtheRevolutionaryWarortheWarof1812.EverywherehewentheremindedAmericansoftheirshared,proudhistory.Heevenworeclothesintheoldcolonialstyle.OneofMonroe'snicknamesis"thelastofthecockedhats."ThenPresidentMonroeturnedwest,towardlandsthatwhitemigrantswereincreasinglysettling.TheywereabletomovewestinpartbecauseAmericansoldiershaddefeatedapowerfulallianceofNativeAmericantribes.WhathadbeenavictoryfortheU.S.governmentwasacrushinglossforNativeAmericans.Manytribesmovedfartherwest.Othersbegantolosetheirlanguagesandtheircustomsaswhitesettlerstookcontrol.ForMonroe,however,thevisitwestwasapositivesignofthecountry'sexpansion.BythetimehereturnedtoWashington,MonroehadmetmanyAmericans.Hehadlearnedforhimselfthegeographyofthecountry.AndhehaddemonstratedthatallpartsoftheU.S.couldbeconnectedbypatriotismandacommonfederalgovernment.OnenewspapercalledMonroe'spresidencythebeginningofan"EraofGoodFeelings."Fouryearslater,Monroewonasecondtermevenmoreeasilythanhisfirst.TheMissouriCompromiseYetJamesMonroe'spresidencyhadseveralcrises.Onewasthecountry'sfirsteconomicdepressioninmorethan30years.Anotherwasoverslavery.Thecountryhadbeendividedovertheissuesinceitsfounding.Bytheendof1819,elevenstates,allintheSouth,permittedslavery.Elevenstates,allintheNorth,didnot.Thequestionbecame:WouldthenewstatesintheWestpermitit?MonroehadtofacethequestionwhensettlersaskedCongresspermissionforMissouriTerritorytobecomeastate.Manyenslavedpeoplealreadylivedthere.Whitesettlersexpectedtobringmore.ButamemberofCongressfromaNorthernstateproposedthatMissouricouldbecomeastateonlyifitbannedslavery.Thatproposalstartedadebatethatlastedmorethanayear.Forthemostpart,thedebatewasnotbasedonthemoralproblemswithpeopleowningotherpeople.Instead,itinvolvedeconomicandpoliticalconcerns.Northernersarguedthatslave-holdingstateshadanunfaireconomicadvantage.Inaddition,ifMissourienteredtheUnionasaslavestate,itslawmakerswouldmovethebalanceofpowertowardtheSouth.ThedebatecontinuedsolongthatanotherareaaskedtoentertheUnion.PeopleinnorthernMassachusettswantedtoorganizeintoanindependentstatecalledMaine.Aftersometime,lawmakersofferedacompromise.TheysaidMainecouldbeadmittedasafreestateandMissouriasaslavestate.Buttheyalsomadealineacrossamapofthecountry.TheysaidCongresswouldnotadmitanotherslavestatenorthofthatline.JamesMonroesignedintolawwhatbecameknownastheMissouriCompromise.Itsettledtheissueofslavery,atleastofficially,intheU.S.formorethan20years.Buteveryoneknewthatthepeacebetweenpro-slaveryandanti-slaverygroupswasonlytemporary.TheMonroeDoctrineIn1823,MonroemadeoneofthemostimportantforeignpolicydecisionsinAmericanhistory.ItbecameknownastheMonroeDoctrine.ItrelatedtoSpain'scoloniesinLatinAmerica.MonroehaddealtwithSpainbefore.Inhisfirstterm,heandhissecretaryofstatezJohnQuincyAdamszsuccessfullynegotiatedwithSpaintobuyFloridafortheUnitedStates.ByMonroe'ssecondterm,SpainhadalsolostcontrolofsomeofitsformercoloniesinLatinAmerica.ThepresidentbecameconcernedthatSpain'sEuropeanallieswouldtrytohelpthecountryre-gainpower.HedidnotwantEuropeanpowersinterferinginareassoclosetoU.S.territoryandsoimportanttoU.S.trade.SoMonroegaveaspeechtoCongress.HesaidtheU.S.wouldstayoutofEurope'saffairs.ButhesaidEuropeshouldalsostayoutofLatinAmerica'saffairs.AndzMonroedeclaredthatEuropeanpowerswouldnotbepermittedtobegincolonizinganyareaintheWesternHemisphere.Inotherwords,MonroedeclaredthattheU.S.consideredtheentireWesternHemisphereitssphereofinfluence.HistoriansnotethatMonroedidnotaimforthedeclarationtobeamajorstatement.ButitbecameabaseofAmericanforeignpolicyandsupportedU.S.expansionthroughoutthe19thcentury.FinalyearsJamesMonroewasthefourthandlastpresidentinthe"VirginiaDynasty."ExceptforJohnAdams,fourofthefirstfiveAmericanpresidentswerefromVirginia.Monroeandhiswifereturnedtotheirhomethereafterheleftoffice.Theyhadacloserelationshipwitheachother,aswellaswiththeirtwosurvivingchildren,bothdaughters.Unlikemanypoliticiansofhistime,Monroehadbroughthisfamilywithhimonhistravels.Healsobelievedstronglyineducationforgirls.WhentheMonroeslivedinFrance,youngElizaMonroeattendedthebestschoolforgirlsinParis.Thislovingfamilyspentasmuchtimetogetheraspossible.So,whenElizabethMonroedied,JamesMonroewasfilledwithsorrow.Hishealthalsobegantofail.Hemovedtothehouseofhisyoungerdaughter,Maria,inNewYorkCity.JamesMonroediedthereoneyearIaterzatage73.1.iketwootherformerpresidents,Monroediedonthe4thofJuly-America'sbirthday.mKellyJeanKelly.KellyJeanKellywrotethisstoryforLearningEnglish.CatyWeaverwastheeditor.WordsinThisStoryrelaxed-adj.informalandcomfortablepositive-adj.hopefulandoptimisticremind-v.makesomeonethinkaboutsomethingagaingeography-n.thenaturalfeaturesofaplaceadvantage-n.aconditionthathelpstomakesomethingbetterormorelikelytosucceedthanothersaffair-n.amatterthatconcernsorinvolvessomeonesphereofinfluence-n.anareaofcontroloractivitydynasty-n.afamily,team,etc.,thatisverypowerfulorsuccessfulforalongperiodoftime