亚当斯

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Adams, John Quincy

美国第六任总统(1825~1829),生於麻州布兰曲市。约翰.亚当斯总统及艾碧该.亚当斯之长子。1778~1780年随其父出使欧洲,1794年华盛顿派他为美国驻荷兰大使,1797年派驻普鲁士(Prussia)。1801年返回麻州,1803年获选为参议员。1809~1811年担任驻俄沙皇宫廷大使。1815~1817年转任驻英大使。1817~1824年返国任国务卿,任内促成西班牙割让佛罗里达(Florida),也参与起草门罗主义(Monroe Doctrine)。1824年总统大选时,亚当斯是三位总统候选人之一,另外两位是克雷(Henry Clay)及杰克森(Andrew Jackson)将军。选举结果无人能获得总统选举人票半数,虽然杰克森获得的票数最多,依法应由众议院(House of Represen tatives)投票决定。因得克雷之助,亚当斯得以顺利当选。後来亚当斯指派克雷担任国务卿,因此更惹火杰克森。亚当斯在总统任内做得并不成功,1828年杰克森当选总统,打败想连任的他。1830年亚当斯当选为众议员,一直任职到去世为止。他是奴隶制度的强力反对者,1839年曾提出一项宪法修正案,禁止各联邦新州实行奴隶制。1844年他要求废止当时的众议院规则第二十一条,最後获得通过。1841年他在爱米斯塔特号叛变(Amistad Mutiny)案中,替脱逃的奴隶辩护成功。

1767~1848年

Adams, John Quincy

Sixth president of the U.S. (1825-29). Born in Braintree, Mass., he was the eldest son of John Adams and Abigail Adams. He accompanied his father to Europe on diplomatic missions (1778-80). He was appointed U.S. minister to the Netherlands (1794) and to Prussia (1797). In 1801 he returned to Massachusetts and served in the U.S. Senate (1803-8). Resuming his diplomatic service, he became U.S. minister to Russia (1809-11) and Britain (1815-17). Appointed secretary of state (1817-24), he was instrumental in acquiring Florida from Spain and in drafting the Monroe Doctrine. In the 1824 presidential election, he was one of three candidates; none received a majority of the electoral votes, though Andrew Jackson received a plurality. The decision went to the House of Representatives, where Adams received crucial support from Henry Clay and the electoral votes necessary to elect him president. He appointed Clay secretary of state, which further angered Jackson. Adams's presidency was unsuccessful; when he ran for reelection, Jackson defeated him. In 1830 he was elected to the House, where he served until his death. He was outspoken in his opposition to slavery and in 1839 proposed a constitutional amendment forbidding slavery in any new state admitted to the Union. Southern congressmen prevented discussion of antislavery petitions by passing gag rules (repealed in 1844 as a result of Adams's persistence). In 1841 he successfully defended the slaves in the Amistad Mutiny case.