Fillmore, Millard
美國第十三任總統（1850～1853）。家境貧寒，十五歲時被送去當梳理羊毛工學徒。後隨一位地方法官學習法律，1823年取得律師資格。1828～1834年支援標榜民主和自由的反共濟黨，追隨他的政治導師威德參加輝格黨，不久即被公認為該黨北方派的傑出領袖。他擔任眾議員（1833～1835,1837～1843），併成為參議員亨利.克雷的忠實追隨者。1848年輝格黨提名他為副總統候選人，後來與泰勒一起當選。1850年7月總統泰勒去世後，他成為美國總統。費爾摩爾雖然自己對奴隸制深惡痛絕，但支援「1850年妥協方案」，覺得在能夠取消奴隸制而又不破壞國家統一之前，必須容忍奴隸制存在，並給予憲法的保障；堅持聯邦政府要執行逃亡奴隸法。由於這種的立場，使他在北方地區極度不得人心，導致他在1852年輝格黨提名大會上被司各脫擊敗，更導致整個政黨的消亡。在整個從政時期，他一直鼓吹美國國內的發展，並且很早就支援向太平洋擴張，1853年派遣海軍准將伯理率美國艦隊前往日本，強迫日本政府改變閉關鎖國的傳統政策，與西方發生貿易和外交關係。1856年一無所知黨提名他競選總統，慘敗後，他退隱水牛城。
1800～1874年
Fillmore, Millard
13th president of the U.S. (1850-53). Born into poverty in Locke, N.Y., he became an indentured apprentice at 15. He studied law with a local judge and began to practice in Buffalo in 1823. Initially identified with the Anti-Masonic Party (1828-34), he followed his political mentor, Thurlow Weed, to the Whigs and was soon a leader of the party's northern wing. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1833-35, 1837-43), where he became a follower of Henry Clay. In 1848 the Whigs nominated Fillmore as vice president, and he was elected with Zachary Taylor. He became president on Taylor's death in 1850. Though he abhorred slavery, he supported the Compromise of 1850 and insisted on federal enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act. His stand, which alienated the North, led to his defeat by Winfield Scott at the Whigs' nominating convention in 1852 and effectively led to the death of the party. Throughout his career he advocated U.S. internal development and was an early champion of expansion in the Pacific. In 1853 he sent Matthew Perry with a U.S. fleet to Japan, forcing its isolationist government to enter into trade and diplomatic relations. He returned to Buffalo and was nominated for president by the Know-Nothing Party in 1856.
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