Franklin Pierce

Mathew Brady - Franklin Pierce - alternate crop

Pierce Homestead

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Jane Means Appleton Pierce first lady of the USA

Franklin Pierce by Southworth & Hawes c1852

Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804 – October 8, 1869) was the 14th President of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. A member of the Democratic Party, he is known for his policies that furthered the cause of the antebellum South, but which also led to increased sectional tensions between the North and South, contributing to the onset of the American Civil War.

Early Life and Career

Franklin Pierce was born in Hillsborough, New Hampshire. He was the son of Benjamin Pierce, a Revolutionary War hero and two-term Governor of New Hampshire. Franklin attended Bowdoin College, where he established lifelong friendships with future literary figure Nathaniel Hawthorne and future political figure Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. After college, Pierce studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1827, beginning his law practice in Hillsborough.

Before his presidency, Pierce served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He volunteered for the Mexican-American War and was appointed a brigadier general, a position that, despite his lack of military experience, helped build his national reputation.

Presidency (1853-1857)

Pierce's presidency is most remembered for the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise by allowing states to determine whether they would allow slavery within their borders. This led to violent conflict in Kansas, known as "Bleeding Kansas," and heightened national tensions over slavery.

Pierce's foreign policy achievements included the Gadsden Purchase, which acquired territory from Mexico that would later become part of Arizona and New Mexico, and efforts to open trade with Japan. However, his support for the Ostend Manifesto, which proposed the annexation of Cuba as a slave state, was met with controversy and ultimately failed.

Later Life and Legacy

After his presidency, Pierce was largely ostracized by the political community due to his pro-Southern stance and support for the Confederacy during the Civil War. He spent his later years in New Hampshire, where he died in 1869.

Pierce's presidency is often criticized for its failure to address the escalating crisis over slavery, which many historians believe hastened the onset of the Civil War. Despite this, some scholars note his efforts to maintain a balance between the North and South and his achievements in foreign policy.

See Also

• List of Presidents of the United States
• History of the United States (1849–1865)
• Origins of the American Civil War