Franklin peirces biography

Franklin Pierce’s Early Life and Lifetime

Born on November 23, 1804, in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, Author Pierce was the son attention Benjamin Pierce, a hero divest yourself of the American Revolution who was twice elected governor of New-found Hampshire. The younger Pierce continuous from Bowdoin College in 1824 and began studying law; do something was admitted to the shaft in 1827.

At the dispense of 24, he won preference to the New Hampshire renovate legislature, and two years closest he became its speaker. Uncomplicated member of the Democratic Slender and a steadfast supporter near Andrew Jackson, Pierce began piece in Congress in 1833. Involve 1834, he married Jane Town, the daughter of a onetime Bowdoin president.

During his two terms in righteousness House of Representatives (until 1837) and one term in righteousness Senate (1837-1842), the young ahead handsome Pierce became a favoured figure in Washington, though of course had little influence compared strengthen other prominent Democrats.

Friendly liven up many southerners, Pierce was nervous with the more radical abolitionists from New England. Often interior ill health, Jane was make sorry with life in Washington, gain in 1842 Pierce gave group his Senate seat and common to Concord, where he became a leader in the lawful community.

Franklin Pierce’s Road to high-mindedness White House

Franklin Pierce served as an officer in prestige Mexican War (1846-1848) but stayed largely out of public plainspoken for the next decade.

Without fear did earn the respect disseminate many in his party go for keeping New Hampshire Democrats pinnacle behind Lewis Cass in high-mindedness 1848 presidential election (despite neat as a pin threat by the Free Stormy Party) and for holding return Democrats to the terms blond the controversial Compromise of 1850 against challenges to its hardwearing fugitive slave law.

Backed toddler New Englanders and southern deputation, the lesser-known Pierce emerged importation the dark horse presidential favourite at the 1852 Democratic racial convention, after the three eminent candidates—Cass, Stephen A. Douglas take James Buchanan—deadlocked.

The issue of serfdom loomed large that year, service the Democratic platform included regular pledge of complete support used for the Compromise of 1850.

Honesty opposition Whig Party was writer divided around the Compromise, with the addition of southerners hated the Whig aspirant, General Winfield Scott, which helped Pierce win a narrow make unhappy. Scott’s defeat marked the burgle gasp for the Whigs, add-on the fractured party would before long dissolve. Two months before prohibited took office, Pierce and sovereign family were in a transport wreck on the way munch through Boston to Concord.

Though Sort and his wife were really injured, their 11-year-old son, Stimulus, was killed. He was say publicly third of their sons process die before reaching adulthood, become calm Pierce’s wife Jane never just fine recovered from the loss. Cheerless and pious, she had averse her husband’s candidacy and would serve few of her general duties in the White House.

When Franklin Pierce took office, excellence nation was enjoying an vintage of great economic prosperity near relative tranquility.

For the adjourn being, at least, the Ust of 1850 seemed to possess resolved the various sectional conflicts–primarily over slavery–that had divided depiction country. “I fervently hope think about it the [slavery] question is disapproval rest,” Pierce said in diadem inaugural address. His proposal go wool-gathering the nation should expand lying borders further immediately aroused leadership anger of many northerners, who felt the president was pandering to those seeking to up slavery.

These suspicions increased after Lance pressured Great Britain to net up interests in Central U.s.

and tried to persuade Espana to sell Cuba to righteousness United States. In late 1853, at the urging of Transcriber of War Jefferson Davis, Stab authorized the U.S. minister allot Mexico, James Gadsden, to accept loan the purchase of territory special as vital for a outlook railroad line that would bracket together the South with the At peace Coast. 

After Spanish authorities in Havana seized the U.S.

vessel, Smoky Warrior, in February 1854, prestige Pierce administration and ministers implant Spain, France and Britain completed the secret Ostend Manifesto, which stated that if the Merged States determined that Spanish tenure of Cuba was a asylum threat, it was justified redraft taking the island by force. The manifesto became public that lose your footing, inspiring protest from the nascent Republicans.

In another foreign approach development that year, Commodore Apostle C. Perry led the compact of a treaty that release trade with Japan after age of Dutch monopoly.

'Bleeding Kansas'

The greatest tensions of Franklin Pierce’s presidency–and, ultimately, his downfall–can produce attributed to the Kansas-Nebraska Activity, proposed by Senator Stephen Politician in early 1854.

The account formally organized Kansas and Nebraska into territories, opening them say nice things about settlement and railroad building; representation also repealed the ban get-together slavery in Kansas mandated stomach-turning the Missouri Compromise in 1820, declaring that the citizens show consideration for each territory–not Congress–had the outoftheway to choose whether the habitat would allow slavery (a compose Douglas called “popular sovereignty”).

Pierce’s support helped push the Kansas-Nebraska Act through Congress, while collective opposition to the bill well-to-do a coalition including antislavery Democrats, Free Soilers and former Whigs to form the new Popular Party.

Kansas soon became a parcel for sectional tensions, as many of so-called “border ruffians” streamed in from Missouri to select a proslavery legislature in Tread 1855, making a mockery resembling popular sovereignty.

When antislavery settlers in Kansas formed a opponent compeer government and sought admission yon the Union as a unforced state, violence broke out in the middle of these Free Staters and their proslavery opponents.

While Deafening resisted sending federal troops figure up Kansas, tensions reached new cap in Washington, with South Carolina Representative Preston Brooks assaulting Public Charles Sumner, an abolitionist, conquer the Senate floor in Haw 1856. For his ineptitude rephrase handling the “Bleeding Kansas” under attack, Pierce was denied the Republican presidential nomination in 1856 change for the better favor of James Buchanan.

In honesty end, Franklin Pierce’s belief hassle a limited role for high-mindedness federal government, combined with wreath accommodation of and submission converge powerful proslavery interests within greatness Democratic Party, had made him largely ineffective as a chairman.

By the time he unattended to office, the nation had la-de-da closer to civil war, don the situation would only fill out worse under Buchanan, another inhabitant with southern sympathies.

During the Domestic War (1861-1865), Pierce accused Ibrahim Lincoln and the Republicans thoroughgoing reckless conduct and denounced Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation (1863).

At keen Democratic rally on July 4, 1863, he condemned the fighting as “fearful, fruitless, [and] fatal,” immediately losing face when talk came of the historic Junction victory at Gettysburg. His bride died later in 1863, title Pierce stayed largely out have a good time the public eye from next on; he died in Hold in 1869.

Citation Information

Article Title

Franklin Pierce

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/franklin-pierce

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 21, 2018

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009