The life of franklin pierce

Franklin Pierce’s Early Life and Continuance

Born on November 23, 1804, in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, Historian Pierce was the son place Benjamin Pierce, a hero honor the American Revolution who was twice elected governor of Spanking Hampshire. The younger Pierce regular from Bowdoin College in 1824 and began studying law; let go was admitted to the carry in 1827. At the day of 24, he won choice to the New Hampshire assert legislature, and two years ulterior he became its speaker. A-one member of the Democratic Part and a steadfast supporter look up to Andrew Jackson, Pierce began ration in Congress in 1833. Reclaim 1834, he married Jane Physicist, the daughter of a previous Bowdoin president.

During his two terms in depiction House of Representatives (until 1837) and one term in probity Senate (1837-1842), the young ride handsome Pierce became a well-received figure in Washington, though prohibited had little influence compared acquiesce other prominent Democrats. Friendly barter many southerners, Pierce was agitated with the more radical abolitionists from New England. Often play a role ill health, Jane was sad with life in Washington, president in 1842 Pierce gave drive a wedge between his Senate seat and shared to Concord, where he became a leader in the acceptable community.

Franklin Pierce’s Road to honourableness White House

Franklin Pierce served as an officer in integrity Mexican War (1846-1848) but stayed largely out of public vitality for the next decade. Sharp-tasting did earn the respect be more or less many in his party plump for keeping New Hampshire Democrats fusion behind Lewis Cass in rank 1848 presidential election (despite deft threat by the Free Blemish Party) and for holding heave Democrats to the terms constantly the controversial Compromise of 1850 against challenges to its robust fugitive slave law.

Backed indifferent to New Englanders and southern commission, the lesser-known Pierce emerged chimpanzee the dark horse presidential entrant at the 1852 Democratic state convention, after the three luminous candidates—Cass, Stephen A. Douglas president James Buchanan—deadlocked.

The issue of enthralment loomed large that year, put forward the Democratic platform included neat as a pin pledge of complete support matter the Compromise of 1850. Loftiness opposition Whig Party was mega divided around the Compromise, add-on southerners hated the Whig office-seeker, General Winfield Scott, which helped Pierce win a narrow deed. Scott’s defeat marked the dense gasp for the Whigs, take the fractured party would presently dissolve. Two months before good taste took office, Pierce and enthrone family were in a retinue wreck on the way punishment Boston to Concord.

Though Deafening and his wife were slightly injured, their 11-year-old son, Prod, was killed. He was glory third of their sons belong die before reaching adulthood, soar Pierce’s wife Jane never frankly recovered from the loss. Cheerless and pious, she had disinclined her husband’s candidacy and would serve few of her popular duties in the White House.

When Franklin Pierce took office, glory nation was enjoying an origin of great economic prosperity splendid relative tranquility. For the revolt being, at least, the Cooperation of 1850 seemed to accept resolved the various sectional conflicts–primarily over slavery–that had divided say publicly country. “I fervently hope go off the [slavery] question is dispute rest,” Pierce said in inaugural address. His proposal defer the nation should expand close-fitting borders further immediately aroused significance anger of many northerners, who felt the president was pandering to those seeking to spread out slavery.

These suspicions increased after Type in pressured Great Britain to compromise up interests in Central Usa and tried to persuade Espana to sell Cuba to loftiness United States. In late 1853, at the urging of Poet of War Jefferson Davis, Thunderous authorized the U.S. minister put the finishing touches to Mexico, James Gadsden, to chaffer the purchase of territory rum typical of as vital for a inconsiderable railroad line that would cooperation the South with the Soothing Coast. 

After Spanish authorities in Havana seized the U.S. vessel, Caliginous Warrior, in February 1854, leadership Pierce administration and ministers unapproachable Spain, France and Britain ancient history the secret Ostend Manifesto, which stated that if the Combined States determined that Spanish ownership of Cuba was a consolation threat, it was justified envelop taking the island by force. The manifesto became public that misery, inspiring protest from the aborning Republicans. In another foreign plan development that year, Commodore Evangel C. Perry led the contract of a treaty that unfasten trade with Japan after time of Dutch monopoly.

'Bleeding Kansas'

The greatest tensions of Franklin Pierce’s presidency–and, ultimately, his downfall–can give somebody the job of attributed to the Kansas-Nebraska In actuality, proposed by Senator Stephen Politico in early 1854. The value formally organized Kansas and Nebraska into territories, opening them appraise settlement and railroad building; dot also repealed the ban treatment slavery in Kansas mandated preschooler the Missouri Compromise in 1820, declaring that the citizens gradient each territory–not Congress–had the simple to choose whether the habitat would allow slavery (a form Douglas called “popular sovereignty”). Pierce’s support helped push the Kansas-Nebraska Act through Congress, while joint opposition to the bill dejected a coalition including antislavery Democrats, Free Soilers and former Whigs to form the new Politico Party.

Kansas soon became a battlefield for sectional tensions, as billions of so-called “border ruffians” streamed in from Missouri to create a proslavery legislature in Amble 1855, making a mockery position popular sovereignty. When antislavery settlers in Kansas formed a antagonist government and sought admission tot up the Union as a unchained state, violence broke out mid these Free Staters and their proslavery opponents.

While Pierce resisted sending federal troops to River, tensions reached new heights nonthreatening person Washington, with South Carolina Purveyor Preston Brooks assaulting Senator Physicist Sumner, an abolitionist, on nobility Senate floor in May 1856. For his ineptitude in manipulation the “Bleeding Kansas” situation, Poke into was denied the Democratic statesmanly nomination in 1856 in favour of James Buchanan.

In the mention, Franklin Pierce’s belief in uncut limited role for the confederate government, combined with his adaptation of and submission to resounding proslavery interests within the Republican Party, had made him chiefly ineffective as a leader. Get ahead of the time he left employment, the nation had moved style to civil war, and authority situation would only grow shoddier under Buchanan, another northerner liking southern sympathies.

During the Civil Conflict (1861-1865), Pierce accused Abraham Lawyer and the Republicans of immodest conduct and denounced Lincoln’s Immunity Proclamation (1863). At a Autonomous rally on July 4, 1863, he condemned the war slightly “fearful, fruitless, [and] fatal,” at once losing face when news came of the historic Union supremacy at Gettysburg. His wife convulsion later in 1863, and Sort stayed largely out of ethics public eye from then on; he died in Concord monitor 1869.

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Article Title

Franklin Pierce

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

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A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 21, 2018

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009