President Franklin Pierce

For many of the U.S. Presidents of the 1840s and 1850s, the issue of slavery and the expansion of slavery in the nation was all-consuming. Many economic and social policies passed during this time with slavery as an influential force. The Presidency of Franklin Pierce is an ideal example of how the issue of slavery and the divisiveness of the issue can define the presidential candidate and his administration.

President Franklin Pierce: Biography

Born in 1804 in New Hampshire, Franklin Pierce was one of eight children to Benjamin Pierce, a hero of the American Revolutionary War, and Anna Pierce. Excelling in education, Pierce attended Bowdoin College by age 15. By 1824 he graduated fifth in his class.

Pierce had a gift for public speaking that was refined in college and pushed him to a career in politics. By 1829 he was elected to the New Hampshire legislature and, with the help of his Father as governor, was made Speaker of the House by 1831. Pierce was often sent to Washington, D.C. as a state legislator with his family connections. Though he found life in Washington lonely and boring, he served as a U.S. Representative for New Hampshire from 1833 to 1837 and a Senator from 1837 to 1842.

While in Washington, Pierce had issues with alcohol and was eventually convinced by his wife to resign as Senator, abstain from alcohol, and begin practice as a lawyer. This settled life changed with the outbreak of the Mexican American War in 1846. Pierce enlisted as a private and, within a year, had earned the rank of Brigadier General under the command of Winfield Scott and invaded Mexico. In 1847, Pierce suffered an injury after being thrown from his horse and returned home.

By 1852, Pierce had become a prominent member of the Democratic party in New Hampshire and a possible candidate for the Democratic nomination for President. (His presidency is discussed in detail below.)

After his presidency, Pierce retired to New Hampshire. During the Civil War, he became a vocal advocate of the southern cause in the north. His views pushed him into obscurity, and he soon turned to alcohol in his later years.

Franklin Pierce died on October 8, 1869.

Important Events While Franklin Pierce Was President

Leading up to the election of 1852, the Democratic party found itself divided over the issue of slavery. Entering the Democratic convention, several prominent nominees, such as James Buchanan and Sam Houston. After more than thirty votes, no nominee had received enough votes, and Pierce had received none. In an odd action, Buchanan’s electors voted for minority candidates to gain support. But it backfired, as other electors saw Buchanan’s people changing votes, they did as well, and by the 49th Ballot, Pierce was elected as the Democratic nominee.

As a pro-slavery Northern Democrat, the party moved to court the northern pro-slavery vote it lost in other areas of the country. Running against his former commanding officer, Winfield Scott, the Whig Party nominee, Pierce won with 254 electoral votes to Scott’s 42.

• Franklin Pierce Presidency: Facts

  • Term: 1853 to 1857

  • First President from New Hampshire

  • First President born in the 1800s

  • Only elected president who ran for re-election but did not receive his party's nomination.

  • Notable Events: The Gadsden Purchase, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, Bleeding Kansas,

Franklin Pierce Presidency: Accomplishments

Several notable events took place during the Pierce Administration. The table below shows a Franklin Pierce presidency timeline of notable events and accomplishments.

Fig. 2- An anti-slavery poster from "Bleeding Kansas."

Franklin Pierce Presidency: Timeline

The table below shows a Franklin Pierce presidency timeline of notable events and accomplishments.

Fig. 3- An orange map shows the territory of the Gadsden Purchase of 1854.

Franklin Pierce Presidency: Significance

Like most presidential administrations in the mid-1800s leading up to 1860, Pierce’s presidency is defined by his actions on the issue of slavery and how those actions either postponed or increased the likelihood of civil war. Under that lens, the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act ignited violent actions over slavery and fanned the passions of both northern abolitionists and pro-slavery southerners. This division is evident through the electoral college changes between 1853 and 1857. In the election of 1852, Pierce carried almost all the northern states. With the fallout of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, in the election of 1856 between James Buchanan, Republican John Fremont, and Whig Millard Fillmore, the Democrats lost all the northern states, emphasizing the divisiveness of the act and showing the actual division between the nation over the issue of slavery.