Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States, was a man who lived and breathed politics. Born in Hillsborough, New Hampshire in 1804, he was raised in a family that was deeply involved in the political scene. Pierce was an intelligent and ambitious young man who graduated from Bowdoin College in 1824 and went on to study law in Northampton, Massachusetts. He soon became a skilled lawyer and was admitted to the bar in 1827, returning to his home state of New Hampshire to begin his legal career.
Pierce’s talent for politics was evident from the start. He was elected to the New Hampshire legislature in 1829, and later served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1833 to 1837 and in the U.S. Senate from 1837 to 1842. In 1852, Pierce was nominated as the Democratic candidate for President and won the election by a landslide. He was a man of action, and his presidency was marked by several significant events.
During his presidency, Pierce oversaw the Gadsden Purchase which added a large portion of land to the southwestern United States. He also supported the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which required the return of runaway slaves to their owners, and was a strong advocate for national unity. However, Pierce’s presidency was not without controversy. The Kansas-Nebraska Act, which he supported, led to violent conflict over the issue of slavery, and his stance on the issue drew sharp criticism from many in the North.
Despite his early successes, Pierce’s presidency ultimately failed to maintain the status quo on the issue of slavery. His efforts to appease Southern interests only deepened the divide between North and South, and he was not nominated for re-election in 1856. Today, Franklin Pierce is considered one of the least successful presidents in American history. However, he is remembered for his strong commitment to the principles of democracy and his efforts to promote national unity during a difficult and divisive period in American history.