What are facts about Franklin Pierce?

Answer 1

President: Franklin Pierce (1804 - 1869)

Term: March 4, 1853 - March 4, 1857

Background: Franklin Pierce was born near Hillsborough, New Hampshire in a log cabin. He was born to Benjamin Pierce and Anna B. Kendrick. His father was a frontier farmer and later became a soldier of the Revolutionary War and a governor of New Hampshire. He studied at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine and ranked 3rd in his class at his graduation in 1824. Pierce then studied law in 1826 in Northampton, Massachusetts under Governor Levi Woodbury. He would then later study under Judges Samuel Howe and Edmund Parker in Amherst, New Hampshire. Once admitted to the bar, he moved to Concord, New Hampshire in 1827 to practice. He also volunteered his services during the Mexican-American War. In 1832 to 1833, Pierce became Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives and then later became a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Hampshire from March 4, 1833 to March 3, 1837. He then became United States Senator from March 4, 1837 to February 28, 1842.

Political Party: Democratic

Vice-President: William R. King (1853), none (1853-1857)

Major Domestic Policy: Slavery was still a major issue that was creating sectionalism in the United States. Franklin Pierce attempted to avoid the problems that were associated with slavery. Without strong support from Franklin Pierce, Stephen A. Douglas proposed the Kansas-Nebraska bill, which stated that the Nebraska and Kansas territory would be split into to, giving the people the right to vote in each area to determine themselves as either anti-slavery or a slave territory. However, this idea was not successful. Once Kansas was admitted as a state, many voters crossed the states line and made Kansas a slave state. People took this as an idea to expand slavery. The anti-slavery free staters and abolitionists who were Free-Soilers assembled and created a small government in attempt to oppose the pro-slave. The pro-slave people known as the border ruffians then made the Lecompton Constitution in response to the creation of government by the anti-slave. This document was a constitution created for the state of Kansas. This constitution supported slavery, and created protection rights of slaveholders. On January 4, 1858, Kansas had a chance to vote whether this constitution would be used. The constitution was rejected from a vote of 10,226 to 138.

Major Foreign Policy: At this time, the United States wanted to expand trade and market with other countries. Commodore Perry visited Japan in attempt to coerce Japanese into opening the trade markets with other countries. He showed up with his naval force, causing Japan to be intimidated and in effect caused not only Japan to open up its trade markets, but also opened up the trade markets of the entire Far Eastern market to the United States. The United States also longed for Cuba. It was not far from Florida, and great for military positions for enemies. The Ostend Manifesto was secretly written. It descried a plan to take Cuba from Spain. It stated that "Cuba is as necessary to the North American republic as any of its present members, and that it belongs naturally to that great family of states which the Union is the Providential Nursery." This plan allowed the United States to forcibly take Cuba from Spain. During this time Pierce also obtained the Gadsden Purchase. The Mexican War had ended, but all conflict was not resolved due to boarder issues. The area of lower Arizona and New Mexico was part of the route for a transcontinental railroad. Pierce then negotiated with Senator James Gadsden to purchase the Gadsden Purchase with Mexico. The United States paid Mexico $15 million for this land, allowing for the United States to build a canal across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, but this idea was never put into action. This purchase secured the boundaries of the United States.

Court Case:

• Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)-Ruled that all African American's were never allowed to become citizens of the United States, and also declared the Missouri Compromise of 1820 unconstitutional.

Intellectual and Social Developments:

• The Panic of 1857 occurred do to a sudden downturn in the United States economy. The inflation occurring due to the gold rush changes in trade due to the Crimean War and the failure of the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Co. Also causing the Panic of 1857 was the lowering prices of grain and when British investor removed all of their funds out of United States banks.

• Farming begins to expand into the Western territory.

• The Republican Party forms in 1854 and the Third Party System begins.

• Nativist and the Known Nothing Party start to act against immigrant.

Pierce's Legacy: Pierce will always be known as the president who was bland and seemed to be not qualified to be president. He will also be known for his acceleration into the Civil War due to the creation of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which caused an increased amount of sectionalism between the North and the South. Also, Pierce will be known for his lack of leadership when it came to the very important issue at the time such as slavery.