Franklin Pierce

Franklin Pierce, the fourteenth president of the United States, was born on November 23, 1804.

Franklin Pierce attended Hancock Academy in New Hampshire.

Franklin Pierce graduated from Bowdoin College in 1824, initially ranking last in his class but later improving to fifth position by the time of his graduation.

While studying at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, formed a lasting friendship with the future novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864).

Studied law in the office of Levi Woodbury in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

At the age of 24, Franklin Pierce was elected to the New Hampshire legislature and two years later became its Speaker.

Franklin Pierce married Jane Means Appleton, who was born on March 12, 1806 in Amherst, New Hampshire. She was the daughter of Jesse Appleton and Elizabeth Means Appleton.

Franklin Pierce, known for his public speaking skills, was chosen as the Speaker of the House in 1831, showcasing his popularity and influence in the political arena.

In 1832, Franklin Pierce, still under thirty years old, was elected to the United States House of Representatives, aligning with the Democratic Party line on most issues.

In 1833, Franklin Pierce was sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives as a representative from New Hampshire, marking his entry into national politics.

On November 19, 1834, the individual began their tenure in the United States House of Representatives, transitioning from state to federal politics and contributing to national legislative decisions.

Franklin Pierce, Jr. was born in the year 1836.

After Franklin Pierce became a U.S. senator in 1837, his wife, Jane Pierce, who was a committed devotee of the temperance movement, detested Washington and usually refused to live there.

Franklin Robert Pierce was born on August 27, 1839.

In 1841, Pierce resigned from the Senate and moved his family back to New Hampshire, as he had grown tired of Washington.

In February 1842, Franklin Pierce resigned from the U.S. Senate, ending his tenure as a senator.

Franklin Pierce took advantage of the opportunity presented by the Mexican-American War to enlist men into the New Hampshire Volunteers and secure a commission through his connections. Despite having no military experience, he rose to the rank of brigadier general and commanded over two thousand men during the war.

Franklin Pierce firmly supported the Compromise of 1850, which included the Fugitive Slave Act, the end of the slave trade in Washington, D.C., and the admission of California as a free state. This stance reflected his opposition to the abolition of slavery and his support for the rights of Americans to own property, including human property.

On November 2, 1852, the individual was elected as the President of the United States.

On January 6, 1853, the individual was involved in a train accident in which their son Benjamin tragically died.

Franklin Pierce is inaugurated as the 14th President of the United States.

The Gadsden Purchase Treaty was signed on December 30, 1853, giving the United States approximately 45,000 square miles of northern Mexico, which now comprises New Mexico and a quarter of southern Arizona. The treaty was aimed at acquiring land for a proposed southern transcontinental railroad and also resolved outstanding differences between the United States and Mexico regarding the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

President Franklin Pierce signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act on May 30, 1854, aiming to address the issue of expanding slavery into the territories. However, it ultimately failed and became a key political event leading to the American Civil War.

The Canadian Reciprocity Treaty was an important event during President Pierce's presidency. It was a trade agreement between the United States and Canada that aimed to promote mutual trade and economic benefits.

The Ostend Manifesto, written by U.S. minister to Spain Pierre Soule, proposes the threat of invading Cuba if Spain refuses to sell the island to the United States. This aggressive diplomacy by Soule, aimed at annexing Cuba, is supported by Southerners who see it as a potential site for expanding slavery. The document is disavowed by the State Department, leading to Soule's resignation and causing political repercussions.

American adventurer William Walker conducted a notorious expedition into Central America with the hope of establishing a proslavery government under the control of the United States. In Nicaragua, he established himself as a military dictator and then as president, and his dubious regime was recognized by the Pierce administration.

President Pierce addresses Congress regarding the ongoing violence in Kansas, known as Bleeding Kansas, and recommends the citizens of Kansas to frame a constitution to gain statehood and admittance into the Union.

President Pierce issues Proclamation 66, commanding all persons engaged in unlawful combinations against the constituted authority of the Territory of Kansas or of the United States to disperse and retire peaceably.

The Democratic National Convention held in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Franklin Pierce seeks re-election but is denied by the Democratic Party due to his handling of the 'Bleeding Kansas' conflict. The party nominates James Buchanan and John C. Breckinridge for Vice President, making Pierce the only active elected president to be denied renomination by his party for a second term.

President Franklin Pierce declared the Topeka government in Kansas to be in rebellion, as it was established by free-staters who opposed slavery. This further escalated the tensions in the region.

On March 4, 1857, Franklin Pierce left office after serving as the 14th President of the United States. His presidency was marked by the escalating tensions between the Northern and Southern states, eventually leading to the Civil War.

After leaving office, Franklin Pierce further damages his reputation in the North by supporting the Confederacy at the outset of the Civil War.

On December 2, 1863, Jane Means Appleton Pierce, the wife of President Franklin Pierce, passed away.

On May 19, 1864, Nathaniel Hawthorne died while traveling with President Franklin Pierce in New Hampshire.

On October 8, 1869, Franklin Pierce passed away in Concord, New Hampshire, and was interred in the Old North Cemetery.

The Index to the Franklin Pierce Papers was published in 1962 in Washington, D.C. It serves as a guide to the papers of Franklin Pierce, providing valuable insight into the life and work of the 14th President of the United States.