DemocratPresident · New Hampshire
Franklin Pierce"Young Hickory of the Granite Hills"
1853 first electedLeft office 18574 years servedBorn 1804 in Hillsborough, New HampshireDied 1869
Biography
Franklin Pierce was born November 23, 1804. He served in the New Hampshire state legislature before moving to national politics as a U.S. Representative and then Senator. He served as a brigadier general during the Mexican-American War before being nominated as a compromise "dark horse" Democratic candidate in 1852, winning the presidency in a landslide despite being relatively unknown nationally. His single term (1853–1857) was overshadowed by his signing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed new territories to decide the slavery question through "popular sovereignty," reigniting national tensions and contributing directly to the violent unrest known as "Bleeding Kansas." His term was also marked by personal tragedy, and his handling of the slavery crisis was widely seen as a failure, contributing to his party denying him renomination in 1856.
Additional Info
Spouse
Jane Appleton
Vice President
William R. King (Mar–Apr 1853), Vacant (1853–1857)
Prior Offices
United States Senator from New Hampshire, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Hampshire's at-large district, Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, New Hampshire House of Representatives from Hillsborough
Fun Fact
Just two months before his inauguration, Pierce witnessed his young son Benjamin die in a horrific train accident, an event so traumatic that his wife Jane believed the tragedy was divine punishment for her husband's political ambitions — she wore black and largely withdrew from public life throughout his presidency, making the White House an unusually somber place during his term.
Election History
No election records found in the database yet.