What Makes Franklin Pierce A Good President

Franklin Pierce
Audrey Murphy

Although Franklin Pierce wasn't one of the most popular or memorable presidents, he still did many great things for our nation. Pierce was described by all as elegant, and charismatic. He was known as “Handsome Frank”, loved to socialize and he was a man about town. He was quite the social and political butterfly, being out at the bar or socializing elsewhere nearly every night. Before his presidency, everyone loved him because he was very charming and humble.

Early Life
Franklin Pierce was born on November 23, 1804, in a log cabin in Hillsboro, New Hampshire to Benjamin Pierce and Anna Kendrick. Pierce was the fifth of eight children born to Benjamin and Anna. His siblings, in order, were Benjamin,

Henry, Harriet, Nancy, Charlotte, Charles, and John. Benjamin, his father, was a Revolutionary War hero and Anna stayed home, making her children's education her top priority. Franklin Pierce left the public school system at age 12 to go to a private school, then left there at age 15 to go to Bowdoin College. He Graduated 5th in his class, and became a well-spoken lawyer.

Early Political Career
In 1829, when Pierce was 24, he ran for, and was elected to New Hampshire State Legislature. Within two years, he was appointed as their Speaker of the House, with the help of his father, the governor. In the 1830’s Pierce was sent to Washington as a state representative, and found that he was very lonely so he made a new friend: alcohol. He spent many nights in bars, buying drinks for others, and discussing politics. This new “friend” complicated his later life greatly. Franklin Pierce then decided that it was finally time to settle down, still in Washington, so he married a quiet woman named Jane Means Appleton. Jane hated living in Washington even more than Franklin, however after their first son was born, he still accepted his election to the U.S. Senate.

Military
As the Mexican-American war broke out, Pierce searched for volunteer soldiers and became a private. Pierce led several expeditions to invade Mexico under the direction of General Winfield Scott. While fighting in Mexico City, Franklin was thrown from his horse, and ended up with an injured leg. When he was recovering, he missed America’s final victory at the Battle of Chapultepec, in 1847. He then returned to his family.

Presidency
Once he was back in New Hampshire, Franklin Pierce became the head of his state’s Democratic Party.

With the 1852 election nearing, the party wanted a pro-slavery northerner, so he could collect votes from both sides. Pierce made a great candidate, even though he had to run against his former commander. Pierce was eventually elected as the 14th president, however the celebrations ended quickly due to the death of his 11-year-old son, who died in a train wreck that Pierce and his wife survived. His first two children had died of disease, so it was hard to see his last son go. Once Pierce was in office, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was proposed and he agreed to sign it, only because the person who brought it to him, Stephen A. Douglas, threatened to make his presidency miserable if he did not agree. This then opened up a can of worms that led to many fights in Kansas, turning it’s plains into battlefields. The way he handled the argument drove his supporters away, and to James Buchanan, who later won the 1856 presidential election. The presidency was basically handed to Pierce because he offended no one, however everyone disliked him at the end of it all. He went against what his people believed so his political days were

over.

Later Life & Death
After his presidency, Franklin retired to Concord, New Hampshire, but did share his somewhat southern view during the civil war. He also spoke poorly of the current president, Abraham Lincoln. Pierce’s unpopular view got him a few enemies within his community. Pierce took up drinking again near the end of his life and wasn't really ever sober after that. Alcoholism took his life on October 8, 1869, in Concord, New Hampshire, and is buried there, in the Old North Cemetery.