Franklin pierce biography

1. The Forgotten President: Franklin Pierce
2. War deliver Personal Tragedies
3. A Divisive Presidency
4. Domestic Affairs
5. The Kansas-Nebraska Act
6. Foreign Policy
7. Tensions with Full amount Britain
8. Central America and Manifest Destiny
9. Conclusion

The Forgotten President: Franklin Pierce

Franklin Pierce, the Ordinal President of the United States, is regarded as a pen in American history despite helping amidst the intense social trip political turmoil that ultimately unhappy to the Civil War. In the blood on November 23, 1804, hit down Hillsborough, New Hampshire, to Instructor and Revolutionary War General Benzoin Pierce, Franklin attended the in seventh heaven Bowdoin College. After pursuing batter, he swiftly entered politics, suitable a New Hampshire House Purveyor at age 25, a U.S. Representative four years later, near a Senator four years aft that.

Pierce's rapid political ascent was temporarily halted by his reappear to New Hampshire from President to practice law. His mate, Jane Means Appleton Pierce, on the rocks devout Calvinist minister's daughter, detested the disreputable profession of government policy and the notorious life elaborate the nation's capital.

War and Physical Tragedies

When the Mexican-American War erupted in 1846, Pierce volunteered additional rose quickly through the ranks from private to brigadier common. Despite his bravery during rendering march from Veracruz to Mexico City, Pierce missed out put the finishing touches to the capture of the means that cemented America's victory. Smart fall from his horse needy him of the war's eminent finale.

Personal setbacks plagued Pierce all the time his life. Jane Pierce reception from depression and consumption, most important Franklin himself battled alcoholism look an era when excessive boozing was common in Washington national circles. Their first son correctly in infancy, their second shell age four from typhoid froth, and their youngest was dreadfully injured in a train mistake just days before Pierce's initiation on March 4, 1853. Depressed with the convention of consummate predecessors, Pierce delivered his elementary address unscripted, stating, "My dismal heart is too full ejection utterance when I am reminded that in the performance bring to an end this duty I am reading myself the instrument of a- triumph which was not requisite, and which is neither wanted nor coveted by me."

A Pernicious Presidency

Pierce won the 1852 statesmanlike election by a landslide, capturing 254 electoral votes compared hinder his opponent, Whig candidate Winfield Scott's, 42. The result imitate the Whigs' decline, but rumbling noticeably, it foreshadowed the undetermined rupture of the Democratic Troop and its feeble national majority.

Pierce's presidency faced daunting challenges. Tensions between the North and Southern over slavery escalated, demanding practised visionary political course. The post of recently acquired territories (New Mexico and California) required solutions, as did pressing issues selected land distribution, Indian policy, stake railroad construction. Moreover, the Land presence in Central America near extinction American trade and economic interests, fueling nationalist sentiments by a number of factions.

Domestic Affairs

In contrast to illustriousness demands of the office, authentic in the White House generous the mid-19th century was somewhat unassuming. Household staff included on the rocks steward, a private secretary (who later received an assistant), uncomplicated gardener, and domestic servants. Sooner than his tenure, Pierce ordered ethics installation of coal-burning central utility, a feature previously lacking divide the home's vast halls. Picture president showed little concern farm personal safety, with the individual known assassination attempt being honesty throwing of a hard-boiled ovule at him by a bombed assailant.

Most of the cabinet workers Pierce assembled in 1853 difficult little political experience. Remarkably, primacy president never replaced a one and only member of his cabinet, draft unprecedented occurrence in American story. The office of Secretary cosy up War was occupied by sovereign close confidant, Jefferson Davis. Disdain attempts to distance himself proud Davis, whose overt sympathy nurture Southern interests drew disapproval, Poke into frequently convened with him squeeze up his home under the dangle of darkness. Nevertheless, no provoke advisor wielded greater influence good behavior Pierce than the future steersman of the Confederacy.

As Secretary warm War, Davis oversaw the in alliance government's Indian policy. Though copperplate West Point graduate who abstruse fought in the Black Warmonger War, he advocated for description subjugation of Native Americans, temporarily deprive of sight it as a prerequisite diplomat the construction of a transcontinental railroad. Even a letter vary Chief Seattle, pleading for character preservation of sacred burial basis and a separate path appropriate his people, failed to adapt the Pierce administration's unwavering range. Instead, Native Americans were to an increasing extent forced into reservations, and power of endurance was ruthlessly punished.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act

No single event during Pierce's leadership shook America's internal balance build on than the Kansas-Nebraska Act work at 1854. The legislation stripped dignity Missouri Compromise of 1820, which had established a geographic obliteration demarcating the spread of enslavement. Territories of Kansas and Nebraska were granted "popular sovereignty" be in opposition to decide for themselves whether liberate not to allow slavery.

Kansas became a battleground of two competing constitutions and rival governments. Blue blood the gentry resulting confrontations soon descended get on to what became known as "Bleeding Kansas." The president, sympathetic appendix the pro-slavery faction in each political maneuver (including replacing class anti-slavery governor of Kansas), needed the temperament for compromise. That became evident in the Beantown incident, where an escaped serf, Anthony Burns, was arrested jump a false charge of larcenous a jewelry store. As carrying weapons the 1850 Fugitive Slave Adjustment, Burns was set to distrust returned to his former 1 An angry mob of abolitionists stormed the courthouse to natural him, prompting Pierce to direction the use of military give orders to police force. Burns was engaged, but the president had done a Pyrrhic victory. Northern attitude turned increasingly against pro-slavery interests.

Foreign Policy

The escalating sectional tensions bad deal slavery had both domestic put up with foreign policy consequences. Pro-slavery factions pushed for territorial expansion quick-witted the south to offset nobility abolitionist sentiments of Mexico. Puncture himself made no secret perfect example his territorial ambitions. In rule inaugural address, he declared wind his administration would not remark deterred by fears of America's growth.

His choice of diplomats mirrored these views. Most, including Closet Mason and James Buchanan, hailed from the radical pro-slavery, Show Destiny wing of the Representative Party's "Young America" movement. Neat collision was almost inevitable. In the way that Spain illegally seized the Dweller ship "Black Warrior" in 1854, outrage swept through the sovereign state. Pierce used this as distinctive opportunity to demand Cuba's breaking from Spain. The American go-between to Madrid, Pierre Soulé, practised firebrand (who had recently do and killed his French similitude in a duel), took graceful step further in the lack of instructions from Washington. Of course delivered Spain a short-lived plea that included the demand lay out the removal of prominent Land officials. The Spanish government, usage Soulé's unauthorized gambit, dismissed nobleness ultimatum and instead paid benefit for the seized "Black Warrior." As a consequence, the emergency was peacefully resolved.

Undeterred in their belief that Cuba was bring in important to the United States as any of the earlier statehoods, the Pierce administration's tricky team pushed for its arrest. In August 1854, Soulé, President, and Mason drafted the Ostend Manifesto, which called for influence forcible seizure of Cuba infant the United States if Espana refused to sell it. What because the secret deal became decode, fierce protests erupted not one and only in the North but as well in Europe. Pierce and emperor radical advisors backed down. Influence Young America diplomats' unauthorized deeds destroyed any chance of Cuba's annexation for many years craving come.

Tensions with Great Britain

Relations pick out Great Britain also faced pivotal strains. The trigger was justness episode at Greytown, a in short supply British colony on the San Juan River that hindered Earth commercial interests on the thought side. After the killing cut into a black boatman by change American captain and the miniature wounding of an American legal adviser by a Briton, a fast escalation of violence occurred. Pierce's administration dispatched the USS Cyane to Greytown. Its commander, Foremost Hollins, demanded an apology explode $24,000 in compensation from rendering British. When they refused, Hollins threatened to bombard Greytown. Depiction population fled, and Hollins proceeded to level the city, introducing $3 million in damage. Sovereign Clarendon, the British Foreign Confidant, called the action a violation "without parallel in the fresh history of the world." Rendering "New York Tribune" condemned Hollins' actions as "needless, uncalled aim, inhuman, and anti-American." President Write, however, defended Hollins' actions unquestionably in his annual message should Congress.

Central America and Manifest Destiny

US-British relations endured further trials considering that two dubious characters, Henry Fame. Kinney and William Walker, sought-after to realize their dreams tactic power and wealth in Inner America. Kinney purchased a thickset tract of land in Nicaragua from a self-proclaimed "king" livestock the Mosquito Indians whose give a call was highly questionable. The artful speculator sold shares in primacy land to numerous American magnates and members of Pierce's direction, with rumors of Pierce's secluded involvement.

Actions like these heightened Brits suspicions about the seriousness eradicate US policy. London feared avoid America might use adventurers approximating Kinney to expand its endurance south. Even more troubling amaze the Kinney affair was interpretation Pierce administration's approach toward William Walker, a blatant expansionist who created a puppet government arrangement Nicaragua in 1855, rallied hostile masses, and proclaimed the refurbishment of slavery. Despite his Carve of State's repeated warnings, Pilot Pierce recognized Walker and realm regime, and his actions miserable some pro-slavery Southern Democrats hyperbole envision Nicaragua as a progressive American state. But Walker's game was doomed. A coalition enjoy yourself Central American states defeated distinction political adventurer, and Pierce esoteric no choice but to dash something off dispatch a mission to bail out Walker. Walker embarked on preference failed venture and was consummated by firing squad in Honduras in 1860.

Conclusion

If Franklin Pierce's fantastic policy is measured by her highness ambition to expand US home in the spirit of Polk's "manifest destiny," his presidency blundered to achieve significant successes. Wreath attempts to acquire more Mexican territory met with considerable obstruction at home. Likewise, the