Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was born in Hillsborough, New Hampshire on November 23, 1804. He was the son of Benjamin Pierce, a Revolutionary War veteran and a governor of New Hampshire. Pierce was educated at Bowdoin College in Maine, where he graduated in 1824. After college, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1827.
Pierce was a member of the Democratic Party and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1833. He served in the House until 1837, when he was elected to the U.S. Senate. He served in the Senate until 1842, when he resigned to become the U.S. Attorney for New Hampshire. In 1846, he was appointed brigadier general in the Mexican-American War.
Pierce was a strong supporter of the Compromise of 1850, which attempted to resolve the issue of slavery in the United States. He was also a strong supporter of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which allowed the people of those territories to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery. This act was highly controversial and led to the formation of the Republican Party.
In 1852, Pierce was nominated as the Democratic candidate for president. He won the election and was inaugurated in 1853. During his presidency, Pierce was faced with a number of difficult issues, including the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Fugitive Slave Act, and the growing sectionalism between the North and the South. He was also faced with the growing power of the Whig Party, which opposed many of his policies.
Pierce's presidency was marked by a number of successes, including the Gadsden Purchase, which added land to the United States, and the opening of the first transcontinental railroad. He also signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed the people of those territories to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery.
Despite these successes, Pierce's presidency was marred by a number of failures. He was unable to resolve the issue of slavery, and his support of the Kansas-Nebraska Act led to the formation of the Republican Party. He also failed to address the growing sectionalism between the North and the South, which eventually led to the Civil War.
Pierce's presidency was also marked by a number of personal tragedies. His son, Benjamin, died in a train accident in 1853, and his wife, Jane, died in 1863. These tragedies had a profound effect on Pierce, and he was never the same after their deaths.
After leaving office in 1857, Pierce retired to Concord, New Hampshire, where he died in 1869. He is remembered as a president who was unable to resolve the issue of slavery, and whose support of the Kansas-Nebraska Act led to the formation of the Republican Party. Despite his failures, Pierce was a man of strong convictions and a firm believer in the Union. He was a man who was willing to take risks in order to preserve the Union, and his legacy is one of courage and dedication to the United States.