memphisgundown.org – Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States, is often considered a figure whose presidency straddled the tumultuous divide between peace and war, a period during which America was inching ever closer to the Civil War. His presidency, from 1853 to 1857, took place during an era fraught with national conflict and tensions, yet Pierce’s efforts to mediate those divisions would be remembered more for their failure to preserve peace than their success in averting war. Franklin Pierce’s legacy is largely shaped by the policies he enacted, the struggles he faced, and the historical context in which he governed.
In this article, we will delve into the life of Franklin Pierce and examine how his presidency unfolded during a time of intense political and social turmoil. We’ll explore his efforts to preserve peace, how his decisions inadvertently pushed the nation closer to war, and how his presidency came to be viewed in the broader scope of American history.
Early Life and Career: A Preparation for the Presidency
The Formative Years in New Hampshire
Franklin Pierce was born on November 23, 1804, in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, into a family with deep political roots. His father, Benjamin Pierce, was a Revolutionary War hero who later served as the governor of New Hampshire. Growing up in such an environment shaped Franklin Pierce’s own ambitions and set the stage for his future involvement in politics. However, Pierce’s early life was not without hardship. He endured personal tragedy, including the early death of several siblings and the harsh disciplinarian nature of his father, which left him somewhat emotionally scarred.
Pierce attended Bowdoin College in Maine, where he became friends with Nathaniel Hawthorne, the celebrated author, who would later influence his life and political career. Upon graduating in 1824, Pierce studied law and soon began practicing in Concord, New Hampshire. His political career took off in 1829 when he was elected to the New Hampshire legislature, and by 1833, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. His political fortunes continued to rise, and by 1837, he had secured a seat in the U.S. Senate. Despite these achievements, Pierce’s Senate tenure was brief, and after failing to secure re-election, he returned to his law practice.
The Mexican-American War: An Experience That Shaped a President
Although Pierce had distanced himself from national politics for a time, the outbreak of the Mexican-American War in 1846 changed his course. Pierce’s patriotic inclinations led him to volunteer for service in the war, where he was commissioned as a brigadier general. Though he did not lead troops into major battles, Pierce’s experiences during the war, which included personal loss and the brutal realities of combat, deeply affected him. These experiences likely contributed to the complexity and caution he would demonstrate during his presidency, particularly in his handling of sectional tensions over slavery and the issue of territorial expansion.
The Road to the Presidency: Franklin Pierce in 1852
The 1852 Election: A Candidate for National Unity
In 1852, the Democratic Party was looking for a candidate who could unite its factions, especially as the issue of slavery was beginning to dominate national politics. The two main factions of the Democratic Party—one based in the North and the other in the South—were increasingly at odds, and the party needed someone who could balance their interests. Franklin Pierce, who was largely unknown to the national public at the time, was chosen as the Democratic nominee for president at the Democratic National Convention. Pierce was seen as a man of compromise, someone who could be trusted to keep the nation together during a time of heightened tension.
Pierce’s platform centered around the idea of continuing the policy of compromise over the issue of slavery, particularly through the enforcement of the 1850 Compromise. In a close and contentious race, Pierce defeated Whig candidate Winfield Scott, who had a difficult time appealing to voters in both the North and South. Pierce’s victory marked the first time since the Jacksonian era that a Democrat had won the White House by a landslide.
The Presidency of Franklin Pierce: Between War and Peace
The Kansas-Nebraska Act: A Fateful Decision
Upon taking office in 1853, Franklin Pierce inherited a nation deeply divided over the issue of slavery and its expansion into new territories. The balance of free and slave states had been maintained by a series of compromises, such as the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which prohibited slavery north of the 36°30′ parallel. However, with the discovery of gold in California and the push for a transcontinental railroad, the question of how to govern the new territories in the West became even more urgent.
Pierce’s most significant legislative initiative was the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, proposed by Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas. The act called for the organization of the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, and it allowed the settlers in each territory to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery (a process known as popular sovereignty). The bill effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise, which had previously prohibited slavery in the northern territories, and it led to intense debates in Congress.
Though Pierce had been convinced by Douglas and his allies that the act would settle the question of slavery and maintain national peace, it had the opposite effect. The Kansas-Nebraska Act incited violent clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in Kansas, which came to be known as “Bleeding Kansas.” This violence further polarized the nation and deepened the sectional rift that would eventually lead to the Civil War.
Foreign Policy: Expansionism and the Quest for Peace
Pierce’s foreign policy was also characterized by an aggressive expansionist agenda. He sought to acquire new territories to support the nation’s growth and secure American interests abroad. One of his most controversial foreign policy moves was the attempt to purchase Cuba from Spain. Pierce supported a policy of expansionism that sought to acquire Cuba, and he even instructed diplomats to negotiate with Spain. This led to the drafting of the Ostend Manifesto in 1854, a document that called for the United States to seize Cuba by force if Spain refused to sell. The manifesto was met with widespread outrage, especially in the North, as many feared it was an attempt to expand slavery into new territories.
Additionally, Pierce oversaw the Gadsden Purchase in 1854, which added land in the southern part of present-day Arizona and New Mexico. This acquisition was intended to facilitate the construction of a southern transcontinental railroad but further heightened tensions with Mexico and contributed to the sense of American exceptionalism and expansionist fervor during the 1850s.
The Decline of Pierce’s Presidency: Divisions and Discontent
Despite his best efforts, Pierce’s presidency was increasingly viewed as ineffective in solving the nation’s growing divisions over slavery. His policies alienated both Northern abolitionists and Southern fire-eaters, leaving him with little political support. The passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed for the potential expansion of slavery into new territories, only exacerbated tensions. The violence in Kansas and the subsequent rise of the Republican Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery, left Pierce’s Democratic Party fractured and struggling to maintain unity.
By the end of his term in 1857, Franklin Pierce was deeply unpopular. His attempts to mediate between the North and South had failed, and the country seemed headed toward inevitable conflict. Pierce did not seek re-election, and he left the White House in disillusionment, having failed to preserve the peace he so desperately sought.
The Legacy of Franklin Pierce: A President Who Couldn’t Avert War
A President of Compromise, But No Resolution
Franklin Pierce’s presidency is often remembered as one of missed opportunities, where compromises designed to ease sectional tensions only worsened them. His efforts to avoid war through policies such as popular sovereignty and his handling of foreign affairs may have seemed reasonable at the time, but in hindsight, they appear more like attempts to placate factions rather than to resolve the underlying issues. Pierce believed in maintaining the Union and preserving national unity, but his political decisions exacerbated the divisions that led to the Civil War.
Reassessing Pierce’s Presidency
While Pierce’s presidency is often viewed in a negative light, particularly for his role in the Kansas-Nebraska Act and his inability to prevent the sectional crisis, some historians have argued that he was a product of his time. Pierce was caught between the forces of slavery expansion and the growing abolitionist movement, and despite his best intentions, his actions only pushed the nation closer to conflict. His legacy, therefore, serves as a reminder of the limitations of presidential power in the face of deeply entrenched societal divisions.
Conclusion: A President of Tragedy and Transition
Franklin Pierce’s presidency, situated between war and peace, was one marked by efforts to preserve the Union and avert conflict. However, the choices he made, particularly regarding slavery and territorial expansion, were unable to stem the tide of division that would soon engulf the nation. Pierce remains a tragic figure in American history—his presidency a story of good intentions undone by the deepening chasm between North and South. The life and legacy of Franklin Pierce serve as a poignant reminder that the struggle for peace can sometimes inadvertently lead to war.