The 14th U.S. President

 

Franklin Pierce

Born: November 23, 1804

Died: October 8, 1869

Term in Office: 1853-1857

 

When I was learning U.S. History in school in the 60s and 70s, the importance of the slavery debate in the first half of the 19th century was pretty much played down. Even any discussion of the Civil War seemed to make it all about states' rights, rather than preserving or abolishing slavery. There are folks in the 2020s who wish to go back to those days of teaching just the bits of history that don't make white kids "uncomfortable."

But, in reality, the decades leading up to the Civil War were consumed with debates on the immorality of enslaving a race of people and how, in the nation's expansion and addition of states, to determine whether a new state would be "free" or "slave."

The Missouri Compromise in 1820 brought one slave state (Missouri) in, balanced by forming a new free state (carving Maine out of a large chunk of Massachussets). That turned out to be a pretty weak band-aid, and the debate between abolitionists and slavery proponents raged on. In 1854, Stephen Douglas, who we all know from debates he would have with A. Lincoln a few years later, proposed something that would be known as the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which essentially repealed the earlier 'compromise' and allowed future territories and states coming into the Union to determine under 'popular sovereignty' whether they would be free or slave jurisdictions.

 

All this introduces our 14th president, Franklin Pierce. He was a northerner, but he saw abolition as a threat to the Union. As president, he backed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, believing it would placate both sides of the slavery debate. Instead, the Act ushered in the period known as "Bleeding Kansas" for the violent uprisings and raids of vigilante guerrilla groups from both sides of the issue that sprang up following its passing.

From what I've read, signing the Act into law was pretty much the defining act of Pierce's presidency, though he also unsuccessfully tried to purchase Cuba from Spain. He lasted only one term and was a vocal critic of Lincoln during the Civil War. He died in 1869, probably due to years of alcoholism.

 

Side note re: that caricature... It's probably my least successful caricature, and I may someday redraw the thing. Pierce was known as a very handsome fellow, but I have made him into some effete 19th century dandy. 

Thanks to constitutioncenter.org, which I used as a resource for this post.

Peace to all, and steer clear of 'dandies.'