The Presidents of the USA

Fast Facts

Franklin Pierce

1853-1857

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

birthplace

Hillsborough, NH

birthday

November 23

Life

1804-1869

age

OFC:48 , d. 65

party

Democratic

presidency highlights

Kansas-Nebraska Act reheated the slavery issue and divided U.S.

nickname:

Handsome Frank

vice-president:

William King (1853), none (1853-1857)

previous office

Senator (NH) 1837-42

key background fact:

A "dark-horse" candidate who won a landslide victory in election

occupation

Lawyer

military service

Brigadier Gen. of Volunteers (State militia) - wounded in Mexican war

children

3: 3 boys

wife:

Jane Means Appleton (1834)

height

5' 10'' / 1.78 m

higher education

Bowdoin College, B.A.

religion

Episcopalian

quote

"Frequently the more trifling the subject, the more animated and protracted the discussion."

www.best-quotations.com

actions & events

1853 Gadsden Purchase. Land from Mexico.
1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act. Slavery Debate reheated.
"border ruffians" and "jayhawkers" clash in Kansas

economy

foreign affairs

1854 Ostend Manifesto. Crisis over a leaked doc about Cuba purchase
1854 Treaty with Japan negotiated by Commodore Matthew Perry

military activity

unique facts

Installed central-heating and the first hot water bathroom in White House.
The only president who could not win his party’s nomination again.

interesting

He was arrested while in office for running over an old woman with his horse.
His third and last surviving child, died in a railroad accident two months before his inauguration.

military activity

Legacy

As president, he made many divisive decisions which were widely criticized and earned him a reputation as one of the worst presidents in U.S. history.

"Forcing slavery down the throat"