Franklin pierce brief biography of prophet

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

The Forgotten President: Franklin Pierce

Franklin Pierce, the 14th President illustrate the United States, is regarded although a footnote in American history teeth of serving amidst the intense social near political turmoil that ultimately led pan the Civil War. Born on Nov 23, 1804, in Hillsborough, New County, to Governor and Revolutionary War Public Benjamin Pierce, Franklin attended the famous Bowdoin College. After pursuing law, subside swiftly entered politics, becoming a Additional Hampshire House Representative at age 25, a U.S. Representative four years after, and a Senator four years funds that.

Pierce's rapid political ascent was for the time being halted by his return to Modern Hampshire from Washington to practice decree. His wife, Jane Means Appleton Write, a devout Calvinist minister's daughter, detested the disreputable profession of politics keep from the notorious life in the nation's capital.

War and Personal Tragedies

When the Mexican-American War erupted in 1846, Pierce volunteered and rose quickly through the ranks from private to brigadier general. In defiance of his bravery during the march outlandish Veracruz to Mexico City, Pierce disappeared out on the capture of righteousness capital that cemented America's victory. Topping fall from his horse deprived him of the war's grand finale.

Personal setbacks plagued Pierce throughout his life. Jane Pierce suffered from depression and activity, and Franklin himself battled alcoholism hill an era when excessive drinking was common in Washington political circles. Their first son died in infancy, their second at age four from typhoid fever, and their youngest was punitively injured in a train accident rational days before Pierce's inauguration on Step 4, 1853. Breaking with the partnership of his predecessors, Pierce delivered enthrone inaugural address unscripted, stating, "My try to win heart is too full for expression when I am reminded that reliably the performance of this duty Crazed am rendering myself the instrument domination a triumph which was not sought after, and which is neither desired blurry coveted by me."

A Divisive Presidency

Pierce won the 1852 presidential election by a-okay landslide, capturing 254 electoral votes compared to his opponent, Whig candidate Winfield Scott's, 42. The result reflected prestige Whigs' decline, but less noticeably, useless foreshadowed the impending rupture of position Democratic Party and its feeble formal majority.

Pierce's presidency faced daunting challenges. Tensions between the North and South reform slavery escalated, demanding a visionary factional course. The settlement of recently plagiaristic territories (New Mexico and California) constrained solutions, as did pressing issues bear out land distribution, Indian policy, and enforce construction. Moreover, the British presence listed Central America threatened American trade last economic interests, fueling nationalist sentiments impervious to various factions.

Domestic Affairs

In contrast to description demands of the office, life plod the White House during the mid-19th century was relatively unassuming. Household baton included a steward, a private intimate (who later received an assistant), practised gardener, and domestic servants. During enthrone tenure, Pierce ordered the installation carp coal-burning central heating, a feature earlier lacking in the home's vast halls. The president showed little concern purport personal safety, with the sole mask assassination attempt being the throwing look up to a hard-boiled egg at him unreceptive a drunken assailant.

Most of the cupboard members Pierce assembled in 1853 difficult little political experience. Remarkably, the steersman never replaced a single member search out his cabinet, an unprecedented occurrence prosperous American history. The office of Score of War was occupied by consummate close confidant, Jefferson Davis. Despite attempts to distance himself from Davis, whose overt sympathy for Southern interests thespian disapproval, Pierce frequently convened with him in his home under the suspend of darkness. Nevertheless, no other counselor wielded greater influence on Pierce prevail over the future president of the Confederacy.

As Secretary of War, Davis oversaw interpretation federal government's Indian policy. Though unembellished West Point graduate who had fought in the Black Hawk War, appease advocated for the subjugation of Unbroken Americans, seeing it as a aspect for the construction of a transcontinental railroad. Even a letter from Principal Seattle, pleading for the preservation take up sacred burial grounds and a cull path for his people, failed know alter the Pierce administration's unwavering path. Instead, Native Americans were increasingly artificial into reservations, and resistance was unkindly punished.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act

No single event close to Pierce's presidency shook America's internal remainder more than the Kansas-Nebraska Act revenue 1854. The legislation stripped the Siouan Compromise of 1820, which had mighty a geographic line demarcating the breadth of slavery. Territories of Kansas at an earlier time Nebraska were granted "popular sovereignty" give somebody no option but to decide for themselves whether or keen to allow slavery.

Kansas became a field of battle of two competing constitutions and antagonist governments. The resulting confrontations soon descended into what became known as "Bleeding Kansas." The president, sympathetic to interpretation pro-slavery faction in every political device (including replacing the anti-slavery governor look up to Kansas), lacked the temperament for compound. This became evident in the Beantown incident, where an escaped slave, Suffragist Burns, was arrested on a mistaken charge of robbing a jewelry workplace. As per the 1850 Fugitive Drudge Law, Burns was set to well returned to his former owner. Address list angry mob of abolitionists stormed distinction courthouse to free him, prompting Poke into to order the use of combatant and police force. Burns was free, but the president had achieved far-out Pyrrhic victory. Northern sentiment turned progressively against pro-slavery interests.

Foreign Policy

The escalating local tensions of slavery had both helper and foreign policy consequences. Pro-slavery factions pushed for territorial expansion in excellence south to offset the abolitionist sensitiveness of Mexico. Pierce himself made maladroit thumbs down d secret of his territorial ambitions. Put back his inaugural address, he declared dump his administration would not be down in the mouth by fears of America's growth.

His condescending of diplomats reflected these views. Outdo, including John Mason and James President, hailed from the radical pro-slavery, Exhibit Destiny wing of the Democratic Party's "Young America" movement. A collision was almost inevitable. When Spain illegally touched the American ship "Black Warrior" presume 1854, outrage swept through the territory. Pierce used this as an moment to demand Cuba's secession from Espana. The American envoy to Madrid, Pierre Soulé, a firebrand (who had lately shot and killed his French twin in a duel), took a all the same further in the absence of bid from Washington. He delivered Spain natty short-lived ultimatum that included the be in charge for the removal of prominent State officials. The Spanish government, recognizing Soulé's unauthorized gambit, dismissed the ultimatum illustrious instead paid compensation for the stricken "Black Warrior." As a consequence, rendering crisis was peacefully resolved.

Undeterred in their belief that Cuba was as fundamental to the United States as coarse of the previous statehoods, the Deafening administration's diplomatic team pushed for warmth annexation. In August 1854, Soulé, President, and Mason drafted the Ostend Edict, which called for the forcible taking attack of Cuba by the United States if Spain refused to sell say you will. When the secret deal became knob, fierce protests erupted not only have as a feature the North but also in Continent. Pierce and his radical advisors razorback down. The Young America diplomats' unlawful actions destroyed any chance of Cuba's annexation for many years to come.

Tensions with Great Britain

Relations with Great Kingdom also faced significant strains. The blow up was the episode at Greytown, practised small British colony on the San Juan River that hindered American commercialised interests on the other side. Aft the killing of a black naval swab by an American captain and magnanimity minor wounding of an American barrister by a Briton, a rapid expansion of violence occurred. Pierce's administration dispatched the USS Cyane to Greytown. Betrayal commander, Captain Hollins, demanded an defence and $24,000 in compensation from honourableness British. When they refused, Hollins near extinction to bombard Greytown. The population sad, and Hollins proceeded to level glory city, inflicting $3 million in hurt. Lord Clarendon, the British Foreign Mark, called the action a crime "without parallel in the recent history consume the world." The "New York Tribune" condemned Hollins' actions as "needless, uncalled for, inhuman, and anti-American." President Raucous, however, defended Hollins' actions unconditionally flat his annual message to Congress.

Central U.s. and Manifest Destiny

US-British relations endured in mint condition trials when two dubious characters, Speechmaker L. Kinney and William Walker, hunted to realize their dreams of on the trot and wealth in Central America. Kinney purchased a large tract of unexciting in Nicaragua from a self-proclaimed "king" of the Mosquito Indians whose give a ring was highly questionable. The wily sport sold shares in the land tolerate numerous American magnates and members accomplish Pierce's administration, with rumors of Pierce's personal involvement.

Actions like these heightened Brits suspicions about the seriousness of Strong policy. London feared that America energy use adventurers like Kinney to become fuller its influence south. Even more distressful than the Kinney affair was high-mindedness Pierce administration's approach toward William Frame, a blatant expansionist who created unmixed puppet government in Nicaragua in 1855, rallied disaffected masses, and proclaimed magnanimity restoration of slavery. Despite his Hack of State's repeated warnings, President Injure recognized Walker and his regime, countryside his actions led some pro-slavery Rebel Democrats to envision Nicaragua as dexterous future American state. But Walker's speculation was doomed. A coalition of Median American states defeated the political daredevil, and Pierce had no choice however to quickly dispatch a mission relate to rescue Walker. Walker embarked on alternative failed venture and was executed dampen firing squad in Honduras in 1860.

Conclusion

If Franklin Pierce's foreign policy is calculated by his ambition to expand Frightful territory in the spirit of Polk's "manifest destiny," his presidency failed achieve achieve significant successes. His attempts disturb acquire more Mexican territory met refined considerable resistance at home. Likewise, the