Franklin Pierce's Major Accomplishments

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The life of Franklin Pierce was very interesting. Pierce may have been the 14th president, but he was also one of the worst presidents known to ever hold a term in the White House. Very few people respected his methods or his love for alcohol. Although he was depressed during his presidency, there was a more tragic side. Franklin Pierce was born on November 23, 1804 in Hillsboro, New Hampshire. Since he was a supporter of President Andrew Jackson, his nickname was "Young Hickory of the Granite Hills". Pierce’s mother, known as Anna B. Kendrick, was also an alcoholic. Benjamin Pierce, his father, didn’t drink. Franklin Pierce had numerous siblings, such as his four sister’s, Elizabeth, Harriet, Nancy, and Charlotte Pierce. He also had four …show more content…

His wife was named Jane Appleton. Jane was the daughter of Jesse Appleton. She was also president at the college Franklin attended. They had 3 children, but they all died before they were adults. After the death of their children, Pierce suffered with depression and grew angry. He began drinking again, and his wife was ill. During their grievance, Pierce decided to run for president. Jane had discussed with Pierce many times about why she didn’t want him to run for president. Three years later, in 1860, Jane found out she had tuberculosis and was buried next to her …show more content…

On August 19th, Pierce was severely injured after being thrown off a horse at the Battle of Contreras. He fainted when his leg was caught underneath the horse, as he felt terrible pain. This is where he got his nickname "Fainting Frank". He was soon treated and was able to ride horses again, but he missed the victory of the Battle of Chapultepec. At the end of the war, Pierce finally went home. Franklin Pierce was the leader of the state's Democratic Party, when he was in New Hampshire. The 1852 election became closer and the Democratic Party wanted someone who was a pro-slavery Northerner to get people from both sides to vote of the issues with slavery. Pierce happened to be just what they were looking for since he matched what the Democrats wanted. He ran against General Winfield Scott who was his former commander of the Whig Party even though he never wanted to. Pierce was quickly elected president, but he became depressed soon after from the train accident that caused the death of one of his many