Franklin Pierce was from New Hampshire, and was a college
classmate of Nathaniel Hawthorne. He was considered very handsome, and was often
referred to as "handsome Frank." He had two sons, one of whom died as a young man. He
served in Congress for a short while, but at the behest of his wife and surviving son
retired from politics. Later, when he was considering running for the Presidency, his
wife and son (then eleven) begged him not to run. His wife warned him he would regret
breaking his earlier promise. After he won the election and while on the way to
Washington, the train on which he was travelling wrecked with only one casualty--his
sole surviving son. He was forced to take the oath of office after just suffering this
tragedy. His wife never forgave him, did not participate in official White House
functions; and remained secluded in the White House living quarters for most of his
presidency.
During his presidency, the Gadsden Purchase
from Mexico was completed, which secured the balance of the lower 48 states for the U.S.
However, it was also during his Presidency that the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed.
Pierce's support for territorial expansion was deemed by many of his own party to be a
move to support the expansion of slavery. As a result, his own party refused to
renominate him for the Presidency in 1856. After this, he permanently retired from
politics and finally died in 1869.
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