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Interior: Dough with Face - "Franklin Pierce was from the North but some of his policies favored the Southern slave states. He was called a "dough face" – the term used for Northerners with Southern leanings."
Franklin Pierce Curriculum Vitae
Presidential Number: 14th
Years President: 1853-1857
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Main Contenders: Winfield Scott, John Hale
State Represented: New Hampshire
Birthday: November 23, 1804
Place of Birth: Hillsborough, New Hampshire
Higher Education: Bowdoin College
Prior Occupations: Lawyer, General in the Mexican War, Congressman, US Senator
Nickname: “Handsome Frank”, “Young Hickory of the Granite Hills”
Height: 5 feet, 10 inches
Favorite Food: Fried clams, New Hampshire fried pies
Hobbies: Horseback riding, hunting
Pets: Tiny “sleeve dog” from Japan that was small enough to sit on a saucer.
Legacy: Pierce became President at a time of apparent tranquility. With the Compromise of 1850, the U.S. had weathered its sectional storm. But his policies, far from preserving calm, hastened the disruption of the Union. By making gestures toward expansion into Central America and Cuba, he angered northerners who believed he wanted to extend slavery. The most violent renewal of the storm stemmed from the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which repealed the Missouri Compromise and reopened the question of slavery in the West. The result was a rush into Kansas, as southerners and northerners vied for control of the territory. Shooting broke out, and “bleeding Kansas” became a prelude to the Civil War. By the end of his administration, Pierce could claim “a peaceful condition of things in Kansas.” But to his disappointment, the Democrats refused to nominate him, turning to the less controversial Buchanan.
Trivia: First president to be born in 19th century. Won presidency by defeating his old commanding officer from the Mexican War, Winfield Scott. First to memorize his inaugural address (3319 word speech delivered without notes). First to “affirm” his oath of office instead of swearing it, placing his hands on a law book instead of the Bible (Hoover only other president to do this). First president to put Christmas tree in White House and install central heating. Only president to retain his original cabinet for 4 years. First president whose party refused to nominate him for a second term –party’s slogan was “Anybody but Pierce.” Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, died on a canoe trip with Franklin Pierce (they were classmates at Bowdoin).