What political party was Franklin Pierce a member of? Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States, was a member of the Whig Party. His presidency, which spanned from 1853 to 1857, was marked by significant political and social tensions, particularly over the issue of slavery. Despite his membership in the Whig Party, Pierce’s presidency was often overshadowed by the growing divide between the North and the South, which would ultimately lead to the American Civil War.
Franklin Pierce was born on November 23, 1804, in Hillsborough, New Hampshire. He came from a prominent New Hampshire family and attended Bowdoin College, where he graduated in 1824. After college, Pierce pursued a career in law and entered politics, initially as a member of the Whig Party.
The Whig Party, which was active from the 1830s to the 1850s, was a political party in the United States that opposed the expansion of slavery and sought to maintain a balance between the interests of the North and the South. The party’s platform included issues such as banking reform, internal improvements, and the protection of civil liberties.
Pierce’s political career began in the 1830s when he was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives. He then served as a U.S. Representative for New Hampshire from 1833 to 1837. In 1837, he was appointed as the U.S. Attorney for New Hampshire and served in that position until 1842.
Pierce’s rise in the Whig Party continued when he was elected as the Governor of New Hampshire in 1833. In 1842, he was nominated as the Whig candidate for Vice President, running alongside William Henry Harrison. Although they lost the election, Pierce’s political career was solidified, and he was appointed as the U.S. Minister to Mexico in 1842.
During his tenure as Minister to Mexico, Pierce played a significant role in the negotiations that led to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War. The treaty resulted in the United States acquiring a vast amount of territory, including what would become the states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming.
In 1852, Franklin Pierce was nominated as the Whig candidate for President. He faced a strong challenge from the newly formed Know-Nothing Party, which opposed immigration and the expansion of slavery. Despite the opposition, Pierce won the election and became the 14th President of the United States.
During his presidency, Pierce struggled to address the growing tensions between the North and the South over the issue of slavery. He supported the Compromise of 1850, which aimed to maintain a balance between the free and slave states. However, his efforts to resolve the issue were met with criticism from both sides, and his presidency was marked by political gridlock and a lack of direction.
In 1853, Pierce attempted to negotiate a deal with the South to acquire Cuba from Spain, hoping to expand the United States’ influence in the Caribbean. However, the plan was met with strong opposition from the North and failed to gain Congressional approval.
By the end of his presidency, Franklin Pierce’s popularity had plummeted, and the Whig Party had largely collapsed. In 1857, he retired from politics and returned to his home in New Hampshire. He died on October 8, 1869, at the age of 64.
In conclusion, Franklin Pierce was a member of the Whig Party, a political party that sought to maintain a balance between the interests of the North and the South. His presidency was marked by significant political and social tensions, particularly over the issue of slavery, and ultimately contributed to the growing divide that would lead to the American Civil War.
