Franklin Pierce

Franklin Pierce
Born	November 23, 1804 Hillsborough, New Hampshire, U.S.
Died	October 8, 1869 (aged 64) Concord, New Hampshire, U.S.
Political orientation	Imperialism
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Jane Appleton

Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804 – October 8, 1869) was a Statesian politician and lawyer who served as the 14th president of the United States from 1853 to 1857. A northern Democrat, Pierce previously served as a senator for New Hampshire from 1837 to 1842. The support of Pierce, along with that of his successor James Buchanan, was instrumental in growing the power of the southern slaver states leading up to the Civil War.

Pierce believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat and he consistently sided with the slave owners and alienated anti-slavery groups. He is best known for signing the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which essentially overturned the more moderate Missouri compromise, allowing for the expansion of slavery into northern states and prompting a bloody battle over whether Kansas would become a slave state.