His highly sociable character led to
alcoholism which was accompanied by bouts of depression.
The major accomplishments and the
famous, main events that occurred during the time that
Franklin Pierce was president included the Indian
Wars, the Gadsden Purchase (1853), the Treaty of
Kanagawa (1854), the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) and the
Ostend Manifesto (1854). The most famous invention of
the period was the Steel and the Bessemer Process when,
in 1855, Henry Bessemer invented a process to create
steel from iron. Franklin Pierce
died of a stomach inflammation on October 8, 1869, aged 64. The next president was
James
Buchanan.
Birthday:
November 23, 1804
Place of Birth:
New Hampshire
Political Party:
Democratic
Nickname:
Handsome Frank or Purse
Number: 14th
President
Vice President:
William R. King
Age at Inauguration:
48
Height: 5 feet
10 inches
Weight: 144
pounds
First Lady:
Jane Pierce
Religion:
Episcopalian
Date of Death:
October 8, 1869
Date of Franklin
Pierce
Presidency: March 4,
1853 to March 4, 1857
The Nickname of Franklin Pierce: "Handsome Frank" or "Purse"
The nickname of President Franklin Pierce provides an insight into
how the man was viewed by the American public during his presidency.
The meaning of the nickname "Handsome Frank" obviously refers to his
boyish good looks. The meaning of his other nickname 'Purse' was a
reference to his sponsorship of the Gadsden Purchase in which $10
million was paid for 45,535 sq. miles in parts of the states of
Arizona and New Mexico.
Character and Personality Type of Franklin Pierce
The character traits of President Franklin Pierce can be described
as outgoing, pleasant, charming, genial, open and direct. It has been speculated that the Myers-Briggs
personality type for Franklin Pierce is an ESTP (introversion, intuition,
thinking, perceiving). An outgoing, active, influential and
resourceful character with the ability to improvise to achieve
desired results. Franklin Pierce Personality type: Socially sophisticated,
persuasive, competitive and easily bored.
Accomplishments of Franklin Pierce and the Famous Events during his Presidency
The accomplishments of Franklin Pierce and the most famous events during his
presidency are provided
in an interesting, short summary format
detailed below.
1853 Gadsden Purchase
Summary of the 1853 Gadsden Purchase: The
Gadsden
Purchase
negotiated on December 30, 1853 by James Gadsden
resulted in the acquisition of
30,000 sq. miles in Arizona and New Mexico for $10 million dollars.
1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act
Summary of the 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act: The
1854
Kansas-Nebraska Act
was passed by Congress on May 30, 1854
allowing settlers in the new territories to decide whether or not to
have slavery.
Bleeding Kansas 1854–1861
Summary of Bleeding Kansas:
Bleeding Kansas
is the term used to refer to the
violent confrontations in Kansas, and border towns of Missouri,
after the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
The confrontations took place
from 1854 - 1861 and involved bloody conflicts between Anti-slavery
and Pro-slavery militant activists.
Popular Sovereignty and Slavery
Summary of Popular Sovereignty and Slavery: The concept of
Popular
Sovereignty and Slavery
was used in debates concerning the slavery extension issue in new
territories.
Treaty of Kanagawa
Summary of the Treaty of Kanagawa: The
Treaty of Kanagawa,
negotiated
by Commodore Matthew Perry,
was signed between the United States and Japan in Edo (now
Tokyo) Bay on March 31, 1854.
The Ostend Manifesto
Summary of the Ostend Manifesto: The
Ostend
Manifesto
was a secret document drawn up in in October 1854 by
advocates of slavery that planned for the
annexation of Cuba from Spain.
The Ostend
Manifesto made the North more suspicious of the South's desire to
expand slavery. News of the Ostend Manifesto leaked out and sparked
a great controversy in the northern states.
Steel and the Bessemer Process
Summary of Steel and the Bessemer Process: In 1855 Henry Bessemer
invented a process to create steel from iron. The
Steel and the Bessemer
Process
produced steel cheaply and efficiently. The Bessemer
Process made stronger rails for constructing the railroads and
helped to make innovative architectural structures like skyscrapers
as the United States moved from the Age of Iron to the Age of Steel. |