The Presidency of Franklin Pierce (American Presidency Series)

About this book

Franklin Pierce was one of the least known least liked and least successful presidents in American history. In this new study of his administration historian Larry Gara makes no attempt to revive Pierces reputation. Instead he provides a clear analysis of Pierces shortcomings as well as his few successes. Franklin Pierces administration (1853-1857) spanned a turbulent period in the life of the nation: North-South polarization reached new extremes due in part to Pierces failure to understand the depth of Free Soil sentiment in the North; the Kansas-Nebraska Act and its aftermath made civil war likely if not inevitable; and Pierces apology for southern actions served only to widen the rift. The term Bleeding Kansas came to symbolize the failures of Pierces administration. Pierces few achievements were in the realm of foreign policy. In fact Gara points out the Pierce years were an important chapter in the history of American imperialisma time when Japan was opened to the West U.S. trade in Central America and Asia was expanded and additional land was acquired from Mexico. Pierce also initiated discussions on acquiring Alaska the Hawaiian Islands Nicaragua Formosa the Dominican Republic the guano islands of the Pacific and Cuba. In this twenty-fourth volume of the American Presidency Series Gara provides a clear tough-minded analysis of the Pierce administration and a fair though generally negative assessment the man and the president.