Franklin Pierce

Garry Boulard:  The Expatriation of Franklin Pierce: The Story of a President and the Civil War

Franklin Pierce:  14th President (1853-1857); b. 1804; d. 1869

I won’t say a lot about Franklin Pierce.  He’s largely a forgotten president.  If it was not for the law school named after him in New Hampshire, I doubt we’d ever hear his name before.  This is a beautifully written book.  Boulard begins the book with Pierce leaving the White House and embarking on a European tour.  The story of Pierce’s rise in New Hampshire and his eventual nomination as the Democratic candidate for president (at a time when he had left public service) and his failed presidency are told largely as flashbacks.  This seems particularly fitting for Pierce as the technique lends an air of sadness to the story which fits well into Pierce’s life.

Pierce was exceedingly successful as a politician—he was hansom and well dressed (I don’t think I’ve read of a president being described in such terms since Van Buren) as well as terribly charming.  But his life was filled with personal tragedy—all three of his sons died prior to his taking the White House, the most painful loss being that of his youngest son in a train accident just months before his becoming president.  And his presidency was a total failure.  He was a true doughface and his approval of the Kansas-Nebraska Act lead to significant turmoil and was a step towards civil war.  Unfortunately, Pierce lacked the ability to build bridges across party lines and improve national unity.

It’s difficult not to feel bad for Pierce, though.  Between Polk and Lincoln, there were a series of failed presidencies.  Without the complete conviction to a single purpose held by these two men—Polk to expanding the union, Lincoln to preserving it—presidents were swept up by the events of the 1850s and were unable to direct the current of events.  And Pierce’s commitment to civil liberties during Lincoln’s administration was truly principled.  Lincoln deserves all the credit for saving the union, but he was certainly willing to break a few eggs in making the omelet.  The criticism of Pierce's long friendship with Jefferson Davis and the attacks against him following Lincoln's assassination were unfair.

The books is brief—just under 200 pages of text—and Boulard certainly could have included more detail in the book.  But given Pierce’s historical significance (or relative lack thereof) and the book’s excellent pacing, the length seems appropriate.