Franklin Pierce

1804-11-23 - 1869-10-08 Contemporaries

Franklin Pierce (1804-1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. A northern Democrat, he signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act and enforced the Fugitive Slave Act, alienating anti-slavery groups. Conflict between North and South continued after his presidency and culminated in the American Civil War.