Talk:Franklin Pierce

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[edit] comments

From http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=P000333 -- Zoe

[edit] Economy

This article makes no mention of the the fact that under Pierce the national debt of the U.S was almost halved by the time he left office (http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo2.htm) - Is that not worthy of mention somewhere in the article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.80.226.136 (talk) 16:01, 3 April 2008 (UTC)

I removed this bit of text: [Pierce] reportedly ran down a pedestrial [sic] while drunk driving a horse carriage

I'd like to see a source on this before putting it back. -- RobLa

I've heard this account from numerous sources (Pierce's personal life after the death of his son is by all accounts, troubled). Not having access to an encyclopedia at the moment, it's in Richard Shenkman & Kurt Reiger's One-Night Stands with American History (Quill: New York, 1982) on page 87: "While president, Franklin Pierce was arrested after accidentally running down an old woman with his horse. He was released after the arresting officer discovered the identity of the prisoner." This fact might want to be moved from the "retirement" section. Perhaps a "personal life" section could be created, focusing also on his estrangement from his wife, both over the election and the loss of their son. Wencer 06:48, 9 November 2005 (UTC)

"first person under the age of fifty to be elected president"

This is incorrect; James K. Polk took office at the age of 49. - Luke stebbing 22:01, 26 Nov 2004 (UTC)

There seems to be some silliness going on in the first paragraph.

"they watched as their 11-year-old son Benjamin ("Bennie") was crushed to death in the train disaster. Grief-stricken, Pierce entered the presidency nervously exhausted. In his inaugural address, he proclaimed an era of peace and prosperity at home and vigor in relations with other nations, saying that the United States might have to acquire additional possessions for the sake of its own security and would not be deterred by "any timid forebodings of evil."

Is lifted nearly verbatim from the whitehouse.gov biography

--- It is OK to lift text from whitehouse.gov for this biography as all text there is in the public domain. LarryQ


I removed the comment "To date, only Pierce and Herbert Hoover have "affirmed" rather than sworn oaths." Hoover neither said "I swear" nor "I affirm" because he did not repeat the entire oath. Chief Justice Taft read the oath, beginning with "Do you, Herbert Hoover, solemnly swear...," to which Hoover replied "I do."

[edit] Pierce's siblings

"Pierce had six older and two younger siblings, four brothers and three sisters."

So, were there 7, 8, or 9 little Pierce's?

209.161.178.17 23:02, 20 December 2005 (UTC)Jane Giraldo


  • I saw one website that said he had 4 brothers, 2 sisters and a half-sister. So that would make 8 little "Pierces", of which at least one was a "Pri..." oops, sorry. 0:) Wahkeenah 01:34, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] When did the son die on the train?

It says "two months before taking office" at one point, and "on the way to the inauguration" at another point. I know almost nothing about Pierce and that's why I was reading the article, but obviously there's something wrong here. --Dbackeberg

Bennie died January 16, 47 days before taking office on March 4, 1853. Doug Wead wrote "days" before taking office in "All The President's Children". He may have confused the original Inauguration Day with the current one, January 20. He should have wrote weeks not days. Jjmillerhistorian 15:26, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] GW BUSH?

What is the reference for his relationship with GW Bush?

http://www.worldbook.com/features/presidents/html/bush_barbara.htm but it's disputed as an error, see http://www.bearhaven.com/family/cousin/barbara.html studerby 13:22, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Failed to Prevent Civil War?

"He did not do what was necessary to avoid the impending American Civil War"

This is pretty problematic... there is nothing close to historical consensus on Pierce's particular failing in this respect, and further there is a whole school of thought that argues the War was deterministically unavoidable.

Historians like to blame James Buchanan as well. Jjmillerhistorian 15:28, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Barbara Pierce Bush - a direct descendant?

This might sound like a stupid question, but this article claims that Barbara Pierce Bush is a direct descendant of Franklin Pierce. If all three of Pierce's children died young, how can anyone (let alone Barbara Pierce Bush) be a direct descendant of his? CapeTownJunk 10:05, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I've heard it said like that before, too. I think Barbara is directly descended from one of Franklin's four brothers. Jjmillerhistorian 11:38, 4 January 2007 (UTC)
Apparently Barbara is a fourth cousin four times removed of Franklin Pierce [1] Jjmillerhistorian 12:17, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Mistake in first paragraph

"and was the first president born in the nineteenth century"

Millard Fillmore was born Januari 7 1800. I think that counts as 19th century, wouldn't you say? 82.176.216.87 15:45, 13 October 2007 (UTC)

I believe the 19th century began January 1, 1801. ·:· Will Beback ·:· 22:25, 13 October 2007 (UTC)

You are correct ... while the "1800s", per se, began on January 1st, 1800, the 19th Century began on January 1st, 1801. So while President Fillmore was the first American President born in the 1800s, Mr. Pierce was the first one born in the 19th Century. 21:30, 7 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Hmmm, opinions anyone?

"Pierce is ranked among the least effective Presidents as well as an indecisive politician who was easily influenced. He was unable to command as President or to provide the required national leadership." Okay, so he didn't do much, but is it policy to cite a source or something that could verify this claim? Otherwise, it's just another group of historians' opinion. Ageofe (talk) 22:40, 29 January 2008 (UTC)


HOLA ME LLAMO EVA. (: —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.129.152.185 (talk) 20:01, 8 March 2008 (UTC)


[edit] M*A*S*H* Quote

Is it really necessary to include the quote? Isn't the mention of Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce enough to make the point? Jickyincognito (talk) 09:35, 14 April 2008 (UTC)