Franklin Pierce (Encyclopedia of Presidents)

Rating:
Summary: An excellent juvenile biography of our worst President
Review: The volumes in the Encyclopedia of Presidents series always begin in media res, with the defining moment of that particular president. In the case of Franklin Pierce it is significant that his shining moment is when he delivers his inaugural address from memory. But even that moment was shrouded in a sense of gloom and doom; between the election and the inaugural Pierce's third and last surviving child was killed in a railroad accident and his wife, Jane, believed this tragedy was a penalty for having agreed to run. Even though he was the youngest President up to that time, at age 48, it had been a decade since he had held political office. Pierce had been nominated for the White House by the Democrats after 49 ballots, as a compromise "dark horse" candidate over James Buchanan, Lewis Cass, Stephen Douglas, and William Marcy. As a northerner who accepted slavery, he was acceptable to the South and for that reason easily defeated Whig candidate General Winfield Scott, hero of the Mexican War and Pierce's superior in the Army. This alone should show young readers that in the decade before the outbreak of the Mexican War the only issue that mattered in national politics was the devisive one of slavery.

The most impressive aspect of this juvenile biography of Franklin Pierce by Charnan Simon is that the story being told remains interesting even though the subject is a weak man who accomplishes virtually nothing in the White House. The best you can say for Pierce, which is Simon's position, is that his stand in support of slavery was based on principle: since slavery was protected by the Constitution and since Pierce was a public servant whose duty was to uphold the Constitution, he was therefore required to protect slavery. However, even young readers today are going to recognize that the immorality of slavery speaks to a higher principle. The result is that Pierce is considered one of the weakest Presidents ever (on everybody's list of the bottom five) and died a miserable man, considered a traitor by many. To be fair there is nothing that any political leader could have done to avoid the coming War and there is something to be said for the fact that the wasted presidency of Pierce did postpone the armed conflict until Abraham Lincoln was in a position to win the White House (I can make a compelling argument that Lincoln was the ONLY politician in the country who could have preserved the Union).

Ultimately this book is more about the times in which Pierce lived then a biography of his personal life and political career. Pierce was a spectator for the pivotal events of that four-year period, such as "Bleeding Kansas." Even the success of the diplomatic mission to open Japan to Western trade was started by his predecessor. However, Simon does use the perspective of the Pierce presidency to cover the key events and personalities of this period. The book is illustration with black & white illustrations, mostly early photographs from that period, as well as etchings and a series of about a dozen very informative political cartoons. It is hard to have much respect for Pierce after reading any book about him, but Simon does an excellent job of providing information that makes it perfectly clear why he deserves his reputation as one of the worst American Presidents. As the antithesis of our greatest President, Lincoln, Pierce can in fact be considered our worst chief executive.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent juvenile biography of our worst President
Review: The volumes in the Encyclopedia of Presidents series always begin in media res, with the defining moment of that particular president. In the case of Franklin Pierce it is significant that his shining moment is when he delivers his inaugural address from memory. But even that moment was shrouded in a sense of gloom and doom; between the election and the inaugural Pierce's third and last surviving child was killed in a railroad accident and his wife, Jane, believed this tragedy was a penalty for having agreed to run. Even though he was the youngest President up to that time, at age 48, it had been a decade since he had held political office. Pierce had been nominated for the White House by the Democrats after 49 ballots, as a compromise "dark horse" candidate over James Buchanan, Lewis Cass, Stephen Douglas, and William Marcy. As a northerner who accepted slavery, he was acceptable to the South and for that reason easily defeated Whig candidate General Winfield Scott, hero of the Mexican War and Pierce's superior in the Army. This alone should show young readers that in the decade before the outbreak of the Mexican War the only issue that mattered in national politics was the devisive one of slavery.

The most impressive aspect of this juvenile biography of Franklin Pierce by Charnan Simon is that the story being told remains interesting even though the subject is a weak man who accomplishes virtually nothing in the White House. The best you can say for Pierce, which is Simon's position, is that his stand in support of slavery was based on principle: since slavery was protected by the Constitution and since Pierce was a public servant whose duty was to uphold the Constitution, he was therefore required to protect slavery. However, even young readers today are going to recognize that the immorality of slavery speaks to a higher principle. The result is that Pierce is considered one of the weakest Presidents ever (on everybody's list of the bottom five) and died a miserable man, considered a traitor by many. To be fair there is nothing that any political leader could have done to avoid the coming War and there is something to be said for the fact that the wasted presidency of Pierce did postpone the armed conflict until Abraham Lincoln was in a position to win the White House (I can make a compelling argument that Lincoln was the ONLY politician in the country who could have preserved the Union).

Ultimately this book is more about the times in which Pierce lived then a biography of his personal life and political career. Pierce was a spectator for the pivotal events of that four-year period, such as "Bleeding Kansas." Even the success of the diplomatic mission to open Japan to Western trade was started by his predecessor. However, Simon does use the perspective of the Pierce presidency to cover the key events and personalities of this period. The book is illustration with black & white illustrations, mostly early photographs from that period, as well as etchings and a series of about a dozen very informative political cartoons. It is hard to have much respect for Pierce after reading any book about him, but Simon does an excellent job of providing information that makes it perfectly clear why he deserves his reputation as one of the worst American Presidents. As the antithesis of our greatest President, Lincoln, Pierce can in fact be considered our worst chief executive.