Title:  A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents Section 3 (of 4) of Volume 5:  Franklin Pierce

Author:  James D. Richardson

Release Date:  February 17, 2004 [EBook #11125]

Language:  English

Character set encoding:  ASCII

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A COMPILATION OF THE MESSAGES AND PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS

BY JAMES D. RICHARDSON

Franklin Pierce

March 4, 1853, to March 4, 1857

Franklin Pierce

Franklin Pierce was born in Hillsboro, N.H., November 23, 1804.  Was the fourth son of Benjamin and Anna Pierce.  His father was a citizen of Massachusetts; was a soldier in the War of the Revolution, attaining the rank of captain and brevet major.  After peace was declared he removed from Massachusetts to New Hampshire and located near what is now Hillsboro.  His first wife was Elizabeth Andrews, who died at an early age.  His second wife, the mother of Franklin Pierce, was Anna Kendrick, of Amherst, N.H.  He was sheriff of his county, a member of the State legislature and of the governor’s council, and was twice chosen governor of his State (as a Democrat), first in 1827 and again in 1829, For many years he was declared to be “the most influential man in New Hampshire,” He died in 1839.  Franklin was given an academic education in well-known institutions at Hancock, Francestown, and Exeter, and in 1820 was sent to Bowdoin College, His college mates there were John P. Hale, his future political rival; Professor Calvin E. Stowe; Sergeant S. Prentiss, the distinguished orator; Henry W. Longfellow, and Nathaniel Hawthorne, his future biographer and lifelong friend.  He graduated in 1824, being third in his class.  After taking his degree he began the study of law at Portsmouth in the office of Levi Woodbury, where he remained about a year.  Afterwards spent two years in the law school at Northampton, Mass., and in the office of Judge Edmund Parker, at Amherst, N.H.  In 1827 was admitted to the bar and began practice in his native town.  Espoused the cause of Andrew Jackson with ardor, and in 1829 was elected to represent his native town in the legislature, where by three subsequent elections he served four years, the last two as speaker.  In 1833 was elected to represent his native district in the lower House of Congress, where he remained four years; served on the Judiciary and other important committees.  His first important speech in the House was delivered in 1834 upon the necessity of economy and of watchfulness against frauds in the payment of Revolutionary claims.