Franklin Pierce: A Torn President in a Torn Country

Franklin Pierce, America’s 14th President, had two simple goals: keep his party together and keep his country calm through the storm of the slavery debate. Simple, but not easy. Joseph Fornieri, Professor of Political Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology, explains how Pierce’s leadership (or lack thereof) pushed America toward civil war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices