Judging the Franklin Pierce presidency, one of the worst 

Freshman year of college we had to write a paper on an American historical topic within a particular time frame. This paper had to be between 1840-1865. I knew everyone would write about the Civil War so I challenged myself to do it on Franklin Pierce so that it would stick out more. Never learned about Pierce but learning about him showed me the impossible political circumstances leading up to the war, as well as giving me a sense that he was constantly someone plagued by depression and at the behest of others. Certainly was not the best president, but learning about the man was truly heart breaking. I got a the best grade in the class and the professor was very impressed. It was almost the first time I ever pulled an all nighter at the school library. I really am glad I took the time to learn about Pierce.

Franklin Pierce sounds like the name a Hollywood writer would come up with for a fictional President.

Pierce's Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis, did much to modernize the U.S. Army that ironically would later be used against him. Davis was also responsible for dispatching the survey teams that laid out the routes of what would become the transcontinential railroads.

I love Mo Rocca's presidential stories.

Learning of Willie Lincoln's death, Pierce wrote a very nice sympathetic letter to Abraham Lincoln, mentioning the loss of Pierce's son Benjamin to Lincoln. Lincoln never replied back to Pierce.

I often wonder if his personal struggles (strained marriage, depression, alcoholism, and death of his son) clouded his judgement during his presidency.

Steady flow of guano. So why does he have such a crappy reputation? I just about lost it there.😂😂😂😜😜😜 Well done sir.

Pierce…a sad, amiable, well-meaning man who lacked the discernment and strategic depth to lead his country in one of its most troubled times.

Idk man, almost every woman I know says JFK was the most handsome..... Also am I the only one who thinks Pierce looks like Mitt Romney with a colonial haircut ? 😆😆😆

I wish they had interviewed Pierce’s biographer Peter Wallner. His two-volume biography on Pierce was the first published in decades and was written to re-evaluate Pierce’s legacy. That was no easy task since Pierce either didn't keep or destroyed personal records, like diaries and letters. I don’t know why the biography is out of print, but if you're interested and can track down copies, it might be worth reading.

From Roy Franklin Nichols' biography of Franklin Pierce, we have this tidbit: Jeanie Pierce was not enthusiastic about her husband Franklin's political aspirations and stayed in their home in New Hampshire while Franklin roomed alone in a boarding house in Washington while serving in the Senate. That changed when their youngest son Benjamin was born in 1841 after losing two others in infancy, and Franklin resigned his Senate seat in order to devote his time with his family. He renounced all political ambitions, even declining a cabinet position in the Polk administration. This changed when the Democratic party in NH named him as a favorite son candidate, but no one seriously thought he stood a chance of receiving the nomination. But when ballot after ballot yielded no viable candidate, the party decided to look around for a dark horse. Franklin was chosen, and he received the nomination on the 49th ballot. Jeanie Pierce was not happy. Franklin argued that he did not want the nomination but decided to yield for the nation's sake as well as for their son Benjamin. Jeanie Pierce acquiesced, and her husband was elected in November 1852 on a landslide. However, it turned out that Franklin did actively seek the nomination and lied to Jeanie about his "passive" activities. This, coupled with the accidental death of their son Benjamin on January 6, 1853, broke Jeanie, losing faith in her husband's integrity and mourning the loss of their son. The relationship between the President-elect and his wife had deteriorated after that. By the time Franklin Pierce was sworn in as President on March 4, 1853, the youngest man to be elected to that position at that time, he was already exhausted and depressed over his personal life.

Pierce might have been different if his son hadn't died on the way to Washington. I feel for him.

I'm surprised they didn't mention his being known as a "dough face," a term meant to refer to a northern man with southern principles.

Jane Pierce: goes into mourning for 2 years Queen Victoria: Hold my beer

I didn't know that Pierce's efforts led to the Civil War. I appreciate what he did to make stamps easier to use.

In the capital of KS we have all the presidents as street names EXCEPT Pierce. KS is no fan of him either.

I am so sad he lost his children.

This is an interesting historical piece and what I never learned in school. Thanks @CBS Sunday Morning and @Mo Rocca. This is why I never miss an episode.

How many Americans even know who Franklin Pierce was? He's right up there with Zachary Taylor in historical obscurity.

This doesn't mention that Pierce's alcoholism and depression had made him almost nonfunctional in the office. His hours were erratic and bills were left unsigned. The upkeep of The White House also deteriorated, and he did almost none of his ceremonial duties.

Franklin Pierce, I have been told, is an ancestor of Bush 43 through his mother: Barbara Pierce Bush.

Franklin Pierce wasn't a bad person, he just allowed people to walk all over him.

To be fair his last surviving son (he had three) died in a train accident as the family was heading to Washington. The deep grief no doubt colored his ability to serve.

“Franklin Pierce is the Franklin Pierce of fighting; which is to say, he is a bad fighter.” 😜 -from “How To Fight Presidents”, by Daniel O’Brien

6:10 Franklin Pierce was the 14th, right? Just did a double take at the Newspaper cutting, that said "Franklin Pierce, twelfth President of the United States," the actual 12th President was Zachary Taylor, the only President from Louisianna

It wasn't just his bad policy decisions; Pierce wasn't even functional in the job. He would often go days without going to his desk. Bills would go unsigned, and he would miss meetings. At the time, the First Family was expected to do all of the household maintenance in the Executive Mansion, and when they left the place was dusty and full of cobwebs and dirty dishes. It turned out that he was an alcoholic and his wife an opium addict, probably due to seeing their son get decapitated in front of them. It would be a valid speculation that he was crippled by PTSD while in the office.

Children dying young was not uncommon at one time. It is very rare these days.

Franklin Pierce's reputation has been rescued by biographers like Peter Wallner in his two volume biography. Wallner avoids the simplistic cliched portrayals of Pierce and presents a fact based account of Franklin Pierce.- a president we can admire. A photo copy of a painting of Pierce hangs on the wall in my study,

The interviewee at the end of the video avoided the question. When asked if Franklin Pierce deserved to be considered the worst President, the person interviewed said only that Pierce "wasn't a terrible, awful person."

His shirts say: F. Pierce. Some people in his day: darn right!

In regards to the K-N Act, Pierce's other vetoes seem to fall along the (then common) ideological line that the Presidential veto was intended for use only when Congress passed a law the President deemed unconstitutional. He very well may have not felt he had the authority to veto a Constitutional bill.

People seemed to like him because he was polite, and rarely late.

13th President Millard Fillmore thinking: Ha, that guy's a loser. 15th President James Buchanan thinking: Man, that guy's so lucky.

I learned about Franklin Pierce from Robert Wuhl's "Assume The Position". Pierce was Barbara Bush Sr.'s ancestor. He was not only the first and only President to not get his own party's nomination for re-election, but he was also the first to commit a DWI, running down a woman.

2:37, that laugh is not something you want to hear when trying to say he wasn’t bad 😂

Pierce wasn't just trying to accommodate the South. He actually was on their side. Pierce supported slavery and detested abolitionists. I'm not going to judge the man's soul. That's above my paygrade. But if you abhor slavery, then Pierce doesn't come off looking too good. During the Civil War some of his letters were intercepted and published in which he expressed sympathy for the Confederacy. That pretty much finished off whatever reputation he had left. That said, I will concede that he had more than his share of personal tragedy. As noted, all of his children died young. And he struggled with alcohol for most of his life. While his wife, who was deeply religious, lived; Pierce was able to stay on the wagon. But after her death, he crawled back into the bottle and died of alcoholism largely unmourned.

Given the terrible personal tragedies he endured, it's rather easy to understand how he couldn't have focused on the demanding duties of being a U.S. president. Sadly, but understandably, he died an alcoholic.

Honestly, I think that his hate is too unfair. He just had extremely terrible luck. He also came into Presidency at a bad time. Anyone who would’ve become 14th President also would’ve likely be titled one of the worst. My mans tried and worked hard despite his terrible life.

No mention of the alcoholism? It’s a significant thing about his life

We could have done worse than Pierce. Then in 1857, we did - with James Buchanan.

“He wasn’t a terrible, awful person”, not exactly a ringing endorsement.

As a person whose first name is Pierce. Its fun to hear about this President.

What about James Buchanan? He's the true worst

It is curious that what appears to be the contemporary newspaper clipping of Pierce;s death states that he was "the twelth (12th) President of the United States". Pierce was the 14th president. Zachary Taylor was the 12th.

My family myth was that we are related to Pierce. We have many Pierce's on one side but since the president never had kids who lived to adulthood it's doubtful it's a direct connection.

A distant cousin of Pierce was Barbara Bush, born Barbara Pierce. The late mother of George Bush.

Great video

I've seen it argued that Pierce was so devastated and depressed over the death of his son that he really wasn't the man people elected when in office and just went through the motions of the presidency.

I have stopped judging most Presidents for actions "leading to the Civil War", the South was adamant in fighting for slavery, they would have forced a civil war over it regardless is my belief.

America needs more 1 term Presidents since many people who want to run for the oval office are often dissuaded by all the drama of "mandates & being on the right side of history".

4th grade NH mandatory “learn about your state” happened. Mrs. Peters was from the deep south (Mississippi). She was new to our school, and she was new to New England. (I don’t know why: it’s probably our snow-y & icy with winters, but our small northern New England towns & cities hardly ever get new people coming to live here by choice.) When it came time in our state curriculum to cover NH-specific material, Mrs. Peters said: “He was not great president.” And then totally left it at that.

I've always thought that Pierce as one of of worst Presidents was ridiculous. The sole reason for labeling him as such was signing the Kansas-Nebraska Act into law. But most legislators at the time believed it was the right move. The most prominent people were in favor of it. Douglas, the great compromiser was a big proponent of it. How can you call him one of the worst Presidents for signing a law that almost everyone at the time thought was a good idea. Yes, you can absolutely say it brought in the beginning of the end. But Pierce was a President, not a fortune-teller.

He was bad but “he wasn’t a terrible, awful person…” I guess that distinction would come later to a different, more contemporaneous president

Jefferson and Jackson were also handsome men. As was Grant, in my humble opinion.

I taught US history for many years. I always said of Pierce (I think), what complicated life for him, and as president was the loss of their son. I don’t know that he was focused on running the country after that. Paired with alcoholism could not have helped either.

He's a pretty interesting guy to learn about. The man himself was one of the most outgoing, charming, and friendly presidents we've had. Very upbeat. Those depressing tragedies around him though.... He was big on the constitution, and judging policies and decisions on We The People. He cared about giving people the right to choose in their own best interest, and to not have big government baring down on them. He cared. New Hampshires favorite son. Awesome guy but at the wrong time. I got to see his birthplace and grave last Spring. He deserves some love; the Pierce Brigade is doing some of Gods work.

Both Truman and Kennedey said Pierce was the best-looking president.

Actually I like Mo Rocca better as a correspondent here than when he was on The Daily Show

Nice video!

"It's no Scarlett Letter." "Thank God for that."

Proof once again that good looks and a sparkling personality do not (necessarily) equate with competency. Works the other way as well. Just because people aren't skilled public speakers (or spellers) doesn't equate them with ignorance.

Ms. Woodhead seems like the most lovely person in the world

"Young and fierce was Franklin Pierce, the man without a chin..."

By the way, there is no such a thing as a Federal Holiday called "Presidents' Day." It is and always has been George Washington's birthday that is celebrated on third Monday in February to create a three day weekend. His actual birthday is February 22.

Franklin Pierce is looking pretty good in the year 2022.

We just survived the worst president ever.

Frankin Pierce has been holding trump's beer since 2017...

Being a "terrible, awful person" is no longer a condemnation; it's a qualification, apparently.

He was awful, significantly worse than Buchanan in my opinion: Buchanan utterly failed to address the sectional crisis, but it was a crisis that was already under way when he took office. Pierce largely exacerbated it to the point that it overwhelmed Buchanan. I would say that only trump was worse than Pierce.

Where my man Donald Trump. He's the number one contender.

Brilliant!

"Honey? Are you coming to bed?" "Sorry I'm watching a video on Franklin Pierce"

Definitely not one of the worst. That award goes to Woodrow Wilson/James Buchanan

Like most things in life great looks dont translate to anything else aside great looks. Luckily we have instagram so all that matters now is looks to become a millionaire influencer!

I argue James Buchanon, Pierce's successor, should rank lower. He repeated Pierce's biggest mistake. Buchanon did not take the temperature of the nation very well. After Pierce left office, it was pretty clear the United States would have a Civil War. Buchanon believed he could still save the day with compromises. Fighting slavery at every turn didn't seem to be an option for Buchanon. Had he fought slavery at every turn, he'd have a better reputation.

He got a moment in the popular spotlight almost 100 years after his death; he briefly appears (literally!) in the "Bewitched" episode "Sam For the Defense."

Pierce has now been surpassed.

The most annoying thing is people who go to these videos talking about bad Presidents from the 1800s and say oh (insert modern politician who’s beliefs I don’t agree with) is so much worse as if anyone has essentially started the civil war in recent years

No mention of the Gadsden Purchase?

I'm distracted by the RC Gorman print on the background of the Professor's office.

Too bad Hawkeye Pierce's dad didn't think of this when naming his son.

"He wasn't a terrible, awful person." I see what you did there.

Van Buren lived long enough for 8 successors to take office: Harrison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, and Lincoln. Jimmy Carter saw 7: Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton, Bush 43, Obama, Trump, and Biden.

There is a high school named after him in my area. It is also one of the worst.

Pierce’s tragic family life is rarely mentioned. His children had died and his wife never fully recovered. I think that had to have an impact on his years in office. I also think the Civil War was inevitable due to the militancy of most slaveholding states, making compromise impossible if slavery was to be eradicated.

He tried his best to keep us together. Slavery was a divisive issue. Many Northerners benefited form the cotton trade. I am sure Congress had a say in the Compromise.

He may have been a terrible president, but he definitely wins the "Hottest President" award. Lol.

To be fair, I think Franklin Pierce & Andrew Johnson get criticized too harshly, while James Buchanan gets a more appropriate bashing across the board.

guano is bat poop, not bird poop

He also further defined federal government limitations, keeping the feds out of any role in welfare, including mental health.

5:43, oh hey the draft. Didn't know those steps were Pierce's. I mean, he buried a 5 minute drive up the way, but besides being a frequent namesake and his hisotric house, don't really think of him much beyond that.

“F. Pierce” - even his shirt hated him…

Thank goodness he was so "bad" because his actions led to the end of legalized human trafficking in America.

Maybe my standards are low....Did his coup attempt to overturn a fair and open election he lost lead to a violent insurrection at the seat of Federal power???

President Franklin Pierce- I"m the worst President in US History!! President Jimmy Carter- No!! I'm the worst President in US History!! President Joe Biden- HOLD MY BEER!!

I didnt even know we had a president name Pierce. Like what the heck.

Mo cracks me up 😂

The death of his son was an omen, for his Presidency and his life.

Some day I want a series about Franklin Pierce.

The sad thing is as you get older, and you see at least the modern presidents do so many horrible things and hurt so many people you really wonder why we even celebrate the presidents anymore because they seem to be people who are only out for their own political parties, and not for America