- In office since
- March 4, 1853
- Left office
- March 4, 1857
- Born
- November 23, 1804
- Died
- October 8, 1869
- Religion
- Episcopal Church[2]
Life phases1
One octagon for each phase of the life of Franklin Pierce. Each of the eight axes is scored 0 to 5 against a written rubric from documented evidence, with its source; an axis without evidence is a gap, not a zero. There is no total and no ideal shape: it is a profile, not a ranking. Appearance and personality are not axes, because they cannot be scored from evidence.
No total and no ideal shape: a longer spoke means more of that axis, so a long Misconduct spoke is more documented misconduct.
Scores, rubric and sources
- 01Education3 of 5
- High confidenceGraduated fifth in a class of 14 at Bowdoin College in 1824, read law, studied at Northampton Law School and was admitted to the New Hampshire bar in late 1827.[1]Highest attainment by then: 1 secondary school, 2 some college, 3 bachelor's degree, 4 master's or professional degree, 5 doctorate.
- 02WealthNo evidence
- Net worth or income against the national thresholds of the time: 1 below the median household, 3 top 5%, 5 top 0.1%.
- 03Position5 of 5
- High confidencePresident of the United States, 1853-1857.[3]Scope of the role held: 1 entry level, 3 senior manager or legislator, 5 head of state or government, or the top role of a major institution.
- 04Public standingNo evidence
- Public approval or favourability where it was measured: 1 under 20%, 3 35 to 50%, 5 over 65%.
- 05Health2 of 5
- Medium confidenceDescribed as 'a heavy drinker for much of his life' (died of cirrhosis in 1869); he and his wife suffered severe depression after their son's death in January 1853, which likely affected his performance as president.[1]Documented health where an examination or disclosure exists: 5 no documented concern, 1 a serious documented condition.
- 06MisconductNo evidence
- The documented legal and ethics record within the phase, as in the misconduct meter: 0 none documented, 1 only matters resolved in their favour, 2 an open matter, 3 one finding, 4 two or three, 5 four or more. More is more documented misconduct.
- 07Social good0.5 of 5
- Low confidenceHis backing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) nullified the Missouri Compromise and led to a 'long and violent conflict' over slavery's expansion; the Ostend Manifesto proposed taking Cuba. Judgement-heavy.[3]Assessed effects of what they did in the phase on health, safety, education, rights and the environment, from official statistics or peer-reviewed evidence: 0 clearly harmful, 2.5 mixed, 5 clearly beneficial.
- 08Economic goodNo evidence
- Assessed effects of what they did in the phase on efficiency, growth and fiscal sustainability, from CBO and peer-reviewed evidence, as in the good-for-society reading: 0 clearly harmful, 2.5 mixed, 5 clearly beneficial.
No sourced record has been added for Franklin Pierce yet.
Sources3
Every statement about Franklin Pierce on this page comes from the wiki behind it, which cites each fact to the numbered source it was read from. Read the wiki
- [1]
Health, weight and religion appear only where the person, their physician or a reputable outlet has published them; each links to its source.