Introduction

Franklin Pierce, whose father served in the American Revolution (1775–83), inherited a devotion to Jeffersonian principles of the sovereign power of the individual states. In his early career as both an attorney and a politician, Pierce remained loyal to these foundations of the Democratic Party, as popularized by President Andrew Jackson. His loyalty included a commitment to the constitutionality of slavery, and his support for that institution during his presidency led to a deterioration of the relationship between the North and South.