Discover the Unexpected: Top 12 Fun Facts About Franklin Pierce You Never Knew

1. First Presidential Christmas Tree Debate

Ah, the age-old debate of who put the first "Pine in the Presidential" residence during Christmas season: was it Harrison, Tyler, or even Franklin Pierce? Much like deciding whether it's okay to put pineapple on your pizza, the answer might never truly be agreed upon: While some credit Franklin Pierce with having the first indoor tree at the White House in the 1850s, it's more likely that Benjamin Harrison or John Tyler take the cake. However, don't pine too much for decorating history, because it was First Lady Lou Henry Hoover who kickstarted the tradition of presidential wives decorating the tree in 1929, and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy who brought themed trees to the festive forefront in 1961.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Pierce's "Arrested Development" Presidency

Franklin Pierce, often referred to as the "Arrested Development" of U.S. presidents, could never really catch a break in the White House: for starters, poor Frank suffered the tragic loss of his only remaining son in a train accident shortly after his election, leading to depression, wife Jane's social reclusion, and a largely compromised presidency.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Did you know President James Buchanan was nicknamed "Old Buck" due to his love for horses and resemblance to a male deer? Discover more about his equestrian adventures!

=> Fun Facts about James-Buchanan

3. From Party Animal to Sober Slugger

Who knew Franklin Pierce was a recovering party animal, going from liquor chugger to sober slugger? Quite the plot twist: Before becoming a champion of the temperance movement, Pierce struggled with alcohol addiction but eventually gained ground against his vice, outlawed alcohol in his hometown, and committed to sobriety for the rest of his days.
Source => millercenter.org

4. Pierce's Unforgettable Horse Encounters

When life gives you lemons, Franklin Pierce makes horses: Or more accurately, has awkwardly unforgettable encounters with them. From getting arrested for running over an elderly woman to being pinned down during the Mexican-American War, ol' Frankie just couldn't catch a break in the equine department. In the end, it was alcoholism, not horses, that got the better of him: Despite his infamous mishaps with four-legged friends, Franklin Pierce became the 14th president of the United States and eventually succumbed to cirrhosis of the liver.
Source => reference.com

5. Tragic Family Loss and Presidential Cabinet

Franklin Pierce, the ultimate "Misery Loves Company" cookout host: he managed to tragically lose his son just before taking office, and his wife blamed his political ambitions for their heartbreak. Despite drowning his sorrows in booze and bouts of self-isolation, Pierce still holds the record of completing his presidential term with the same cabinet members, something only a few others have achieved.
Source => potus-geeks.livejournal.com

6. Pierce's Elephant-like Memory

Who needs teleprompters or cheat sheets when you've got the memory of an elephant whispering in your ears? Franklin Pierce sure didn't: Our 14th president wowed the crowds by reciting his entire inaugural address by heart, all while battling that pesky tuberculosis. Talk about a one-man showstopper!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Pierce's Family Tragedies

Although Franklin Pierce's family life seemed like a game of musical chairs, with chairs being yanked away at the most inopportune moments: the unfortunate reality is that all three of his children with wife Jane Appleton, passed away at tragically young ages, including their last surviving son, Benjamin, who died at 11 in a train accident just before Pierce's presidential inauguration.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Cuban Annexation Attempt

If President Pierce were a cocktail, he'd be a Southern Doughface with a Mexican War twist, garnished with a pinch of controversial Caribbean annexation dreams: Franklin Pierce, a Mexican War veteran with a taste for national expansion, once tried to annex Cuba, but faced opposition from Whigs accusing him of trying to add another slave state, leading to a hasty renouncement and settling for recognizing a pro-slavery regime in Nicaragua instead.
Source => usnews.com

9. White House Séances

When the going gets tough, the tough get...spiritual? In an eerie twist of White House history: Franklin Pierce and his wife, Jane, coped with the tragic death of their son Benny by regularly holding séances, attempting to communicate with his spirit, and even penning letters signed in his name. Who knew the 14th President was such a fan of supernatural diplomacy?
Source => potus-geeks.livejournal.com

10. Benny's Death and Refusing the Bible

Franklin Pierce definitely missed the "smooth train to presidency" memo: Just weeks before his 1853 inauguration, the 14th president of the United States suffered a personal tragedy when his 11-year-old son Benny died in a train accident. The family was en route from Andover to Concord when a locomotive axle broke, sending their car careening off the tracks and down an embankment. Benny's untimely death left Pierce heartbroken, questioning his faith, and led him to refuse to swear on the Bible during his inauguration – a dark cloud that hung over both Pierce and his presidency.
Source => bostonmagazine.com

11. Pierce and Hawthorne's Tragic Friendship

If great minds drank alike, Pierce and Hawthorne would have been bosom buddies in the sobriety of the 19th century; alas, their bond was severed by a twist of literary fate: Franklin Pierce and Nathaniel Hawthorne were college besties, until their friendship met a tragic end when Pierce discovered Hawthorne's lifeless body during a trip, and was made an outcast by the likes of Emerson and Longfellow, preventing him from acting as a pallbearer at his friend's funeral.
Source => mentalfloss.com

12. Clean-Shaven President Pierce

In a brave and smooth move that would make him the presidential poster child for razor companies, Franklin Pierce dared to bare his face like no other leading man of his era: As the 14th President of the United States, Pierce was the only clean-shaven commander-in-chief between James K. Polk and Woodrow Wilson, marking a follicle-free reign spanning a whopping 68 years.
Source => millercenter.org