---
title: Franklin Pierce: The United States' 14th President
author: George Peter Alexander Healy
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/22140/franklin-pierce/
format: machine-readable-alternate
updated: 2026-09-15
---

# Franklin Pierce: The United States' 14th President

_Authored by George Peter Alexander Healy_

## Image File

[![Franklin Pierce: The United States' 14th President](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/22140.jpg)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/22140.jpg)

## Image Caption

Portrait of Franklin Pierce, oil on canvas by George Peter [Alexander](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Alexander/) Healy, 1853.

Franklin Pierce held the American presidency from 1853 to 1857, during which he signed into [law](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/law/) the Kansas-Nebraska Act, legislation which effectively annulled the [Missouri Compromise](https://www.worldhistory.org/Missouri_Compromise/), giving the new states of the West the power to decide whether they would or would not permit slavery. Passage of the Act prompted abolitionists and proslavers to flood the region and attempt to wrest control of the vote, leading to the infamous guerrilla violence of [Bleeding Kansas](https://www.worldhistory.org/Bleeding_Kansas/), presaging the Civil [War](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/War/) to come.

National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.

## Cite This Work

### APA
Healy, G. P. A. (2026, September 15). Franklin Pierce: The United States' 14th President. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/22140/franklin-pierce/>
### Chicago
Healy, George Peter Alexander. "Franklin Pierce: The United States' 14th President." *World History Encyclopedia*, September 15, 2026. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/22140/franklin-pierce/>.
### MLA
Healy, George Peter Alexander. "Franklin Pierce: The United States' 14th President." *World History Encyclopedia*, 15 Sep 2026, <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/22140/franklin-pierce/>.

## License & Copyright

[Original image](https://www.si.edu/object/franklin-pierce:npg_NPG.65.49) by **George Peter Alexander Healy**. Submitted by [Zachary Kay](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/zacharykay/ "User Page: Zachary Kay"), published on 15 September 2026. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Public Domain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain). This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.