Template:POTD/2016-11-23

Picture of the day

Franklin Pierce (1804–1869) was the 14th President of the United States (1853–57). A northern Democrat who saw the abolitionist movement as a fundamental threat to the unity of the nation, Pierce undertook polarizing actions in championing and signing the Kansas–Nebraska Act and enforcing the Fugitive Slave Act. His actions impacted his once high popularity and failed to stem intersectional conflict, setting the stage for Southern secession. US historians and other political commentators generally rank Pierce's presidency as among the worst.Photograph: Mathew Brady; restoration: Adam Cuerden