Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T06:39:27.820Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

“History has rendered its verdict upon him”: The Franklin Pierce Statue Controversy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 April 2013

Michael J. Connolly
Michael J. Connolly*
Affiliation:
Purdue University North Central
*
[email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

For thirty years after Franklin Pierce's death, the ex-president's reputation remained low in the estimation of historians and the public. Most saw Pierce and his successor James Buchanan as primary culprits in the sectional discord leading to the Civil War. Between 1900 and 1915, however, Pierce's reputation improved, with the sectional healing represented by Blue-Gray reunions on former battlefields like Gettysburg and the election of only the second Democratic president since the war, Woodrow Wilson. This process of healing was particularly difficult in Pierce's home state of New Hampshire. In a classic case of contested memory, the Grand Army of the Republic repeatedly stymied Democratic attempts to raise a statue to the state's only president and criticized Pierce as a traitor and Confederate sympathizer. The Democrats, however, took over the New Hampshire governor's chair in 1913, and the legislature voted to honor Pierce with a statue. In that small early twentieth-century window, Franklin Pierce became a beneficiary of hard-earned sectional reconciliation.

Type
Essays
Information
The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era , Volume 12 , Issue 2 , April 2013 , pp. 234 - 259
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era 2013

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Blight, David W., Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory (Cambridge, MA, 2001), 9Google Scholar.

2 For more on the transition away from “Bloody Shirt” postbellum politics, Calhoun, Charles W., From Bloody Shirt to Full Dinner Pail: The Transformation of Politics and Governance in the Gilded Age (New York, 2010)Google Scholar.

3 Brown, Dona, Inventing New England: Regional Tourism in the Nineteenth Century (Washington, 1995), 135–42, 183–89Google Scholar; Lindgren, James M., Preserving Historic New England: Preservation, Progressivism, and the Remaking of Memory (New York, 1995), 6, 114Google Scholar; for similar political battles over public commemoration of prominent nineteenth-century Democrats, Rosenberger, Homer T., “Two Monuments for the Fifteenth President of the United States,” Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society 78 (1974): 29–48Google Scholar; and Bogart, Michele H., “The Ordinary Hero Monument in Greater New York: Samuel J. Tilden's Memorial and the Politics of Place,” Journal of Urban History 28 (Mar. 2002): 267–99CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

4 The most comprehensive study of Franklin Pierce is Wallner, Peter A., Franklin Pierce: New Hampshire's Favorite Son (Concord, NH, 2004)Google Scholar; and Wallner, Franklin Pierce: Martyr for the Union (Concord, NH, 2009)Google Scholar. Also Holt, Michael, Franklin Pierce (New York, 2010)Google Scholar; Gara, Larry, The Presidency of Franklin Pierce (Lawrence, KS, 1991)Google Scholar; and Nichols, Roy F., Franklin Pierce: Young Hickory of the Granite Hills (Philadelphia, 1931)Google Scholar.

5 John R. Irelan, The Republic; or, A History of the United States of America in the Administrations, from the Monarchic Colonial Days to the Present Times, vol. 14: History of the Life, Administration, and Times of Franklin Pierce, Fourteenth President of the United States: End of the Long Period of Compromises and Development of the Final Conflict of Freedom and Slavery (Chicago, 1888), 78, 244–46, 533, 535. For other examples of early works critical of Pierce, Holmes, Arthur, Parties and Their Principles: A Manual of Political Intelligence, Exhibiting the Origin, Growth, and Character of National Parties (New York, 1859)Google Scholar; Jones, William D., Mirror of Modern Democracy: A History of the Democratic Party, from Its Organization in 1825, to Its Last Great Achievement, the Rebellion of 1861… . (New York, 1864)Google Scholar.

6 Irelan, Republic, 14:346–48, 521–22; Richardson, James D., ed., A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents, 1789–1897 (Washington, 1899) 5:397Google Scholar.

7 Webster, Sidney, Franklin Pierce and His Administration (New York, 1892), 27–28, 38–39Google Scholar; Webster was particularly irked at the “Republican historian,” James Schouler. See Schouler, History of the United States of America under the Constitution (Washington, 1880)Google Scholar.

8 Webster, Franklin Pierce, 59, 62. For other examples of early works favorable toward Pierce, Gillett, Ransom H., Democracy in the United States: What It Has Done, What It Is Doing, and What It Will Do (New York, 1868)Google Scholar; Alfriend, Frank H., The Life of Jefferson Davis (Philadelphia, 1868)Google Scholar; Northend, William D., The Administration of Franklin Pierce on Sectional Affairs (Concord, NH, 1882)Google Scholar; Davis, Varina, Jefferson Davis, Ex-President of the Confederate States of America (New York, 1890)Google Scholar. That Pierce received praise in biographies of Jefferson Davis further damaged his reputation in Republican circles.

9 Metcalf, H. H., ed., Memorial of Hon. Harry Bingham, LL.D., Lawyer, Legislator, Author (Concord, NH, 1910), 486–89Google Scholar; Metcalf, H. H., ed., Dedication of a Statue of General Franklin Pierce, Fourteenth President of the United States, at the State House, Concord, November 25, 1914 (Concord, NH, 1914)Google Scholar, appendix.

10 William E. Chandler to John Whitaker, Mar. 25, 1893, Chandler to Calvin Page, Mar. 25, 1893, Chandler to Stilson Hitchens, May 17, 1901, Chandler to John N. Cushing, May 17, 1901; also Chandler to Pearson G. Evans, Mar. 25, 1893, Chandler to Frank E. Hobbs, Mar. 25, 1893, Chandler to Andrew Killoren, Mar. 25, 1893, and Chandler to Edward Woods, Mar. 25, 1893, William E. Chandler Papers, New Hampshire Historical Society. On the activities and influence of the Grand Army of the Republic, McConnell, Stuart, Glorious Contentment: The Grand Army of the Republic, 1865–1900 (Chapel Hill, 1992)Google Scholar; and Davies, Wallace E., Patriotism on Parade: The Story of Veterans and Hereditary Organizations in America, 1783–1900 (Cambridge, MA, 1955)Google Scholar. Chandler was a central figure in New Hampshire politics between the 1860s and 1910s. Richardson, Leon Burr, William E. Chandler: Republican (New York, 1940)Google Scholar; Wright, James, The Progressive Yankees: Republican Reformers in New Hampshire, 1906–1916 (Hanover, NH, 1987)Google Scholar.

11 Concord Daily Monitor, May 3, 1909.

12 Concord Daily Patriot, Feb. 23, 1911; Metcalf, H. H. and Abbott, Frances M., eds., One Thousand New Hampshire Notables (Concord, NH, 1919), 25–26Google Scholar.

13 Concord Daily Monitor, Feb. 23, 1911; Concord Daily Patriot, Feb. 23, 1911.

14 Concord Daily Monitor, Feb. 23, 1911; Manchester Daily Mirror and American, Feb. 23, 1911; Metcalf and Abbott, One Thousand New Hampshire Notables, 55–57, 465–67; Stearns, Ezra S., Whitcher, William E., and Parker, Edward E., eds., Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire (Chicago, 1908), 3:1490–91Google Scholar.

15 Concord Daily Patriot, Feb. 23, 1911; Concord Daily Monitor, Mar. 2, 1911; Philadelphia Daily Ledger reprinted in Hillsborough (NH) Messenger, Mar. 23, 1911; Stearns, Whitcher and Parker, Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire, 1157–58.

16 Concord Daily Monitor, Mar. 30, 1911; Somers, Amos Newton, A History of Lancaster, New Hampshire (Concord, NH, 1899) 482–83Google Scholar, 556; “Hon. Benjamin R. Wheeler,” Granite Monthly, Dec. 1913, 337; Bartlett, A. W., History of the Twelfth Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers in the War of the Rebellion (Concord, NH, 1897), 700Google Scholar; Metcalf and Abbott, One Thousand New Hampshire Notables, 493–94.

17 Concord Daily Monitor, Apr. 5, 11, 1911; Concord Daily Patriot, Apr. 11, 1911.

18 Concord Daily Monitor, January 2, 1913 and January 11, 1913; Concord Daily Patriot, January 29, 1911; “Governor Felker,” Granite Monthly, Mar.–Apr. 1913, 63–64.

19 Brosky, Alyn, Grover Cleveland: A Study in Character (New York, 2004), 428Google Scholar; Gilder, Richard W., Grover Cleveland: A Record of Friendship (New York, 1910), 231Google Scholar; New York Times, March 31, 1913.

20 Hillsborough (NH) Messenger, Apr. 6, 1911; New York Times, Feb. 7, 1913; Blight, David W., “Quarrel Forgotten or a Revolution Remembered? Reunion and Race in the Memory of the Civil War, 1875–1913” in Union and Emancipation: Essays on Politics and Race in the Civil War Era, ed. Blight, David W. and Simpson, Brooks D. (Kent, OH, 1997), 168, 172Google Scholar.

21 Concord Daily Monitor, Jan. 8, 23, and Feb. 20, 26, 1913; Newport (NH) Champion quoted in Concord Daily Monitor, Feb. 18, 1913; “Guy H. Cutter,” Granite Monthly, Feb.–Mar. 1911, 50; David Cross to William E. Chandler, Mar. 6, 1913, Chandler to Cross, Mar. 11, 1913; also Kirk D. Pierce to Chandler, Mar. 30, 1913, and Chandler to H.C. Pearson, Apr. 20, 1913, Chandler Papers, NHHS.

22 Concord Daily Monitor, Apr. 23, May 6, 13, July 11, and Nov. 7, 1913; Metcalf, Dedication, 4–6; Metcalf and Abbott, One Thousand New Hampshire Notables, 93, 261.

23 Allen Hollis to William E. Chandler, July 14, 1913, Edgar Aldrich to Chandler, Aug. 18, 1913, Aldrich to Chandler, Aug. 23, 1913, and Chandler to Aldrich, Nov. 7, 1913, Chandler Papers, NHHS. Gordon, Armistead C., Monument to John Tyler: Address Delivered in Hollywood Cemetery, at Richmond, Va., on October 12, 1915 … . (Washington, 1915), 5Google Scholar; New York Times, Dec. 31, 1913.

24 Edgar Aldrich to Samuel D. Felker, May 13, 1914, Aldrich to Daniel Chester French, June 17, 1914, French to Aldrich, June 18, 1914, Aldrich to Felker, June 24, 1914, and Aldrich to Chandler, June 24, 1914, Chandler Papers, NHHS.

25 Henry French Hollis to William E. Chandler, May 29, 1914, Otis G. Hammond to Chandler, Sept. 11, 1914, Hammond to Chandler, Sept. 16, 1914, and Frank White to Chandler, Oct. 7, 1914, Chandler Papers, NHHS.

26 Kirk D. Pierce to William E. Chandler, Apr. 3, 1914, Edgar Aldrich to Chandler, May 11, 1914, Robert L. O'Brien to Chandler, Aug. 16, 1915, and Chandler to Robert L. O'Brien, Aug. 30, 1915, Chandler Papers, NHHS. On the relationship between Pierce and Hale, Wallner, Peter A., “Franklin Pierce and Bowdoin College Associates Hawthorne and Hale,” Historical New Hampshire 59 (Spring 2005): 23–43Google Scholar.

27 Metcalf and Abbott, One Thousand New Hampshire Notables, 77; Metcalf, Dedication, 17, 26.

28 Metcalf and Abbott, One Thousand New Hampshire Notables, 519; Metcalf, Dedication, 50–51, 58–59.

29 Metcalf, Dedication, 61–62.

30 Dedication, 30, 32, 34, 61–62; Metcalf and Abbott, One Thousand New Hampshire Notables, 503; the Oliver Cromwell example was used at the Gettysburg Reunion in July 1913 by U.S. Speaker of the House Champ Clark, as well. New York Times, July 4, 1913.

31 Metcalf and Abbott, One Thousand New Hampshire Notables, 3; Metcalf, Dedication, 41, 42, 44; Jacob Gallinger to William E. Chandler, Dec. 30, 1914, Chandler Papers, NHHS.

32 Concord Daily Monitor, Nov. 25, 1914.