什麼是皮爾斯

Pierce, Franklin

美國第十四任總統（1853～1857）。律師出身，曾任衆議員（1833～1837）及參議員（1837～1842）。後又重拾律師本行，並在墨西哥戰爭（1846～1848）時短期出任公職。1852年的民主黨提名大會陷入僵局，他因而被提名爲折衷候選人。作爲一名並無知名度的候選人，他意外地在大選中擊敗司各脫。爲了保持和諧局面和促進經濟繁榮，反對過激的反奴情緒並盡力安撫南方的意見。他主張擴張美國領土，引發了關於「奧斯坦德宣言」的外交爭端。皮爾斯政府還完成了外交領事人員的改組，並創立了美國索賠法院。其內政措施包括支援興建一條橫跨新大陸的鐵路的計畫以及批准加茲登購地案。爲了鼓勵人民移民到西北部，還批准了「堪薩斯-內布拉斯加法」。但卻無力處理在堪薩斯發生的衝突。1856年不敵布坎南未能再度被推選爲候選人，便從此退出政治生涯。

1804～1869年

Pierce, Franklin

14th president of the U.S. (1853-57). Born in Hillsboro, N.H., he practiced law and served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1833-37) and Senate (1837-42). He returned to his law practice, serving briefly in the Mexican War. At the deadlocked Democratic convention of 1852, he was nominated as the compromise candidate; though largely unknown nationally, he unexpectedly trounced Winfield Scott in the general election. For the sake of harmony and business prosperity, he was inclined to oppose antislavery agitation so as to placate Southern opinion. He promoted U.S. territorial expansion, resulting in the diplomatic controversy of the Ostend Manifesto. He reorganized the diplomatic and consular service and created the U.S. Court of Claims. He encouraged plans for a transcontinental railroad and approved the Gadsden Purchase. To promote northwestern migration and conciliate sectional demands, he approved the Kansas-Nebraska Act but was unable to settle the resultant problems. Defeated for renomination by James Buchanan in 1856, he retired from politics.