Did not know much about president Franklin Pierce but after reading this newsletter from Heather Cox Richardson, it is clear that he was a horrible piece of garbage.

@Parag Just throwing this out there, but there have been some more gracious biographies of Pierce. Peter Wallner’s, in particular. My own reading of his life has certainly not found him beyond criticism, but absolutely worthy of sympathy — and a sympathetic reading.

I’m happy this reminded me of an article I’ve wanted to ask the library if they have access to from The Journal of Social History, on the friendship of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Franklin Pierce.