Facts about Jane Pierce: Fact Sheet of Jane Pierce
Facts and Info: This fast fact sheet provides important information about Jane Pierce, First Lady of the United States of America. Facts about Jane Pierce: Fast Overview of Events in the White House
Facts and Info: Jane Pierce assumed the position of First Lady to President Franklin Pierce. She witnessed the important events of his presidency that included the country's inevitable plunge into the American Civil war (1861-1865). Personality and Character: Jane Pierce Quotes
Facts and Info: An insight into the personal views, character and personality of this First Lady may be obtained from the following Jane Pierce quotes: "No story in the history of the White House is more melancholy than that of Jane Pierce." Facts about Jane Pierce: Her Nickname or Pet Name
Facts and Info: This First Lady was known as the "Shadow of the White House" because of her sad and reclusive nature. She stayed in her room mourning the deaths of three of her children. Facts about the Causes and Accomplishments of Jane Pierce
Facts and Info: First Ladies are not elected so have no official role. Their accomplishments are therefore based on their own particular wishes that ranged from political interests, humanitarian and charitable causes or duties relating to their family or social responsibilities. The terrible tragedies endured by Jane Pierce led her to live a life of total, inconsolable melancholy and she took no interest in her role First Lady delegating her social duties to close female friends and relatives. Facts about Jane Pierce: The Life of Jane Pierce
Facts and Info: Jane Means Appleton was born on March 12, 1806 in Hampton, New Hampshire. Jane Appleton met Franklin Pierce in 1826, and they were engaged for eight years before they married on November 19, 1834. Her family had opposed the marriage and Jane herself was unsure about marrying a politician. When they married Franklin was well established in politics and had served in the New Hampshire state legislature from 182933,, the US House of Representatives (183337) and had become a senator in 1837. Jane accepted that she had to fulfil the social duties expected of the wife of a politician although she intensely disliked the role. She blamed the political social events for her husband's excessive drinking. The couple had 3 sons: Franklin (1836), Frank Robert (1839 1843), Benjamin (1841 1853). Their first son, Franklin, died when he was just three days old, their second son was 4 when he died of typhus. Their youngest son "Bennie" was born in 1841. Due to the tragic loss of their first, baby son Jane persuaded Franklin to resign from his position in the Senate. Their second son died in 1843 and Franklin Pierce declared that he "never again
[wanted] to be voluntarily separated from my family for any considerable time except at the call of my country in time of war". The clouds of war were gathering at this time and Civil War between the North and South was an inevitability. Franklin Pierce refused all political positions offered to him but in 1852 the Democratic Party nominated her husband for the presidency. Jane fainted when she heard the news and she later prayed for his defeat in the election for President. Her young son Bennie wrote to his mother saying that "I hope he won't be elected for I should not like to be at Washington and I know you would not either". Facts about Jane Pierce: The Life of Jane Pierce - The White House
Their hopes came to nothing and Franklin Pierce won the presidential election. Jane had no option but to accept her husband's victory and prepared to move into the White House. However tragedy struck the Pierce family again when, just weeks before the inauguration, the Pierces were involved in a terrible train accident in which 11 year old Bennie was killed before their eyes. On January 6, 1853, a train carrying the Pierce family left Andover, Massachusetts. Just a few minutes after departing the passenger car detached from the train and rolled down an embankment. Only one person was injured. Benjamin "Bennie" Pierce was thrown from the train and was nearly decapitated as his head was gruesomely crushed. Bennie was killed instantly, and his parents would never recover from their loss. Less than two months after the tragedy Franklin Pierce was sworn in as President. Jane Pierce was so distraught that she was unable to attend her son's funeral or her husband's inauguration. Franklin turned to drink and would eventually became an alcoholic. Jane was devastated, suffering from an all consuming depression she became a silent shadow of her former self and was referred to as "The Ghost of the White House". Jane coped with the tragedies in her life by believing that her children had been taken by God to allow her husband to concentrate solely on his duties as President of the United States. At the end of his Presidency, that ended on March 4, 1857, Franklin and Jane Pierce travelled to Europe and then returned to Concord, New Hampshire. Jane Pierce died in 1863 and was buried near her children. |
