What is Franklin Pierce known for as president?
My tenure as the 14th President, alas, is most often recalled for the Kansas-Nebraska Act. It was my solemn duty, as sworn under the Constitution, to uphold the laws of the land, including the Fugitive Slave Act, and to endeavor to preserve the Union's delicate balance. The principles of states' rights and the necessity of respecting the constitutional compact between sovereign states guided my actions. The Founders bequeathed to us a republic built upon compromise, and I believed that adhering to established law, however contentious, was the surest path to domestic tranquility, though the passions of the moment often threatened that very harmony.
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