M Franklin Pierce

Franklin Pierce (1804–1869), the 14th President (1853–1857), was a Northern Democrat who supported the expansion of slavery in an effort to keep the Union together. His signing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, which allowed territories to decide on slavery, led to violent conflict (“Bleeding Kansas”) and further polarized the nation.

Interesting anecdote: Just weeks before Pierce’s inauguration, he and his wife witnessed a tragic train accident that killed their only surviving son. The trauma deeply affected Pierce’s presidency. He also chose to affirm his oath of office on a law book instead of swearing on a Bible, the only president to do so, due to his grief and religious convictions.