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Jane Pierce Facts & Worksheets

Jane Means Appleton Pierce was the wife of Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States.

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Jane Means Appleton Pierce was the wife of Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States. She served as the First Lady for 4 years, from 1853 to 1857.

See the fact file below for more information on the Jane Pierce or alternatively, you can download our 21-page Jane Pierce worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE

  • Jane Means Appleton was born on March 12, 1806, in Hampton, New Hampshire. She was the third of six children of a Congregational Minister and the President of Bowdoin College, Jesse Appleton. Her mother was Elizabeth Means Appleton
  • Her siblings were Mary Appleton Aiken, Frances Appleton Packard, William Appleton, Robert Appleton, and John Appleton.

EDUCATION

  • Jane was taught at home, but she showed an aptitude for music, particularly in piano, at an early age. In fact, one teacher wanted her to try a musical career. However, she did not pursue this. Her reading tended to religious works, and she rarely refers to current authors in her letters. Her handwriting was terrible, making it very difficult to read and transcribe her letters.

MARRIAGE

  • Jane met Franklin Pierce through her brother-in-law, Alpheus S. Packard, who taught at Bowdoin College as a budding lawyer and professor. She won the future US President’s heart despite her lack of enthusiasm for his political interests, as he found Jane to be delicate and charming.
  • Franklin succeeded in overcoming Mrs. Appleton’s disapproval, who felt that her daughter should be married to somebody from a higher social standing. Jane married Franklin at the age of 28 on November 19, 1834, at Amherst, New Hampshire.

CHILDREN

  • Jane Pierce had three children. Franklin Pierce, Jr., was born on February 2, 1836, and died just 3 days after his birth. The second was Frank Robert Pierce, who was born on August 27, 1839, but he died due to Typhoid fever on November 14, 1843. Lastly, Benjamin Pierce was born on April 13, 1841, and he died on January 6, 1853, while on a journey by train just before his father’s inauguration.
  • Jane came to believe that God took her son so that her husband could focus on his duties as president.
  • Jane did not attend her husband’s inauguration or her son’s funeral. She also did not enter the White House until March 1853.

FIRST LADY

  • Jane Pierce became the first lady at the age of 46, and she carried the title of First Lady from 1853 – 1857. However, an extreme depression prevented her from carrying out most of her duties during her first two years in that position.
  • Jane Pierce asked Abigail Kent Means to perform the official duties of the First Lady. When Abigail Means was absent from the Capitol, Mrs. Jefferson Davis would officiate as other cabinet wives did, but not one of them was considered the official hostess.
  • Jane Pierce was always kind to the White House staff, and she would usually attend church on Sundays. Both she and Franklin Pierce were very strict about the Sabbath.
  • Jane Pierce persuaded her husband to release Dr. Charles Robinson, an ardent abolitionist and Republican, from Kansas prison where he had been detained. Franklin, known for his kind heart, did so both for his wife and the anxious wife of Dr. Robinson.
  • In 1856, after the election of James Buchanan, the Pierces departed the White house early, so that the staff could prepare the house for the incoming president.

LATER YEARS

  • At the end of Franklin’s term, Jane’s sorrow had taken a toll on her health, both physically and mentally.
  • The couple traveled from the Caribbean to Europe, where Franklin tried to raise his wife’s spirits and attempted to help his wife recover. However, during the voyage, Jane contracted Tuberculosis.
  • They returned home in 1860, and Jane seldomly left her sister’s house after that.

DEATH

  • Jane Appleton Pierce died of Tuberculosis at the age of 57 at her sister’s home in Andover, Massachusetts, on December 2, 1863.
  • Franklin took his wife home to Concord, New Hampshire, to be buried beside her sons Frank Robert and Benjamin. Franklin, Jr., was buried in Hillsborough, New Hampshire.

Jane Pierce Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Jane Pierce across 21 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Jane Pierce worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Jane Means Appleton Pierce who was the wife of Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States. She served as the First Lady for 4 years, from 1853 to 1857.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Jane Pierce Facts
  • Life of Pierce
  • Headline
  • Before and Present
  • Biographical Profile
  • Fact or Bluff
  • Fact Finding
  • Lifetime Connections
  • Describing Pierce
  • First Lady
  • Dream High

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Use With Any Curriculum

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