President+Franklin+Pierce

__ ​President Franklin Pierce __
 * Elected President in 1852- divisions among the Whigs helped produce a victory for the Democrats
 * To maintain party and national harmony he attempted to avoid the issue of slavery
 * Supported Democratic movement known as "Young America" to divert attention over slavery controversies

__Land Purchase__ __ Cuba __ >
 * Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis, sent James Gadsden to purchase land from Mexico in order to build a transcontinental railroad
 * Supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act where Kansas would most likely become a slave state and Nebraska would become a slave state
 * Associated with the "Bleeding Kansas" affair
 * Made unsuccessful attempts to buy Cuba from Spain
 * Received a private document from Ostend, Belgium that suggested to take Cuba by force (Ostend Manifesto)