Jane Pierce | |
|---|---|
 Pierce in 1857 | |
| First Lady of the United States | |
| In role March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857 | |
| President | Franklin Pierce |
| Preceded by | Abigail Fillmore |
| Succeeded by | Harriet Lane (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jane Means Appleton March 12, 1806 Hampton, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Died | December 2, 1863 (aged 57) Andover, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Resting place | Old North Cemetery |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 all died young |
| Parent(s) | Jesse Appleton Elizabeth Means |
| Signature |  |
Jane Means Pierce (née Appleton; March 12, 1806 – December 2, 1863) was the wife of Franklin Pierce and the first lady of the United States from 1853 to 1857. She married Franklin Pierce, then a congressman, in 1834 despite her family's misgivings. She refused to live in Washington, D.C., and in 1842, she convinced her husband to retire from politics. He sought the Democratic presidential nomination without her knowledge in 1852 and was elected president later that year. Their only surviving son, Benjamin, was killed in a train accident before Franklin's inauguration, sending Jane into a deep depression that afflicted her for the rest of her life. Pierce was a reclusive first lady, spending the first two years of her husband's presidency mourning her son. Her duties at this time were often fulfilled by Abby Kent-Means. After Franklin's presidency, they traveled abroad for two years before settling in Massachusetts. She died of tuberculosis in 1863.
Pierce disliked political life and was unhappy in the role of first lady. She took interest in abolitionism, and attempted to influence her husband's decisions on the subject. A Puritan, Pierce was strictly religious and believed the tragedies she suffered were divine retribution for her and her husband's sins. Jane has been described as the opposite of her husband, who was outgoing, political, and a heavy drinker. She was reclusive, averse to politics, and teetotal.