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Pierce served as President from March 4, 1853, to March 4, 1857. He began his presidency in a state of grief and nervous exhaustion. Two months before, on January 6, 1853, the President-elect's family had boarded a train in Boston and shortly thereafter were trapped in their derailed car when it rolled down an embankment near Andover, Massachusetts. Pierce and his wife survived, merely shaken up, but saw their 11-year-old son Benjamin crushed to death. Jane Pierce viewed the train accident as a divine punishment for her husband's pursuit and acceptance of high office.

Ok, We all know how shitty of a decade the 1850's were in America, Let' say things do make a turn for the worst and it's President-Elect Franklin Pierce instead of his son Bennie that it's crushed by the Derailed train car.Although with their being no formal rules of succession to this degree in 1853, Vice President Elect William Rufus "Aunt Nancy" King(lol) of Alabama takes the oath of office and is sworn in as the nation's 14th President on March 4th 1853.

Now, King was termainally ill with Turbucleousis and let's say he dies on April 18th 1853, making him the Second shortest term in history. However, with the Vice Presidency vacant, and based on the "rules" of Succession at the time the President Pro-Temp Senate, The Border Ruffian himself...David Rice Atchison of Missouri. How might an Atchison Presidency differ from Pierce's? Could Atchison push for Kansas to be admitted as a Slave state? Would that be enough to keep the South at bay for a few years? Could He win Renomination and be reelected in 1856? Might the Republicans or Know-Knothings be able to win in 1856 with souch a stuanch Pro-Slavery Southernor in the White House? What could be some other possible effects if Frank "Baby Face" Piece had died that Cold Winter day? Please discuss;)
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