Franklin Pierce’s Drunken Reputation
Pierce earned the nickname “Handsome Frank” partly due to his excessive drinking. During his 1853-1857 presidency, he often had whiskey in hand. His alcohol problem led to a hushed-up incident when he ran over a woman with his carriage in Washington. Local residents gossiped about his bleary-eyed rides through town. This vice contributed to his tragic, ineffective administration during the pre-Civil War period. Pierce’s presidency remains among the least successful.
