JANE APPLETON PIERCE

Jane Appleton Pierce was one of the most tragic First Ladies in the history of the United States. A shy and retiring woman, she lost two of her three sons before they were five years old.  Her third son, Benjamin Pierce, was the one joy of her life.  Unfortunately, fate was to take him as well.  Just a few weeks before her husband's inauguration as President of the United States in 1853, the train on which they were traveling derailed, and young Benjamin was crushed to death before Jane's very eyes.

Mrs. Pierce never fully recovered from Benjamin's death.  As First Lady in the White House, she was rarely seen.  She took what solace she could from religion—and at one point, as related in We Hear the Dead, she consulted with the spirit medium Maggie Fox.

For more about the sad life of Jane Appleton Pierce:

A White House Biography

A Biography of New Hampshire Women

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