Statue of President Franklin Pierce unveiled at Concord (1914), Chandler address

What it is

This is an 11-page printed address given at the unveiling of a statue of President Franklin Pierce in Concord, New Hampshire, on November 25, 1914. The speaker was William E. Chandler, who lived from 1835 to 1917. The printed program lists the order of the ceremony, including the unveiling by Miss Susan H. Pierce, the invocation, and the speech by the president of the day. The statue was made by sculptor Augustus Lukeman, who was not present. The scanned copy is held by the Internet Archive.

Why it matters

Speeches at public monuments show how a community chose to remember a figure. This address is part of the state's tribute to Pierce, the only New Hampshire native to become president. Because Chandler was a public figure in his own time, his words show how a later generation judged Pierce. Students can compare this address with the longer state record of the same ceremony.

Look closer

• What does the speaker choose to emphasize about Pierce, and what does he leave out?
• Why might the ceremony be held at the State House and include a presiding officer who spoke in the sculptor's place?
• How does an address given at a statue unveiling differ from a history written in a book?