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Vindication of the Military Character of General Franklin Pierce

Isaac Ingalls Stevens

A defence of Franklin Pierce's military service in the Mexican War, written by Isaac Stevens during the 1852 campaign.

Defends Pierce's service in the Mexican War, a military record that was argued over during his 1852 presidential campaign.

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Olive-green book cover with no title printed on it. Top left shows the call number E 432 .V78. Lower left has a white Library of Congress label with a barcode, the number 00005023841, and a red dot.
Isaac Ingalls Stevens, Vindication of the Military Character of General Franklin Pierce. Library of Congress.

About this source

What it is

This is an olive-green book with no title printed on its cover. The catalogue record gives the title as Vindication of the Military Character of General Franklin Pierce, written by Isaac Ingalls Stevens, who lived from 1818 to 1862. The image shows the call number and a library label with a barcode.

Why it matters

Pierce's military record in the Mexican War, which lasted from 1846 to 1848, was a subject of political debate during his presidential campaign. A contemporary defence like this one shows that his supporters felt his war service needed to be argued for. Stevens wrote while the events were still recent, and he was a contemporary of Pierce.

Look closer

  • Why would a book be titled as a "vindication" rather than a neutral history?
  • What does the plain cover suggest about who the book was meant for?
  • Which parts of Pierce's military record might a defender choose to emphasize or leave out?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Franklin Pierce on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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