Pierce is a public figure spotlighted today as part of the In Pursuit project, a 250th-anniversary series featuring essays by historians and authors.
The In Pursuit project has released essays on 43 presidents and 30 first ladies, aiming to teach lessons from U.S. history. Contributors include Obama and Clinton. Colleen Shogan curates the series, which is designed to transcend current politics, but is viewed against today’s power dynamics.