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The 14th President of the United States, Franklin Pierce, stepped into office and began his rather controversial presidency. During Pierce's 4-year term, his administration passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which ultimately reopened the possibility of slavery in West and sparked a series of events that lead to the ear of pro-slavery violence known as Bleeding Kansas. Pierce also emerged as a strong advocate of American expansionist policies and in a secret document known as the Otsend Manifesto, Pierce attempted to acquire Cuba from Spain for $120 million US dollars. Further, if Spain didn't cooperate, the Manifesto suggested that the U.S. seize Cuba by force.