James Buchanan
15th President of the United States
In office March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861
Vice President	John C. Breckinridge (1857–1861)
Preceded by	Franklin Pierce
Succeeded by	Abraham Lincoln
17th United States Secretary of State
In office March 10, 1845 – March 7, 1849
President	James K. Polk
Preceded by	John C. Calhoun
Succeeded by	John M. Clayton
United States Senator from Pennsylvania
In office December 6, 1834 – March 5, 1845
Preceded by	William Wilkins
Succeeded by	Simon Cameron
Born	April 23, 1791(1791-04-23) Mercersburg, Pennsylvania
Died	June 1, 1868 (aged 77) Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	None (Bachelor)
Alma mater	Dickinson College
Occupation	Lawyer, Diplomat
Religion	Presbyterian
Signature

James Buchanan, Jr. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16 1821 &ndash May 17 1875 was a lawyer U Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Franklin Pierce (November 23 1804 &ndash October 8 1869 was an American politician and the fourteenth President of the United States, serving from 1853 to Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal The United States Secretary of State (commonly abbreviated as SecState) is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with Foreign affairs Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 161 - Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by co-Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus Year 1849 ( MDCCCXLIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common James Knox Polk ( November 2 1795&ndashJune 15 1849 was the eleventh President of the United States, serving from March 4 1845 to March 4 1849 John Caldwell Calhoun (March 18 1782 &ndash March 31 1850 was a leading United States Southern politician and political philosopher from South Carolina during This article is about the US Secretary of State and Senator from Delaware. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Year 1834 ( MDCCCXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common William Wilkins ( December 20, 1779 &ndash June 23, 1865) was an American lawyer jurist and politician from Pittsburgh Simon Cameron ( March 8, 1799 &ndash June 26, 1889) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 1791 ( MDCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Mercersburg is a borough in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, 73 miles (117 km southwest of Harrisburg. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1868 ( MDCCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Lancaster is a city in the South Central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is the County seat of Lancaster County. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. A bachelor is a man above the Age of majority who has never been married (see single) Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother" It was used in Ancient Rome as a title for the mother Goddess, and in Medieval Dickinson College is a private residential liberal arts college in Carlisle Pennsylvania. A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law as an attorney, Counsel or Solicitor; a person Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity ^[1] (April 23, 1791 – June 1, 1868) was the fifteenth President of the United States (1857–1861). Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 1791 ( MDCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1868 ( MDCCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by To date he is the only President from Pennsylvania and the only President never to marry. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern As president he was a "doughface" who battled Stephen A. Douglas for control of the Democratic Party. Originally used to mean an actual mask made of dough doughface came to be used in a disparaging context for someone especially a politician who is pliable moldable like dough Stephen Arnold Douglas ( April 23, 1813 - June 3, 1861) was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and The History of the United States Democratic Party is an account of the oldest Political party in the United States and arguably TalkDemocratic As Southern states declared their secession in the lead-up to the American Civil War, he held that secession was illegal, but that going to war to stop it was also illegal. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Secession (derived from the Latin term secessio is the act of withdrawing from an organization union or especially a political entity Taking his own advice, he did nothing.

Early life

James Buchanan was a Representative and a Senator from Pennsylvania. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives He was born in a log cabin at Cove Gap, near Mercersburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, on April 23, 1791, to James Buchanan and Elizabeth Speer as the second of ten children, of which two did not survive past infancy. A log cabin is a small house built from logs It is a fairly simple type of Log house. Mercersburg is a borough in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, 73 miles (117 km southwest of Harrisburg. Franklin County is a County located in South Central Pennsylvania. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 1791 ( MDCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Buchanan family claims direct descent from King James I of Scotland. James I ( December 10, 1394 &ndash February 21, 1437) was nominal King of Scots from April 4, 1406, and In 1802, he moved to Mercersburg with his parents, where he was privately tutored. He later attended the village academy and graduated from Dickinson College, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Dickinson College is a private residential liberal arts college in Carlisle Pennsylvania. Carlisle is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, 18 miles (29 km west by southwest of Harrisburg, the State capital At one point, he was expelled from Dickinson for wild behavior and bad conduct, but after pleading for a second chance he graduated with honors three years later on September 7, 1809. Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Year 1809 ( MDCCCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year ^[2] Later that year he moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Lancaster is a city in the South Central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is the County seat of Lancaster County. For the next three years he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1812. He then opened a practice in Lancaster. A dedicated Federalist, he strongly opposed the War of 1812 on the grounds that it was an unnecessary conflict. The Federalist Party (or Federal Party) was an American political party in the period 1792 to 1816 with remnants lasting into the 1820s The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies Nevertheless, when the British invaded neighboring Maryland, he joined a volunteer light dragoon unit and served in the defense of Baltimore, Maryland.

A Serviceable Garment or Reverie of a Bachelor
An 1856 cartoon by Nathaniel Currier depicts Buchanan sitting in his room examining the "Cuba" patch he has sewn on his jacket. Nathaniel Currier ( 27 March 1813 - 20 November 1888) was an American lithographer, who headed the company Currier The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la As Minister to Britain, he pressed unsuccessfully for the purchase of Cuba in what is known as the Ostend Manifesto. The office of United States Ambassador (or Minister to the United Kingdom (known formally as Ambassador to the Court of St The Ostend Manifesto was a secret document written in 1854 by U

Political career

Buchanan started his political career in the Pensylvania House of Representatives from 1814–1816. He was elected to the Seventeenth and to the four succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1821 – March 4, 1831). The Seventeenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government consisting of the United States Senate and Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1831 ( MDCCCXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a He was chairman of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary (Twenty-first Congress). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary US House Committee on the Judiciary, or (more commonly the House Judiciary Committee, is a Standing committee of He was not a candidate for renomination in 1830. For the game see 1830 (board game. Year 1830 ( MDCCCXXX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display Buchanan served as one of the managers appointed by the House of Representatives in 1830 to conduct the impeachment proceedings against James H. Peck, judge of the United States District Court for the District of Missouri. Impeachment is the first of two stages in a specific process for a legislative body to forcibly remove a Government official James Hawkins Peck ( 12 January 1790 - 29 April 1836) was a son of Revolutionary Soldier Adam Peck and his wife Elizabeth Sharkey Buchanan served as ambassador to Russia from 1832 to 1834. Since 1780 the United States has maintained diplomatic relations with Russia.

With his original party of choice, the Federalists, long defunct, Buchanan was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill a vacancy and served from December 1834; he was reelected in 1837 and 1843, and resigned in 1845. The History of the United States Democratic Party is an account of the oldest Political party in the United States and arguably TalkDemocratic He was chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations (Twenty-fourth through Twenty-sixth Congresses). US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the United States Senate.

Portrait of Buchanan as a younger man.

After the death of Supreme Court Justice Henry Baldwin in 1844, Buchanan was nominated (and refused the nomination) by President Polk to serve as a Justice of the Supreme Court (the seat was filled by Robert Cooper Grier). Henry Baldwin ( January 14, 1780 - April 21, 1844) was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from Robert Cooper Grier ( March 5, 1794 - September 25, 1870) was an American Jurist who served on the Supreme Court of

Buchanan served as Secretary of State in the Cabinet of President James K. Polk from 1845 to 1849, during which time he negotiated the 1846 Oregon Treaty establishing the 49th parallel as the northern boundary in the western U. The United States Secretary of State (commonly abbreviated as SecState) is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with Foreign affairs James Knox Polk ( November 2 1795&ndashJune 15 1849 was the eleventh President of the United States, serving from March 4 1845 to March 4 1849 The Oregon Treaty, officially known as the Treaty with Great Britain in Regard to Limits Westward of the Rocky Mountains, Buchanan-Packenham 49th Parallel ( is the third film made by the British writer-director team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. S. No Secretary of State has become President since James Buchanan, although William Howard Taft, the 27th U. William Howard Taft (September 15 1857 – March 8 1930 was an American politician, the twenty-seventh President of the United States, the tenth Chief Justice S. President of the United States, often served as Acting Secretary of State during the Theodore Roosevelt administration. Theodore Roosevelt (ˈroʊzəvɛlt October 27 1858 January 6 1919 also known as T

In 1852, Buchanan was named president of the Board of Trustees of Franklin and Marshall College in his hometown of Lancaster. Franklin & Marshall College (abbreviated as " F&M " is a four-year private co-educational liberal arts college in Lancaster Pennsylvania. Lancaster is a city in the South Central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is the County seat of Lancaster County. He served in this capacity until 1866. ^[3]

He served as minister to the Court of St. James's (Britain) from 1853 to 1856, during which time he helped to draft the Ostend Manifesto, which proposed the purchase of Cuba from Spain in order to extend slavery. The office of United States Ambassador (or Minister to the United Kingdom (known formally as Ambassador to the Court of St The Ostend Manifesto was a secret document written in 1854 by U The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another The Manifesto was a major blunder for the Pierce administration, and greatly weakened support for Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States was destined to expand from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Ocean.

Hand-colored lithograph of Buchanan by Nathaniel Currier. Lithography is a method for Printing using a plate or stone with a completely smooth surface Nathaniel Currier ( 27 March 1813 - 20 November 1888) was an American lithographer, who headed the company Currier

Election of 1856

Main article: United States presidential election, 1856

The Democrats nominated Buchanan in 1856 largely because he was in England during the Kansas-Nebraska debate and thus remained untainted by either side of the issue. The United States presidential election of 1856 was unusually heated The United States presidential election of 1856 was unusually heated England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, opened new lands repealed the Missouri Compromise of He was nominated on the 17th ballot. Although he did not want to run he accepted the nomination.

Former president Millard Fillmore's "Know-Nothing" candidacy helped Buchanan defeat John C. Frémont, the first Republican candidate for president in 1856, and he served from March 4, 1857 to March 4, 1861. Millard Fillmore ( January 7 1800 &ndash March 8 1874 was the thirteenth President of the United States, serving from 1850 until 1853 and the last member of the Whig The Know Nothing movement was a Nativist American political movement of the 1850s John Charles Frémont ( January 21, 1813 July 13, 1890) was an American military officer, explorer, the The United States presidential election of 1856 was unusually heated Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

With regard to the growing schism in the country, as President-elect, he intended to sit out the crisis by maintaining a sectional balance in his appointments and persuading the people to accept constitutional law as the Supreme Court interpreted it. A President-elect is a Political candidate who has been elected President but who has not yet taken office as it is still occupied by the Outgoing The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. The court was considering the legality of restricting slavery in the territories and two justices hinted to Buchanan what the decision would be.

Presidency 1857–1861

The Dred Scott case

Inauguration of James Buchanan, March 4, 1857. Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the

In his inaugural address, besides promising not to run again, Buchanan referred to the territorial question as "happily, a matter of but little practical importance" since the Supreme Court was about to settle it "speedily and finally. An inauguration is a ceremony of formal Investiture whereby an individual assumes an office or position of authority or power " Two days later, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney (a fellow alumnus of Dickinson College) delivered the Dred Scott Decision, asserting that Congress had no constitutional power to exclude slavery in the territories. Roger Brooke Taney ( "tawny" March 17, 1777 – October 12, 1864) was the twelfth United States Attorney General Dickinson College is a private residential liberal arts college in Carlisle Pennsylvania. Dred Scott v Sandford —whether or not they were slaves—could never be Citizens of the United States, and that the United States Congress Much of Taney’s written judgment is widely interpreted as obiter dictum — statements made by a judge that are unnecessary to the outcome of the case, which in this case, while they delighted Southerners, created a furor in the North. An obiter dictum (plural obiter dicta, often referred to simply as dicta) Latin for a statement "said by the way" is a Buchanan was widely believed to have been personally involved in the outcome of the case, with many Northerners recalling Taney whispering to Buchanan during Buchanan's inauguration. Buchanan wished to see the territorial question resolved by the Supreme Court. To further this, Buchanan personally lobbied his fellow Pennsylvanian Justice Robert Cooper Grier to vote with the majority in that case to uphold the right of owning slave property. Robert Cooper Grier ( March 5, 1794 - September 25, 1870) was an American Jurist who served on the Supreme Court of Abraham Lincoln denounced him as an accomplice of the Slave Power, which Lincoln saw as a conspiracy of slave owners to seize control of the federal government and nationalize slavery. Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal The Slave Power (sometimes referred to as the " Slaveocracy " was a term used in the Northern United States (primarily in the period 1840-1875 to characterize

Bleeding Kansas

Buchanan, however, faced further trouble on the territorial question. Buchanan threw the full prestige of his administration behind congressional approval of the Lecompton Constitution in Kansas, which would have admitted Kansas as a slave state, going so far as to offer patronage appointments and even cash bribes in exchange for votes. The Lecompton Constitution was the second of four proposed Constitutions for the state of Kansas (it was preceded by the Topeka Constitution and followed Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " The Lecompton government was unpopular to Northerners, as it was dominated by slaveholders who had enacted laws curtailing the rights of non-slaveholders. Even though the voters in Kansas had rejected the Lecompton Constitution, Buchanan managed to pass his bill through the House, but it was blocked in the Senate by Northerners led by Stephen A. Douglas. Stephen Arnold Douglas ( April 23, 1813 - June 3, 1861) was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and Eventually, Congress voted to call a new vote on the Lecompton Constitution, a move which infuriated Southerners. Buchanan and Douglas engaged in an all-out struggle for control of the party in 1859–60, with Buchanan using his patronage powers and Douglas rallying the grass roots; Buchanan lost control of the greatly weakened party.

Views on slavery

Buchanan personally favored the rights of slave owners and he sympathized with the slave-expansionists who coveted Cuba. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Buchanan despised both abolitionists and free-soil Republicans, lumping the two together. Seeing no injustice in the slave system, and no problem with slaveowner control of the government, he fought the opponents of the Slave Power. The Slave Power (sometimes referred to as the " Slaveocracy " was a term used in the Northern United States (primarily in the period 1840-1875 to characterize In his third annual message Buchanan claimed that the slaves were "treated with kindness and humanity. . . Both the philanthropy and the self-interest of the master have combined to produce this humane result. " Shortly after his election, he assured a southern Senator that the "great object" of his administration would be "to arrest, if possible, the agitation of the Slavery question at the North and to destroy sectional parties. Should a kind Providence enable me to succeed in my efforts to restore harmony to the Union, I shall feel that I have not lived in vain. " As historian Kenneth Stampp concludes, "Buchanan was the consummate 'doughface', a northern man with southern principles. Originally used to mean an actual mask made of dough doughface came to be used in a disparaging context for someone especially a politician who is pliable moldable like dough "^[4]

Financial Panic

President Buchanan and his Cabinet
From left to right: Jacob Thompson, Lewis Cass, John B. Floyd, James Buchanan, Howell Cobb, Isaac Toucey, Joseph Holt and Jeremiah S. Black, (c. Jacob Thompson ( May 15, 1810 &ndash March 24, 1885) was a Lawyer and Politician who served as United States Lewis Cass ( October 9, 1782 – June 17, 1866) was an American military officer and Politician. John Buchanan Floyd ( June 1, 1806 August 26, 1863) was a Virginia politician (legislator and governor U (Thomas Howell Cobb ( September 7, 1815 – October 9, 1868) was an American political figure Isaac Toucey ( November 15, 1792 July 30, 1869) was an American statesman who served as a U General Joseph Holt ( January 6, 1807 &ndash August 1, 1894) was a leading member of the Buchanan administration and was Jeremiah Sullivan Black ( January 10, 1810 &ndash August 19, 1883) was an American statesman and lawyer 1859)

Economic troubles also plagued Buchanan's administration with the outbreak of the Panic of 1857. Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Panic of 1857 was a sudden downturn in the economy of the United States that occurred in 1857 The government suddenly faced a shortfall of revenue, partly because of the Democrats' successful push to lower the tariff. For other uses of this word see Tariff (disambiguation. A tariff is a tax imposed on goods when they are moved across a political boundary Buchanan's administration, at the behest of Treasury Secretary Howell Cobb, began issuing deficit financing for the government, a move which flew in the face of two decades of Democratic support for hard-money policies and allowed Republicans to attack Buchanan for financial mismanagement. (Thomas Howell Cobb ( September 7, 1815 – October 9, 1868) was an American political figure

Utah War

Main article: Utah War

In March of 1857, Buchanan received inflated reports that Governor Brigham Young of the Mormon-dominated Utah Territory was planning revolt. The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition or Buchanan's Blunder, was an armed dispute between Latter-day Saint (" Mormon " Brigham Young (June 1 1801 &ndash August 29 1877 was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. TalkMormon#Latter Day Saint vs Latter-day Saint --> Mormon In November of that year, Buchanan sent the Army to replace Young as Governor with the non-Mormon Alfred Cumming without either confirming the reports or notifying Young of his replacement. Alfred Cumming is the name of Alfred Cumming (governor (1802–1873 Governor of the U Years of anti-Mormon rhetoric in Washington combined with denouncements and lurid descriptions of both the Mormon practice of polygamy and the intentions of the President and the Army in eastern newspapers led the Mormons to expect the worst. Governor Young called up a militia of several thousand men to defend the territory and sent a small band to harass and delay the Army from entering the Territory. However, the early onset of winter forced the Army to camp in present-day Wyoming, allowing for negotiations between the Territory and the federal government. The State of Wyoming ( is a sparsely populated state in the western region of the United States. Poor planning, inadequate supplies for the Army, and the failure of the President to verify the reports of rebellion and to notify the territorial government of his intentions to replace Young led to widespread condemnation of Buchanan from Congress and the press, who labeled the war as "Buchanan's Blunder. " When Young agreed to be replaced by Cumming and to allow the Army to enter the Utah Territory and establish a base, Buchanan attempted to save face by issuing proclamations detailing his merciful pardoning of the "rebels", which were poorly received by both Congress and the inhabitants of Utah. The troops, however, would soon be recalled to the East when a far greater national crisis erupted.

1860–1861: The nation disintegrates

When Republicans lost a plurality in the House in 1856, every significant bill they passed fell before southern votes in the Senate or a Presidential veto. Year 1856 ( MDCCCLVI) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year A veto, Latin for "I forbid" is used to Denote that a certain party has the right to stop unilaterally a certain piece of Legislation. The Federal Government reached a stalemate. Bitter hostility between Republicans and Southern Democrats prevailed on the floor of Congress.

To make matters worse, Buchanan was dogged by the partisan Covode committee, which was investigating the administration for evidence of impeachable offenses. During the spring and summer of 1860 the Republican 36th Congress through a select committee chaired by John Covode of Pennsylvania investigated the possible impeachment

John C. Breckinridge, Vice President of the United States under Buchanan. John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16 1821 &ndash May 17 1875 was a lawyer U The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death

Sectional strife rose to such a pitch in 1860 that the Democratic Party split. Buchanan played little part as the national convention meeting in Charleston deadlocked. The southern wing walked out of the Charleston convention and nominated its own candidate for the presidency, incumbent Vice President John C. Breckinridge, whom Buchanan refused to support. John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16 1821 &ndash May 17 1875 was a lawyer U The remainder of the party finally nominated Buchanan's archenemy, Douglas. Consequently, when the Republicans nominated Abraham Lincoln, it was a foregone conclusion that he would be elected even though his name appeared on no southern ballot. Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal Buchanan watched silently as South Carolina seceded on December 20, followed by six other cotton states, and by February, they formed the Confederate States of America. The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 Eight slave states refused to join.

In Buchanan's Message to Congress (December 3, 1860), he denied the legal right of states to secede but held that the Federal Government legally could not prevent them. Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Year 1860 ( MDCCLX) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year starting He hoped for compromise, but secessionist leaders did not want it.

Editorial cartoon in Republican newspapers, 1861. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

Beginning in late December, Buchanan reorganized his cabinet, ousting Confederate sympathizers and replacing them with hard-line nationalists Jeremiah S. Black, Edwin M. Stanton, Joseph Holt and John A. Dix. Jeremiah Sullivan Black ( January 10, 1810 &ndash August 19, 1883) was an American statesman and lawyer Edwin McMasters Stanton ( December 19, 1814 &ndash December 24, 1869) was an American lawyer politician United States General Joseph Holt ( January 6, 1807 &ndash August 1, 1894) was a leading member of the Buchanan administration and was John Adams Dix ( July 24, 1798 April 21, 1879) was an American Politician from New York. These conservative Democrats strongly believed in American nationalism and refused to countenance secession. At one point, Treasury Secretary Dix ordered Treasury agents in New Orleans, "If any man pulls down the American flag, shoot him on the spot".

Before Buchanan left office, seven slave states seceded, the Confederacy was formed, all arsenals and forts in the seceded states were lost (except Fort Sumter and two remote ones), and a fourth of all federal soldiers surrendered to Texas troops. A slave state was a US state in which Slavery of African Americans was legal Fort Sumter, a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston harbor South Carolina, was named after General Thomas Sumter Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The government decided to hold on to Fort Sumter, which was located in Charleston harbor, the most visible spot in the Confederacy. Charleston is a city in Charleston county in the US state of South Carolina. On January 5, Buchanan sent a civilian steamer Star of the West to carry reinforcements and supplies to Fort Sumter. Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France. The Star of the West was a Civilian Ship hired by the United States government to transport military supplies and reinforcements to the garrison of Fort Sumter, a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston harbor South Carolina, was named after General Thomas Sumter On January 9, 1861, South Carolina state batteries opened fire on the Star of the West, which returned to New York. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Paralyzed, Buchanan made no further moves to prepare for war.

On Buchanan's final day as president, he remarked to the incoming Abraham Lincoln, "If you are as happy in entering the White House as I shall feel on returning to Wheatland you are a happy man. Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal "^[5]

Supreme Court appointments

Buchanan appointed the following Justice to the Supreme Court of the United States:

• Nathan Clifford – 1858

States admitted to the Union

• Minnesota – May 11, 1858
• Oregon – February 14, 1859
• Kansas – January 29, 1861

William Rufus DeVane King, thirteenth Vice President of the United States. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. Nathan Clifford ( August 18, 1803 &ndash July 25, 1881) was an American statesman diplomat and jurist Year 1858 ( MDCCCLVIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Minnesota ( Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople Year 1858 ( MDCCCLVIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common William Rufus deVane King (April 7 1786 &ndash April 18 1853 was a U The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death A friend of James Buchanan with whom he shared his home.

Personal relationships

In 1819 Buchanan was engaged to Ann Caroline Coleman, the daughter of a wealthy iron manufacturing businessman and sister-in-law of Philadelphia judge Joseph Hemphill, a colleague of Buchanan's from the House of Representatives. Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Joseph Hemphill ( January 10, 1770 - May 29, 1842) was a member of the U However, Buchanan spent little time with her during the courtship; Buchanan was extremely busy with his law firm and political projects at the time, taking him away from Coleman for weeks at a time. Conflicting rumors abounded, suggesting that he was marrying for her money as he came from a less affluent family, or that he was involved with other women. Buchanan, for his part, never publicly spoke of his motives or feelings, however, letters from Ann revealed she was paying heed to the rumors, and after Buchanan paid a visit to the wife of a friend, Ann broke off the engagement. Ann soon after died; the records of Dr. Chapman, who looked after Ann in her final hours, and who said just after her passing that this was "the first instance he ever knew of hysteria producing death," reveal that he theorized the woman's demise was caused by an overdose of laudanum. Laudanum (ˈlȯd-nəm or ˈlȯ-də-nəm also known as Opium Tincture or Tincture of Opium, is an Alcoholic herbal preparation ^[6] His fiancée's death struck Buchanan. In a letter to her father — which was returned to him unopened — Buchanan said "It is now no time for explanation, but the time will come when you will discover that she, as well as I, have been much abused. God forgive the authors of it. . . I may sustain the shock of her death, but I feel that happiness has fled from me forever. "^[6] The Coleman family became bitter towards Buchanan, and denied him a place at Ann's funeral. ^[7] Buchanan vowed he would never marry, though he continued to be flirtatious, and some pressed him to seek a wife. In response he said "Marry he could not, for his affections were buried in the grave. " He preserved Ann Coleman's letters, kept them with him throughout his life, and requested they be burned upon his death. ^[6]

For fifteen years in Washington, D.C., prior to his presidency, Buchanan lived with his close friend, Alabama Senator William Rufus King^[8]. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D William Rufus deVane King (April 7 1786 &ndash April 18 1853 was a U King became Vice President under Franklin Pierce. __FORCETOC__ For the Vice President of the United States, their roles and other information see Vice President of the United States. Franklin Pierce (November 23 1804 &ndash October 8 1869 was an American politician and the fourteenth President of the United States, serving from 1853 to He took ill and died shortly after Pierce's inauguration, and four years before Buchanan became President. Buchanan and King's close relation prompted Andrew Jackson to refer to King as "Miss Nancy" and "Aunt Fancy," while Aaron V. Brown spoke of the two as "Buchanan and his wife. Andrew Jackson (March 15 1767 June 8 1845 was the seventh President of the United States (1829&ndash1837 Aaron Venable Brown ( August 15, 1795 March 8, 1859) was a Governor of Tennessee and Postmaster General in the Buchanan "^[9][10] Further, some of the contemporary press also speculated about Buchanan and King's relationship. Buchanan and King's nieces destroyed their uncles' correspondence, leaving some questions as to what relationship the two men had, but the length and intimacy of surviving letters illustrate "the affection of a special friendship",^[9] and Buchanan wrote of his "communion" with his housemate^[11]. Such expression, however, was not necessarily unusual amongst men at the time. Circumstances surrounding Buchanan and King's close emotional ties have led to speculation that he was America's first homosexual president. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. ^[9]

The only President never to marry, Buchanan turned to Harriet Lane, an orphaned niece whom he had earlier adopted, to act as his First Lady. Harriet Rebecca Lane Johnston ( May 9, 1830 &ndash July 3, 1903) niece of lifelong bachelor James Buchanan, acted as First Lady "I feel that it is not good for man to be alone", he wrote, "and [I] should not be astonished to find myself married to some old maid who can nurse me when I am sick, provide good dinners for me when I am well, and not expect from me any very ardent or romantic affection. "^[12][13]

Post-presidency, death, and legacy

In 1866 Buchanan published Mr Buchanan's Administration on the Eve of the Rebellion — the first presidential memoir. He died June 1, 1868, at the age of 78 at his home at Wheatland. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1868 ( MDCCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Wheatland is the historic estate in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, of James Buchanan, 15th President of the United States. He was interred in Woodward Hill Cemetery, in Lancaster. On the day before his death, he predicted that "history will vindicate my memory. " Nevertheless, historians continue to emphasize his failure to deal with secession. The policy of appeasement practiced by Buchanan and his predecessor, Franklin Pierce, toward the pro-slavery lobby is often criticized. There is no evidence, however, that Pierce and Buchanan taking a harder line against slavery would have done anything but provoke the Southern states to secede a few years earlier than they eventually did. Whether America's slide toward secession during his administration was Buchanan's fault, or whether it was simply his bad luck to have presided over it, remains a matter for debate.

A bronze and granite memorial residing near the Southeast corner of Washington, D. C. 's Meridian Hill Park was designed by architect William Gorden Beecher and sculpted by Maryland artist Hans Schuler. Meridian Hill Park, also known unofficially as Malcolm X Park, is located in the Washington D Hans K Schuler ( May 25, 1874 - March 30, 1951) was a German-born American Sculptor and monument maker Commissioned in 1916, but not approved by the U.S. Congress until 1918, and not completed and unveiled until June 26, 1930, the memorial features a statue of Buchanan bookended by male and female classical figures representing law and diplomacy, with the engraved text reading: "The incorruptible statesman whose walk was upon the mountain ranges of the law," a quote from a member of Buchanan's cabinet, Jeremiah S. Black. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Jeremiah Sullivan Black ( January 10, 1810 &ndash August 19, 1883) was an American statesman and lawyer The memorial in the nation's capital complemented an earlier monument, constructed in 1907–08 and dedicated in 1911, on the site of Buchanan's birthplace in StonyBatter, Pennsylvania. Buchanan's Birthplace State Park is a Pennsylvania State Park near Cove Gap, in Peters Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania in Part of an 18. 5-acre memorial site, the monument is a 250-ton pyramid structure designed to show the original weathered surface of the native rubble and mortar.

An active Freemason during his lifetime, he was Master of Masonic Lodge #43 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and a District Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. The Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania and Masonic Jurisdiction Thereunto Belonging is the premier masonic

Three counties are named in his honor: Buchanan County in Iowa, Missouri, and Virginia. The State of Iowa ( is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state

Historians in 2006 voted his failure to deal with secession the worst presidential mistake ever made. ^[14] James Buchanan's average historical ranking by scholars considering presidential achievements, leadership qualities, failures and faults (such as corruption), place him as the second worst president in U. In Political science, historical rankings of United States Presidents are surveys conducted in order to construct rankings of the success of individuals who have served S. history.

Bibliography

• Baker, Jean H. James Buchanan. Henry Holt, 2004. 192 pp.
• Binder, Frederick Moore. "James Buchanan: Jacksonian Expansionist" Historian 1992 55(1): 69–84. Issn: 0018-2370 Fulltext: in Ebsco
• Binder, Frederick Moore. James Buchanan and the American Empire. Susquehanna U. Press, 1994. 318 pp.
• Birkner, Michael J. , ed. James Buchanan and the Political Crisis of the 1850s. Susquehanna U. Press, 1996. 215 pp.
• Meerse, David E. "Buchanan, the Patronage, and the Lecompton Constitution: a Case Study" Civil War History 1995 41(4): 291–312. Issn: 0009-8078
• Nevins, Allan. Allan Nevins ( May 20, 1890 - March 5, 1971) was an American historian and journalist The Emergence of Lincoln 2 vols. (1960) highly detailed narrative of his presidency
• Nichols, Roy Franklin; The Democratic Machine, 1850–1854 (1923), detailed narrative; online
• Potter, David Morris. The Impending Crisis, 1848–1861 (1976). ISBN 0-06-013403-8 Pulitzer prize.
• Rhodes, James Ford History of the United States from the Compromise of 1850 to the McKinley-Bryan Campaign of 1896 Volume: 2. (1892)
• Smith, Elbert B. The Presidency of James Buchanan (1975). ISBN 0-7006-0132-5, standard history of his administration
• Stampp, Kenneth M. America in 1857: A Nation on the Brink (1990). ISBN 0-19-503902-5 online version
• Updike, John Buchanan Dying (1974). John Hoyer Updike (born March 18 1932 in Reading, Pennsylvania) is an American Novelist, Poet, Short story ISBN 0-8117-0238-3

Primary sources

• Buchanan, James. Mr Buchanan's Administration on the Eve of the Rebellion (1866)

References

External links

• James Buchanan at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Extensive essay on James Buchanan and shorter essays on each member of his cabinet and First Lady from the Miller Center of Public Affairs
• Inaugural Address
• The Other Buchanan Controversy
• First State of the Union Address of James Buchanan
• Second State of the Union Address of James Buchanan
• Third State of the Union Address of James Buchanan
• Fourth State of the Union Address of James Buchanan
• University of Virginia article: Buchanan biography
• White House Biography
• Wheatland
• Mr. Buchanans Administration on the Eve of the Rebellion. President Buchanans memoirs.
• James Buchanan at tulane.edu
• Works by James Buchanan at Project Gutenberg