James Buchanan

**James Buchanan Jr.** (April 23, 1791 – June 1, 1868) was an American politician who served as the 15th president of the United States.

Buchanan was the only president not to have married. His niece, Harriet Lane, stood in as First Lady. An experienced politician, he became president in 1857. His support of slavery and his actions before the American Civil War broke out have been criticized by scholars.

In 1860, Buchanan announced that he would not be taking part in the 1860 election. Abraham Lincoln would go on to win that election and succeed Buchanan.

Historians rank Buchanan as one of the worst presidents in American history.

## Early life

James Buchanan was born on April 23, 1791 in Cove Gap, Pennsylvania, into a rich merchant family. He had four sisters and three brothers. He studied at the Old Stone Academy in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, before he entered Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 1807. There, he studied law and was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar Association in 1812.

Buchanan was engaged to Anne C. Coleman, but she died early, and he never had children. He is the only U.S. president who was never married.

Buchanan served in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to represent Pennsylvania, as well as the Minister to Russia, under President Andrew Jackson.

## Presidency

During the beginning of his presidency, Buchanan called slavery an issue of "little importance." That was clearly not the case at the time since Northerners and Southerners were very divided on slavery, almost to the point of war.

The U.S. Supreme Court declared that African Americans were not American citizens and that all U.S. territories were required to allow slavery. Buchanan supported the decision because he did not want the South to leave the United States.

Buchanan wanted Kansas to adopt a constitution that allowed slavery. That issue divided his Democratic Party, and after the 1858 election, many voters in the North were angry with the Supreme Court decision, and there were were now Republicans in Congress than Democrats. He did not get along with the Republicans since they opposed slavery in U.S. territories.

In 1858, Buchanan received the first telegram message sent by the transatlantic telegraph cable. It was a congratulatory message from Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

Buchanan ordered troops to fight against Utah because he heard that information that it was planning a revolt. Buchanan later realized that it was untrue and apologized for the mistake.

During his term, the country became more and more divided over the slavery issue. A few months before his term ended, some stats in the Southern decided that they would no longer be part of the United States.

Buchanan believed that it was a bad thing, but he did nothing about it because he felt that using force against the South was against the U.S. Constitution. He did not prepare the country for war.

## Legacy

At the end of his term, he left the next president, Abraham Lincoln, to face on the greatest crises in American history, the American Civil War. Buchanan died of respiratory failure in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, at the age of 77.

Many historians argue that Buchanan was the worst president in American history because he failed to do anything significant to prevent the Civil War.

## Other websites

- Buchanan's White House biography

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: James Buchanan
- **nationality**: American
- **image**: File:James Buchanan.jpg
- **caption**: Daguerreotype
- **alt**: Photograph of an elderly James Buchanan
- **order**: 15th President of the United States
- **term start**: March 4, 1857
- **term end**: March 4, 1861
- **predecessor**: Franklin Pierce
- **successor**: Abraham Lincoln
- **birth place**: Cove Gap, Pennsylvania
- **death place**: Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- **party**: Democratic Party (United States), Democrat
- **vicepresident**: John C. Breckinridge
- **blank1**: Religion
- **data1**: Presbyterianism