Bachelor President - Was James Buchanan Gay By Tom Murse Updated March 09, 2016. There has never been an openly gay president of the United States, but some historians have argued the first and only bachelor president , James Buchanan, may have had feelings for a member of the same sex. The nation's 15th president is the nation's only bachelor president. A lifelong bachelor, Buchanan had a very close relationship with William Rufus De Vane King, a diplomat who served as U.S. senator and the nation's 13th vice president. King was the only vice president to never have been married. Buchanan and King, in fact, lived together for more than two decades, although that was a relatively common practice in the 1800s. Buchanan the Bachelor President Historians who believe Buchanan and King were intimate often cite their contemporaries in Washington, who reportedly described King as being effeminate and called him "Miss Nancy" and Buchanan's "better half." They also cite letters written by Buchanan about the man described as his soulmate.

After King left the United States to become the minister to France, Buchanan wrote to a friend: "I am now solitary and alone, having no companion in the house with me. I have gone a wooing to several gentlemen, but have not succeeded with any one of them. I feel that it is not good for man to be alone; and 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." Also, King showed his own affection for Buchanan at his departure by writing to him: "I am selfish enough to hope you will not be able to procure an associate who will cause you to feel no regret at our separation." Historians Claim Buchanan Was Gay James Loewen, a prominent American sociologist and historian, has been the most outspoken academic who claims Buchanan was the first gay president. "There can be no doubt that James Buchanan was gay, before, during, and after his four years in the White House," Loewen wrote in a 2012 essay. "Moreover, the nation knew it, too - he was not far into the closet.

Today, I know no historian who has studied the matter and thinks Buchanan was heterosexual." Loewen has argued that Buchanan's homosexuality is not often discussed in modern times because Americans do not want to believe society was more tolerant of gay relationships in the 19th Century than they are now. Loewen does not explain, however, how or why a gay Buchanan had been engaged to a woman long before he became president. The woman, Ann Coleman, died and the two never wed. Bachelor Presidential Candidate in 2016 The closest the nation has come to having a bachelor president after Buchanan was in the 2016 election , when Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina sought the party's presidential nomination. Graham's candidacy was shortlived, however. Had he been elected, however, he said he'd have a "rotating first lady." "Well, I've got a sister, she could play that role if necessary," Graham also joked. Barack Obama as First Gay President President Barack Obama has been described as being the first gay president, a symbolic label first used in a May 2012 Newsweek magazine headline.

The Democrat earned the label during his first term for his vocal support of gay marriage in May 2012 , making him the the first president in U.S. history to take such a position. Obama is married to Michelle Obama , and the couple has two daughters. Newsweek Cover Newsweek's editor, Tina Brown , explained the term and picture of Obama with a rainbow halo superimposed over his head this way: "If President Clinton was the ‘first black president’ then Obama earns every stripe in that ‘gaylo’ with last week’s gay marriage proclamation ," Brown told the online news site Politico. "Newsweek’s cover pays tribute to his newly ordained place in history." Andrew Sullivan, who wrote the Newsweek story, pointed out that the claim was not meant to be taken literally. "It's obviously a play on Clinton being the first black president. I am aware that James Buchanan (and maybe Abraham Lincoln ) have been in the Oval Office before," Sullivan wrote. James Buchanan | whitehouse.gov Air Force One James Buchanan James Buchanan, the 15th President of the United States (1857-1861), served immediately prior to the American Civil War.

He remains the only President to be elected from Pennsylvania and to remain a lifelong bachelor. Tall, stately, stiffly formal in the high stock he wore around his jowls, James Buchanan was the only President who never married. Presiding over a rapidly dividing Nation, Buchanan grasped inadequately the political realities of the time. Relying on constitutional doctrines to close the widening rift over slavery, he failed to understand that the North would not accept constitutional arguments which favored the South. Nor could he realize how sectionalism had realigned political parties: the Democrats split; the Whigs were destroyed, giving rise to the Republicans. Born into a well-to-do Pennsylvania family in 1791, Buchanan, a graduate of Dickinson College, was gifted as a debater and learned in the law. He was elected five times to the House of Representatives; then, after an interlude as Minister to Russia, served for a decade in the Senate. He became Polk's Secretary of State and Pierce's Minister to Great Britain. Service abroad helped to bring him the Democratic nomination in 1856 because it had exempted him from involvement in bitter domestic controversies.

As President-elect, Buchanan thought the crisis would disappear if he maintained a sectional balance in his appointments and could persuade the people to accept constitutional law as the Supreme Court interpreted it. The Court was considering the legality of restricting slavery in the territories, and two justices hinted to Buchanan what the decision would be. Thus, in his Inaugural the President 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." Two days later Chief Justice Roger B. Taney delivered the Dred Scott decision, asserting that Congress had no constitutional power to deprive persons of their property rights in slaves in the territories. Southerners were delighted, but the decision created a furor in the North. Buchanan decided to end the troubles in Kansas by urging the admission of the territory as a slave state. Although he directed his Presidential authority to this goal, he further angered the Republicans and alienated members of his own party. Kansas remained a territory. When Republicans won a plurality in the House in 1858, every significant bill they passed fell before southern votes in the Senate or a Presidential veto. The Federal Government reached a stalemate.

Sectional strife rose to such a pitch in 1860 that the Democratic Party split into northern and southern wings, each nominating its own candidate for the Presidency. 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. Rather than accept a Republican administration, the southern "fire-eaters" advocated secession. President Buchanan, dismayed and hesitant, denied the legal right of states to secede but held that the Federal Government legally could not prevent them. He hoped for compromise, but secessionist leaders did not want compromise. Then Buchanan took a more militant tack. As several Cabinet members resigned, he appointed northerners, and sent the Star of the West to carry reinforcements to Fort Sumter. On January 9, 1861, the vessel was far away. Buchanan reverted to a policy of inactivity that continued until he left office. In March 1861 he retired to his Pennsylvania home Wheatland--where he died seven years later--leaving his successor to resolve the frightful issue facing the Nation.

The Presidential biographies on WhiteHouse.gov are from “The Presidents of the United States of America,” by Frank Freidel and Hugh Sidey. Copyright 2006 by the White House Historical Association. Learn more about James Buchanan 's niece who served as First Lady, Harriet Lane . President James Buchanan Buchanan served in the War of 1812. James Buchanan., Library of Congress. James Buchanan was the first to have his inauguration photographed. In 1848 Buchanan bout Wheatland, a country estate located on the outskirts of Lancaster. PA. He was later called "Sage of Heartland" mush like Henry Clay was called the "Sage of Ashland. Buchanan enjoyed living there. He often had guest and parties. At the parties he would sometimes serve "Old J. B. Whiskey." His guest thought it was named after James Buchanan (B. J.) but it wasn't. In 1855, when he ran for President he didn't give any speeches during the campaign. (Presidential Candidates didn't start traveling and campaigning until after the Civil War.) He did send out numerous letters to people. At his inauguration he wore a black suit made of French cloth.

It was somewhat plain on the outside. However, on the inside it had a design of 21 stars representing the 31 one states at that time. He also wore a satin flowered vest. There was a delay the parade to the Congressional building. They realized that the out going president, President Pierce the planning committee had forgotten him. The had to go back and get him. He said the object of his administration was to stop the agitation of slavery by the north. James Buchanan knew a lot about being president. He had had contact with every president from James Monroe to Franklin Pierce. He had served as a congress man, senator, cabinet officer, ambassador, and party leader before becoming president. He has been ranked as the least effective president on several list created by historians. President Buchanan only served one term. When the Prince of Wales visited the White House, he brought so many people with him that Buchanan had to sleep in the hall. James Buchanan suffered from an eye disorder that caused him to cock his head to the left and close an eye. He liked to give sauerkraut and mashed potato parties.

Buchanan got on the nerves of some of the cabinet members so they set up a tour of the the South to get him out of town. John Browns raid took place on October 17, 1859. ( More information on the raid. ) This furthered the split between the pro and anti slavery states. In 1860, Buchanan vetoed the Homestead Act. It would have put land west on sale for 25 cents per acre. This upset the western states who wanted to expand the United States and this would bring more "free" states into the Union. The South was against the bill and the north for it. Some believe that this veto was the reason that Lincoln was elected in 1861, Queen Victoria sent greetings to Buchanan over the first Atlantic cable. It was a first message sent on the cable and a first cable to a U.S. President and Queen Victoria. Americans were singing a new tune called Jingle Bells during his tenure. President Buchanan owned one of the biggest dogs ever to live in the White House. He had a Newfoundland named Lara. He was also sent a herd of elephants which he gave to the zoo. There were rumors that Buchanan supported the secessionists.

Some people called him a traitor. This was not true. 1861 Buchanan sent a message to Congees blaming the blame for the Southern States wanting to withdraw from the union on the antislavery agitators. Southern Senators wanted Buchanan to promise he would withdraw the troops from Fort Sumter of pledge to not send any aid to the fort. Buchanan did not agree to it. When President Buchanan left the White House he left a note for his successor, Abe Lincoln. "My dear sir, if you are as happy on entering the White House as I on leaving, you are a happy man indeed." (Some say he said it to Lincoln.) He and Lincoln drove together to Lincoln's inauguration at the capitol. James Buchanan died on June 1, 1868 at approximately 8:30 a.m. in Lancaster, Penn. He was 77 years and 39 days old. It was estimated that over 20,00 people attended his funeral.

Quotes from James Buchanan: Buchanan did not like being Secretary of State when he left the job he said: “I would for any consideration return to the State Department.” When discussing Fort Sumter and South Carolina taking the fort, Buchanan stated: "The Union must and shall be preserved by all Constitutional means.? "The ballot box is the surest arbiter of disputes among freemen." Fourth Message to Congress, Dec. 3, 1860 Henry Clay once said about then Senator Buchanan who use to write letters rather than debate: "Oh damn him, he deserves it. He writes letters." This is a quote about James Buchanan made by a friend of his, Ben Parley Poore "Never did a wily politician more industriously plot and plan to secure a nomination than Mr. Buchanan did, in his still hunt for the Presidency." "By God sir, I made James Buchanan, and by God I will unmake him!" Stephen Douglas, 1857 was used as one of the resources for this page. (You can read reviews of this book by clicking on the image or title. Which President Never Married?

No one know for sure why Buchanan never married; however, there are possible causes including: Buchanan's flirtatious nature A homosexual orientation Buchanan's Flirtatious Nature Some claim that Buchanan was a flirt and like the company of different women, making it difficult for him to maintain a steady relationship. Buchanan's Broken Heart Another possible cause for his decision to remain a bachelor could have been a broken heart. It was said that Buchanan was engaged to Ann Caroline Coleman who was the daughter of a well to do iron businessman. Although he was engaged to this young women, he rarely spent time with her because he was too busy with his political aspirations and law firm to court Miss Coleman properly. There were speculations that Buchanan only proposed to Coleman because of her prestigious background and was courting other women while engaged to her. When Coleman became aware through others that he may only be interested in her for status and money and his possible infidelity she confronted him, but he denied it. Coleman broke off the engagement after discovering that Buchanan visited the wife of a friend. Later Coleman would die of an overdose of the substance laudanum .

Upon hearing the news, Buchanan was said to be grief stricken and vowed never to marry because he only wanted to be with Coleman and no other woman would do. Buchanan's Homosexual Orientation There is speculation that President James Buchanan was homosexual , and this is the reason that he never married. Prior to his presidency Buchanan lived for 15 years with William Rufus King the Senator of Alabama. The closeness of the relationship was regarded as unusual during those times and Andrew Jackson even referred to the two as “Miss Nancy” and “Aunt Fancy.” The nieces of Buchanan and King burned all the letters that the two wrote each other, causing further speculation about Buchanan’s sexuality. Because Buchanan was single and chose not to marry, he had an adopted orphaned niece act as First Lady. Background on the Unmarried President There are several interesting facts about James Buchanan besides his martial status. He is the only President from the state of Pennsylvania. Buchanan is consistently rated as one of the worst presidents in American history because of his handling of the country prior to the beginning of the Civil War . Buchanan is known for having a say in the very infamous Dred Scott Decision .

This decision basically stated that Dred Scott, a black slave, was his master's propoerty and was not a citizen of the United States. This decision was a controversial ruling which was rendered shortly before the Civil War. Because President Buchanan wanted the Supreme Court to make the final decision about the issue of slavery in the states, many people felt he used the Supreme Court to indirectly achieve the his goal of maintaining slave owners rights. There were many people that were not particularly pleased with Buchanan as a president. In fact, the displeasure with the way in which he led the United States became such an issue that Buchanan had problems getting anything passed through Congress. It has even been noted that Buchanan vetoed a bill passed by Congress to create more colleges because he personally felt that, “there were already too many educated people.” Our real first gay president - Salon.com Monday, May 14, 2012 6:09 PM UTC Our real first gay president Don't believe what Newsweek's cover tells you: The first gay president was James Buchanan more than a century ago This piece originally appeared on History News Network .

The new issue of Newsweek features a cover photo of President Obama topped by a rainbow-colored halo and captioned “The First Gay President.” The halo and caption strike me as cheap sensationalism. I realize airport travelers look at a magazine for 2.2 seconds before moving on to the next one. I grant that this cover will probably get Newsweek a 4.4 second glance. I also understand that Newsweek is desperate for sales. Nevertheless, I doubt that the Newsweek of old, before it was sold for a dollar, would have pandered as shallowly. The caption is a superficial way to characterize an important development of thought that the president — along with the country — has been making over recent years. It is also entirely wrong. Like the mini-furor a couple of months back about the claim that Richard Nixon was our first gay president , the story simply ignores that the U.S. already had a gay president more than a century ago. There can be no doubt that James Buchanan was gay, before, during and after his four years in the White House. Moreover, the nation knew it, too — he was not far into the closet. Today, I know no historian who has studied the matter and thinks Buchanan was heterosexual.

Fifteen years ago, historian John Howard, author of “ Men Like That ,” a pioneering study of queer culture in Mississippi, shared with me the key documents, including Buchanan’s May 13, 1844, letter to a Mrs. Roosevelt. Describing his deteriorating social life after his great love, William Rufus King, senator from Alabama, had moved to Paris to become our ambassador to France, Buchanan wrote: I am now “solitary and alone,” having no companion in the house with me. I have gone a wooing to several gentlemen, but have not succeeded with any one of them. I feel that it is not good for man to be alone; and 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. Despite such evidence, one reason why Americans find it hard to believe Buchanan could have been gay is that we have a touching belief in progress. Our high school history textbooks’ overall story line is, “We started out great and have been getting better ever since,” more or less automatically.

Thus we must be more tolerant now than we were way back in the middle of the 19th century! Buchanan could not have been gay then, else we would not seem more tolerant now. This ideology of progress amounts to a chronological form of ethnocentrism. Thus chronological ethnocentrism is the belief that we now live in a better society, compared to past societies. Of course, ethnocentrism is the anthropological term for the attitude that our society is better than any other society now existing, and theirs are OK to the degree that they are like ours. Chronological ethnocentrism plays a helpful role for history textbook authors: it lets them sequester bad things, from racism to the robber barons, in the distant past. Unfortunately for students, it also makes history impossibly dull, because we all “know” everything turned out for the best. It also makes history irrelevant, because it separates what we might learn about, say, racism or the robber barons in the past from issues of the here and now. Unfortunately for us all, just as ethnocentrism makes us less able to learn from other societies, chronological ethnocentrism makes us less able to learn from our past.

It makes us stupider. To think even for a moment about aspects of personal presentation other than sexual orientation forces us to realize that we today are not necessarily more tolerant. Consider facial hair. In 1864, with a beard, Abraham Lincoln won reelection. Could that happen nowadays? Is it mere chance that no candidate with facial hair has won the presidency since William Howard Taft — and he wore only a mustache? Indeed, since Thomas Dewey in 1948 no major party candidate with facial hair has even run for president, and Dewey wore only the smallest of mustaches. Perhaps the presidency is too small a sample. Let’s add in the Supreme Court. Since 1930, 34 different men have served on the Supreme Court. All save Thurgood Marshall have been clean-shaven.

(Lest readers think that Marshall’s tiny mustache might topple this argument, let me point out that during most of the last 82 years, 70 percent of adult black males have had some facial hair, yet the only three African-Americans to have served on the Supreme Court or as president have had almost none.) The chance that a random sample of 33 white males would have had no facial hair is something like (.9)33 or about .03, not very likely. “Even” today, many institutions, from investment banking firms to Brigham Young University, flatly prohibit beards on white males. Brigham Young falsifies its past to make this rule seem “natural.” Its chief founder, John Maeser, usually wore a full beard and mustache. In front of the building bearing his name stands his bronze statue complete with full beard and mustache. In about 1960, however, perhaps earlier, BYU banned beards. Then in 1986, the university commissioned artist Ron Bell to paint a portrait of Maeser. Working from an old photograph, Bell did; of course, Maeser wound up bearded. So the administration asked him to remove the beard.

“They didn’t want today’s students to believe they could follow suit,” in the artist’s words. He complied. If this example seems too religious, consider the huge secular company Walt Disney Enterprises. The last time I visited Disney World, it still banned facial hair, although it quietly made exceptions for African-Americans with well-trimmed beards or mustaches. In themselves, beards may not be signs of progress, although mine has subtly improved my thinking. Nevertheless, we reached an arresting state of intolerance when the Disney organization, founded by a man with a mustache, would not allow one even on a janitor. Moreover, before we trivialize these examples by thinking they apply only to facial hair, consider that Lincoln was also our last president who was not a member of a Christian denomination when taking office. Could a non-Christian like Jefferson or Lincoln be president today? It’s not clear. All that said, President Obama’s change of heart about gay marriage remains significant. It does show increasing tolerance compared to our recent past. During the nadir of race relations, that terrible period between 1890 and about 1940 when white America went more racist in its thinking than at any other time, the U.S.

also clamped down on beards, liquor (briefly) and, yes, homosexuals. As Jackie Robinson was not the first black player in Major League Baseball, but rather the first after the nadir, so President Obama is not our “first gay” president (Forgive me: I cannot seem to retype Newsweek’s silly headline without putting quotation marks around the words), but only our “first” since the nadir. Remembering that James Buchanan was homosexual complexifies our national narrative, to be sure, but it is a complexity that we need. It prompts us to remember that terrible era, the nadir, when we all moved backward, not just the South. Not just organized baseball but also the Kentucky Derby, the NFL and even previously “black” jobs like railroad foremen got redefined “white only.” Communities across the North became sundown towns, barring African-Americans formally or informally. Even North Dakota outlawed interracial marriage. Forgetting Buchanan’s sexual orientation helps us forget all the other national secrets we have packed into that closet with him. Ultimately, it prompts us to succumb to chronological ethnocentrism.

If, however, we can rid ourselves of the fantasy that we are always getting better, then maybe we can create a nation that actually becomes more tolerant. Then we might — again — elect a real gay president. After all, just three months ago , Disney started letting white male employees grow beards. American President—Miller Center Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. “James Buchanan.” Accessed January 19, 2017. ­/president/buchanan. Consulting Editor Professor Cooper is the Boyd Professor of History at Louisiana State University. His writings include: The American South: A History (with Thomas T. Terrill, McGraw-Hill College, 3d., 2002) Jefferson Davis: American (Alfred A. Knopf, 2000) Liberty and Slavery: Southern Politics to 1860 (Alfred A.

Knopf, 1983) The South and the Politics of Slavery (Louisiana State University Press, 1978) The Conservative Regime: South Carolina, 1877–1890 (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1968) Presidents of the United States Presidents of the United States By the CNN Library Updated 5:27 PM ET, Fri May 20, 2016 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Photos: Presidents of the United States George Washington was the first President of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. He also served as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, and he has the distinction of being the only President unanimously elected by the Electoral College. Hide Caption 1 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States The second U.S. President, John Adams, served from 1797 to 1801.

He was also the first vice president of the United States, and he was the first President to reside in the White House, moving in on November 1, 1800, while the White House was still under construction. Hide Caption 2 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Thomas Jefferson, the third President (1801-1809), was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. While President, Jefferson doubled the size of the United States by purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803. Hide Caption 3 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States James Madison, the fourth President (1809-1817), was nicknamed the "Father of the Constitution." During his presidency, the first formal declaration of war was enacted -- the War of 1812 with Great Britain. Hide Caption 4 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States James Monroe (1817-1825) was the last of the Founding Fathers to be elected President. During his seventh State of the Union address, he outlined a foreign policy that warned European powers against further colonization of or meddling in the Western Hemisphere.

This was later known as the Monroe Doctrine. Hide Caption 5 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States John Quincy Adams (1825-1829) was the son of second President John Adams. He was the only President to serve in the House of Representatives after serving as President. Hide Caption 6 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) was the only President to serve in both the American Revolution and the War of 1812. He is also the only President to have been a former prisoner of war: Jackson was 13 when became a courier during the Revolutionary War, and he was later captured by the British. Hide Caption 7 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Martin Van Buren (1837-1841) was the first President to be born a U.S. citizen. Previous Presidents were born before the United States was a country, making them colonists and, consequently, citizens of Great Britain.

Hide Caption 8 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States William Henry Harrison (1841) probably had only just finished unpacking his things at the White House when he died of pneumonia one month into his term. Harrison was the first U.S. President to die while in office, and he had the shortest tenure ever of any commander-in-chief. Hide Caption 9 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States John Tyler's term (1841-1845) saw several presidential firsts. He was the first vice president to succeed office after the President died, he was the first to lose his wife while in office, and he was the first to marry while in office. Hide Caption 10 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States James K. Polk (1845-1849) oversaw the greatest expansion of territory of any President in history. The expansion included what would become the future states of Texas and California. Polk also negotiated with Britain to establish the boundaries of the Oregon Country.

Hide Caption 11 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Zachary Taylor (1849-1850), aka "Old Rough and Ready," was a hero in the Mexican-American War. Mystery surrounds his actual cause of death from a stomach ailment. Did he just eat too many cherries, or was it murder? The 1991 exhumation of his body proved it wasn't arsenic poisoning at least. Hide Caption 12 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Millard Fillmore (1850-1853) was the last President who was neither a Democrat or a Republican. He helped pass the Compromise of 1850, legislation that included the Fugitive Slave Act and California's admission to the Union as a free state. Hide Caption 13 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Franklin Pierce (1853-1857) was the first President to not get his party's nomination for re-election. He signed the controversial Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed the people there to decide whether to allow slavery. This worsened the tension between the North and South.

Hide Caption 14 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States James Buchanan (1857-1861) was the only President who never married. He failed to prevent seven pro-slavery states from seceding during his term. Hide Caption 15 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865), purveyor of tall top hats and log cabins, preserved the Union during the Civil War and freed the slaves through the Emancipation Proclamation. He was assassinated by actor John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer. Hide Caption 16 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Andrew Johnson's (1865-1869) trial by impeachment in the U.S. Senate resulted in his acquittal by a single vote. History gives him a terrible performance review: His plan for post-war Reconstruction failed, and he had little support from Congress or the public. Hide Caption 17 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Tasked with unifying the country after the Civil War, Ulysses S.

Grant (1869-1877) established the Department of Justice to protect the rights of freed slaves. He also authorized the military to fight the Ku Klux Klan and successfully lobbied for the 15th Amendment, granting voting rights to black men. Hide Caption 18 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881) promoted women's rights, signing legislation that allowed female lawyers to argue Supreme Court cases. He introduced the White House Easter Egg Roll as a spring tradition and established the first presidential library. Hide Caption 19 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Just four months into his term, James Garfield (1881) was shot by a disgruntled lawyer who'd aspired to join the administration as a diplomat. The President was taken to the Jersey Shore, where doctors hoped the ocean air would help him recover. He died two weeks later. Hide Caption 20 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Chester Arthur (1881-1885) signed a bill mandating a merit-based system for hiring public workers.

The idea was to curb patronage and politically motivated appointments. Hide Caption 21 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Grover Cleveland (1885-1889; 1893-1897) was the first and only commander-in-chief to serve two non-consecutive terms. He was also the first bachelor President to be married at the White House. Hide Caption 22 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893) signed into law the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, which authorized the government to fine large corporations for price fixing and other corrupt business practices. Hide Caption 23 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States William McKinley (1897-1901) led the country through the Spanish-American War, a three-month conflict that began with the sinking of the USS Maine and ended with Cuban independence. During the beginning of McKinley's second term, he was fatally shot by an anarchist.

Hide Caption 24 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States At 42, Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) was the youngest man to take the oath of office. A progressive reformer and environmental advocate, Roosevelt brought lawsuits against corporate trusts, taking on business giants to level the playing field for the working class. Hide Caption 25 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States William Howard Taft (1909-1913) also served as the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in his post-presidency years. During his re-election bid, he managed to win only eight of 531 electoral votes -- the poorest performance of an incumbent president seeking re-election. Hide Caption 26 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921) was awarded the 1919 Nobel Peace Prize for proposing and creating the League of Nations. But he was never able to convince the United States to join.

Although he was first opposed to a federal amendment allowing women to vote, Wilson shifted his position during his second term and the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920. Hide Caption 27 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Warren G. Harding's term (1921-1923) was cut short by his sudden death from a cerebral hemorrage. Harding captured 60% of the popular vote in 1920, marking the largest presidential landslide to date. Hide Caption 28 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) served as vice president until the death of Warren G. Harding. His 1924 campaign slogan was "Keep Cool with Coolidge," and his nickname was "Silent Cal" because of his reputation as a man of few words. Hide Caption 29 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Herbert Hoover (1929-1933) was inaugurated on the year of the stock market crash that sent the country into the Great Depression.

Although Hoover pushed for money to be appropriated for large-scale projects, he opposed federal relief payments directly to individuals. The national economy never recovered during his term, and the shantytowns that developed were nicknamed "Hoovervilles." Hide Caption 30 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) was the only President elected to the office four times. During his 12 years as President, he championed numerous social programs and measures, including the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Civilian Conservation Corps and Social Security. Roosevelt contracted polio at age 39 and never recovered the use of his legs. Hide Caption 31 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Harry S. Truman (1945-1953) served as vice president for 82 days before the unexpected death of Roosevelt. He authorized the use of two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Hide Caption 32 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Dwight D.

Eisenhower (1953-1961) had been supreme commander of the European Allied forces during World War II, and he ordered the Normandy invasion on D-Day. His popular presidential campaign slogan was "I like Ike!" Hide Caption 33 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) was the first Roman Catholic President. He was assassinated in his first term, which was marked by the signing of the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, the creation of the Peace Corps, the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion, and the beginning of military involvement in Vietnam. Hide Caption 34 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969) was vice president under John F. Kennedy and took the oath of office on a plane after Kennedy was assassinated. In 1964, Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, the landmark legislation that banned segregation and discrimination based on race and gender.

The law was a cornerstone of Johnson's vision of a "Great Society" that also included a "war on poverty." Hide Caption 35 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Richard Nixon (1969-1974) became the first President to resign from office as he faced impeachment for his involvement in the Watergate scandal. Nixon made strides in domestic policy, proposing legislation that resulted in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. Abroad, he established relations with China and a détente in Soviet relations. Hide Caption 36 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Gerald Ford (1974-1977) had been appointed vice president by Nixon after Spiro Agnew was forced to resign. He then became President when Nixon himself resigned. Remembered mainly for his pardon of Nixon and his physical clumsiness, Ford was not elected to a second term. Hide Caption 37 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) brokered the 1978 Camp David Accords, the agreement that led to a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.

At home, Carter's presidency was plagued by inflation and unemployment, and he lost his bid for a second term amid the hostage crisis in Iran. Hide Caption 38 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) was the only actor ever elected President, and his talent as a speaker earned him the moniker "the great communicator." An affable Republican who wooed many Roosevelt Democrats, the staunchly anti-communist Reagan is seen as having played a large part in the collapse of the Soviet Union. Hide Caption 39 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States George H.W. Bush (1989-1993) was a former CIA director and served two terms as vice president under Ronald Reagan. His approval rating at home soared after he led an international coalition to oust Iraq from Kuwait, and communism in Eastern Europe fell on his watch. But he lost his bid for re-election amid a sluggish economy and after reneging on a promise not to raise taxes.

Hide Caption 40 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Bill Clinton (1993-2001) ran on the slogan, "It's the economy, stupid." Plagued by various scandals -- including accusations of sexual impropriety -- he was the second president to be impeached. He was acquitted in 1999. Hide Caption 41 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States George W. Bush (2001-2009) is the son of former President George H.W. Bush. His presidency was largely defined by his response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In 2003, he ordered the invasion of Iraq on suspicion that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Hide Caption 42 of 43 Photos: Presidents of the United States Barack Obama (2009-2017) became the first African-American to hold the office of President. He took the oath of office amid the Great Recession, the biggest economic challenge since the Great Depression. Under the Affordable Healthcare Act, millions of uninsured Americans have gotten health insurance. Hide Caption

Question: Who was the only bachelor President of the USA?
Answer: James Buchanan