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 . 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. 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.

Despite the Newsweek Cover Claim, James Buchanan Was Our First Gay President | TIME.com Follow @TIMENewsfeed You may have seen the other controversial newsmagazine cover this week, the one where Newsweek dubbed President Obama “ The First Gay President “. But as Jim Loewen at the History News Network would like to remind us, even if Obama were gay, he wouldn’t be the first: more than 150 years before the United States had its first black president, it had its first homosexual commander in chief. (MORE: Gay Marriage in the Swing States: Where Will Obama’s ‘Evolution’ Matter?) Loewen is one of several historians who believe that James Buchanan, who served from 1857 to 1861, was in fact our first gay president. He is the only president to have remained a bachelor throughout his life. (His niece, Harriet Lane, handled the duties of First Lady during his term in office.) He shared a home with William Rufus King, an Alabama Senator and Vice President under Buchanan’s predecessor, Franklin Pierce. Their relationship was reportedly so close that Andrew Jackson and other contemporaries referred to them as “Miss Nancy” and “Aunt Fancy”.

In one letter to a confidante dated May 13, 1844, Buchanan wrote about his life after King moved to Paris to become the American ambassador to France: “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.” Other historians, however, believe that his relationship with King was in fact more complex than that, and that the book is far from closed on the matter of Buchanan’s sexuality (he was at one point engaged to be married, and went a wooing with several ladies in addition to the aforementioned gentlemen). Either way, it’s also almost impossible to know for sure: Buchanan ordered that all his correspondence be destroyed upon his death.

(MORE: In Gay Marriage Reversal, President Obama Faces Risk on All Sides) But Loewen, author of Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong, notes that — importantly — Buchanan’s rumored sexuality was not a secret at the time. For much of the 19th century, American society was considerably more open and accepting than it was in much of the century that followed. It’s a concept that many of us have trouble grasping: indeed, one of the reasons Americans have trouble viewing the past as more progressive than today is because of the narrative many high school history books follow, which portrays the United States as a country that started great and is getting better — “chronological ethnocentrism”, as he terms it. This type of thinking leaves many students to see history as irrelevant: inconsequential events of the distant past that are totally separate from issues we face today. And while Loewen notes that Obama’s stance on gay marriage is a welcome departure from our recent past, to tout modern American society as more tolerant than any in our history is a claim that has yet to pass the test of time. Presidential Election Facts - U.S.

Presidents - HISTORY.com Presidential Election Facts A+E Networks Introduction With more than two centuries’ worth of U.S. presidential elections, the historical ledger is filled with an array of facts. For example, when Barack Obama was named the 44th president, he was really only the 43rd president because Grover Cleveland is counted twice. And with Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the U.S. Constitution stating that a citizen has to be at least 35 years old to become president, John F. Kennedy came the closest to that limit by earning election at age 43. Learn about the only bachelor to be elected president, the four candidates to have won the popular vote and lost the election and more. Google The 2000 election was not the first time a candidate won the popular vote but lost the election. It has happened four times in our nation’s history: In 1824 Andrew Jackson won the popular vote but got less than 50 percent of the electoral votes. John Quincy Adams became the next president when he was picked by the House of Representatives. In 1876 Samuel Tilden won the popular vote but lost the election when Rutherford B.

Hayes got 185 electoral votes to Tilden’s 184. In 1888 Grover Cleveland won the popular vote but lost the election when Benjamin Harrison got 233 electoral votes to Cleveland’s 168. In 2000 Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the election to George Bush. In the most highly contested election in modern history, the U.S. Supreme Court stopped the Florida recount of ballots, giving Bush the state’s 25 electoral votes for a total of 271 to Gore’s 255. Grover Cleveland was elected president (1884) then lost his re-election campaign (1888) and came back again to win the presidency for a second time. (1892) Barack Obama is the nation’s 44rd president but in reality there have only been 43 presidents. Grover Cleveland is counted twice as our 22nd and 24th president because he was elected for two nonconsecutive terms. Only 12 U.S. Presidents have been elected to office for two terms and served those two terms. Franklin D.

Roosevelt was elected to office four terms prior to the Twenty-second Amendment. Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the U.S. Constitution has only three requirements for a president. (1) Must be at least 35 years old, (2) have lived in the United States at least 14 years, and (3) be a natural-born citizen. John Kennedy is the youngest elected U.S. President at 43. Ronald Reagan is the oldest elected U.S. President at 73. (second term) The only President and Vice President to never be elected to the office was Gerald Ford . He became vice president when Spiro Agnew resigned and became president when Nixon resigned. The tallest U.S. President was Abraham Lincoln at 6’4″The shortest U.S. President was James Madison at 5’4″ Percent wise – the 1992 election was the biggest turnout since 1972 with 61.3 percent off the voter age population heading to the polls. James Buchanan is the only bachelor to be elected president. Eight presidents have died in office. William Henry Harrison (pneumonia) Franklin D.

Roosevelt (cerebral hemorrhage) John F. Kennedy (assassin) Ronald Reagan is the only divorced man to be elected president. James Monroe received every electoral vote but one in the 1820 election. A New Hampshire delegate wanted George Washington to be the only president elected unanimously. The U.S. Marine band has played at every presidential inauguration since 1801. President John Tyler is believed to be the first to use “Hail to the Chief” as the official Presidential honors. President Bill Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe but took his stepfather’s last name when his mother remarried. He formally changed his name to William Jefferson Clinton when he was 15. Victoria Woodhull became the first woman to run for President in 1872. Hillary Clinton became the first woman to be nominated for president by a major party ticket in 2016. Jeanette Rankin of Montana became the first woman elected to Congress in 1916. John Mercer Langston became the first elected black politician in the United States in 1855 when he was elected Town Clerk in Brownhelm, Ohio .

Twelve of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were 35 years or younger. Martin Van Buren was the first natural-born American to become president in 1837. Each of the seven previous presidents were born as British subjects.Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution states; Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation: “I do solemnly swear [or affirm] that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Access hundreds of hours of historical video, commercial free, with HISTORY Vault . Start your free trial today. Tags 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.” US Presidents: Lists and Records US Presidents: Lists and Records The presidents of the United States are so much fun. Understanding them helps us understand American history. We have compiled a series of lists about the presidents, and will be adding more as we think of new categories. Contents: Presidents born before the USA became a country: George Washington Presidents born in the Carolinas Andrew Jackson (historians are not sure whether he was born in North or South Carolina) James Polk (North Carolina) Presidents born in New Hampshire Franklin Pierce Presidents born in New Jersey Grover Cleveland Presidents born in New York Martin Van Buren Presidents belonging to Disciples of Christ James Garfield Rutherford Hayes (also attended Episcopal and Methodist services) Grover Cleveland Presidents who served in wars George Washington - Commander in Chief of Continental Army during the American Revolution.

James Monroe - served in American Revolution Andrew Jackson - American Revolution, War of 1812, First Seminole War William Henry Harrison - Indian wars in the NW territory, War of 1812 John Tyler - War of 1812 Zachary Taylor - War of 1812, Black Hawk, Second Seminole, and Mexican wars Franklin Pierce - Mexican War James Buchanan - War of 1812 Abraham Lincoln - Black Hawk War Andrew Johnson - Civil War Ulysses Grant - Mexican War, Civil War Rutherford Hayes - Civil War Presidents who were in the military but who saw no action James Madison Ronald Reagan - kept out of combat due to bad eyesight George W.

Bush Presidents with no military experience John Adams George Washington: war with Native Americans in Ohio Thomas Jefferson: Tripolitan War, 1800-1805, against the Barbary pirates James Madison - War of 1812, 1812-1814, against the British James Monroe - First Seminole War, 1817-1818 Andrew Jackson - Black Hawk War, 1832 Martin Van Buren - Aroostook War, 1839; Second Seminole War - ended 1842 William Henry Harrison - Second Seminole War - ended 1842 John Tyler - Second Seminole War - ended 1842 James Polk - Mexican War James Buchanan - beginning of the Civil War Abraham Lincoln - Civil War, 1861-1865 William McKinley - Spanish-American War, 1898; Boxer Rebellion, 1899-1900 Woodrow Wilson - WWI, 1914-1918 Warren Harding - formally concluded WWI Franklin Roosevelt - WWII, 1941-1945 Harry Truman

 - conclusion of WWII, Korean War - 1950-1953 Dwight Eisenhower - conclusion of Korean War John Kennedy - Bay of Pigs Invasion, 1961; beginning of Vietnam War Lyndon Johnson - Vietnam War, Dominican Republic, 1965 Richard Nixon - Vietnam War Ronald Reagan - Grenada Invasion, 1983 George Bush - Invasion of Panama, 1989-1990; Persian Gulf War, 1990-1991 George W.

Bush - War against the Taliban, Iraq, 2001 to present. Presidents who did not preside over war during their terms John Adams Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt Collector of the Port of New York Chester Arthur Congressman, U.S.

House of Representatives James Madison - Virginia William Henry Harrison - Northwest Territory, Ohio John Tyler - Virginia Martin Van Buren - New York William Henry Harrison - Indiana Territory John Tyler - Virginia Grover Cleveland - Buffalo, New York Calvin Coolidge - Northampton, Massachusetts Member of House of Burgesses George Washington Martin Van Buren - New York William Henry Harrison - Ohio Martin Van Buren - New York William Henry Harrison - Ohio Vice President (See Electoral Lists , below) Electoral Lists Presidents who had been vice presidents John Adams, under George Washington Thomas Jefferson, under John Adams Martin Van Buren, under Andrew Jackson John Tyler, under William Henry Harrison Millard Fillmore, under Zachary Taylor Andrew Johnson, under Abraham Lincoln Chester Arthur, under James Garfield Theodore Roosevelt, under William McKinley Calvin Coolidge, under Warren Harding Harry Truman, under Franklin Roosevelt Lyndon Johnson, under John Kennedy Richard Nixon, under Dwight Eisenhower Gerald Ford, under Richard Nixon George Bush, under Ronald Reagan Vice-presidents who were later elected president, without having served out the remainder of a predecessor's term John Adams Find more information about Vice-Presidents below.

Presidents who never ran for president John Tyler Presidents who were never elected president or vice president Gerald Ford Presidents who ran for president, but were never elected Gerald Ford Elected presidents whose parties did not nominate them for a second term Franklin Pierce Vice presidents who became president through death or resignation of their president John Tyler - death of William Henry Harrison Millard Fillmore - death of Zachary Taylor Andrew Johnson - assassination of Abraham Lincoln Chester Arthur - assassination of James Garfield Theodore Roosevelt - assassination of William McKinley Calvin Coolidge - death of Warren Harding Harry Truman - death of Franklin Roosevelt Lyndon Johnson - assassination of John Kennedy Gerald Ford - resignation of Richard Nixon Find more information about Vice-Presidents below. Presidents who lost the popular vote but won the electoral college vote Rutherford Hayes - Samuel Tilden won the popular vote, and probably the electoral college vote, but the results were fixed to give Hayes the majority. Benjamin Harrison - incumbent president Grover Cleveland won the popular vote George W. Bush - Al Gore won the popular vote. The electoral college vote was thrown into doubt by peculiarities in Florida's election, and the election was decided by the Supreme Court when they stopped the recount.

Presidents who won neither the popular vote nor the electoral college vote, but still ended up as president John Quincy Adams - Andrew Jackson had more votes in both categories. Presidents who were chosen by the House of Representatives because no one had a majority Thomas Jefferson (1st term) Thomas Jefferson - defeated John Adams in 1800. Andrew Jackson - defeated John Quincy Adams in 1828, William Henry Harrison - defeated Martin Van Buren in 1840. Benjamin Harrison - defeated Grover Cleveland in 1888. Grover Cleveland - defeated Benjamin Harrison in 1892. Woodrow Wilson - defeated Howard Taft in 1912. Franklin Roosevelt - defeated Herbert Hoover in 1932. Jimmy Carter - defeated Gerald Ford in 1976. Ronald Reagan - defeated Jimmy Carter in 1980. Bill Clinton - defeated George Bush in 1992.

Presidents elected to two terms George Washington: 1789, 1792 Presidents elected to one term John Adams: 1796 Presidents elected to four terms Franklin Roosevelt: 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944 Presidents elected (or selected) on their first run for office (does not include primary bids) George Washington: 1789 Presidents elected on their second run for office (does not include primary bids) Thomas Jefferson: defeated in 1796 by John Adams Andrew Jackson: John Quincy Adams was selected over Jackson in 1824. William Henry Harrison: defeated in 1836 by Martin van Buren. Richard Nixon: defeated in 1960 by John F. Kennedy. Presidents who defeated each other John Quincy Adams: was selected over Andrew Jackson in 1824. Andrew Jackson: defeated John Quincy Adams in 1828. Martin Van Buren: defeated William Henry Harrison in 1836. William Henry Harrison: defeated Martin van Buren in 1840. Benjamin Harrison: defeated Grover Cleveland in 1888.

Grover Cleveland: defeated Benjamin Harrison in 1892. Presidents who served non-consecutive terms Grover Cleveland Presidents who received 100% of the electoral college votes George Washington Ex-Presidents who tried unsuccessfully to regain the presidency Martin Van Buren was defeated in the primary in 1844 by James Polk. Millard Fillmore was defeated in 1856 by James Buchanan. Ulysses Grant was defeated in 1880 in the primary by James Garfield. Theodore Roosevelt was defeated in 1912 by Woodrow Wilson. Presidential deaths and misfortunes Presidents killed by the incompetence of their doctors George Washington - bled to death by his doctors as treatment for "inflammatory quinsy" James Garfield - whose doctors contaminated his bullet wound so that he died of infection. Assassinated presidents Abraham Lincoln - assassinated by John Wilkes Booth James Garfield - assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau William McKinley - assassinated by Leon F.

Czolgosz John Kennedy - assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald Presidents who suffered attempted assassinations Andrew Jackson - would-be assassin: Richard Lawrence (both derringers misfired) Harry Truman - Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola attempted to storm Blair House, residence of Truman Gerald Ford - would be assassins: Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme and Sara Jane Moore, in two separate incidences Ronald Reagan - shot and wounded by John W.

Hinkley, Jr Presidents who died in office of natural causes William Henry Harrison - died of "bilious pleurisy" Zachary Taylor - died of cholera morbus Warren Harding - died of pneumonia or stroke Franklin Roosevelt - died of cerebral hemorrhage Impeached presidents Presidents related to earlier presidents James Madison: half first cousin twice removed of George Washington John Quincy Adams: son of John Adams Zachary Taylor: second cousin of James Madison Grover Cleveland: sixth cousin once removed of Ulysses Grant Benjamin Harrison: grandson of William Henry Harrison Theodore Roosevelt: third cousin twice removed of Martin Van Buren Franklin Roosevelt: fourth cousin once removed of Ulysses Grant, fourth cousin three times removed of Zachary Taylor, fifth cousin of Theodore Roosevelt Harry Truman: great-great-great nephew of John Tyler Richard Nixon: seventh cousin twice removed of William Taft, eighth cousin once removed of Herbert Hoover George Bush: fifth cousin four times removed of Franklin Pierce, seventh cousin three times removed of Theodore Roosevelt, seventh cousin four times removed of Abraham Lincoln, eleventh cousin once removed of Gerald Ford George W. Bush: son of George Bush African-American Presidents Note: Several presidents were allegedly of mixed European and African ancestry, which by U.S.

reckoning would designate them as African-American. See The Five Negro Presidents by J.A. Rogers and Six Black Presidents: Black Blood, White Masks by Auset Bakhufu. Thomas Jefferson Presidents who married while president James Tyler Presidents who had children out of wedlock Thomas Jefferson Democratic (or earlier, Democratic-Republican) presidents Thomas Jefferson Presidents belonging to no party John Quincy Adams Presidents who changed party affiliation after their presidency Millard Fillmore (Whig) became a candidate for the American or Know-Nothing Party. Theodore Roosevelt (Republican) founded the Progressive or Bull Moose Party. Vice-Presidents Presidents whose VP belonged to a different party John Adams (Federalist): Democratic Republican Thomas Jefferson was his VP. Abraham Lincoln (Republican): Democrat Andrew Johnson served as his second VP. Presidents at least temporarily without vice-presidents John Tyler - He had been William Henry Harrison's VP, and the position was not filled when Tyler assumed the presidency. Millard Fillmore - He had been Zachary Taylor's VP, and the position was not filled when Fillmore assumed the presidency. Franklin Pierce - William Rufus DeVane King was elected VP, but died before assuming office, and was not replaced.

Andrew Johnson - He had been Abraham Lincoln's VP, and the position was not filled when Johnson assumed the presidency. Ulysses Grant - His second-term VP, Henry Wilson, died in office and was not replaced, leaving Grant without a VP for more than a year. Chester Arthur - He had been James Garfield's VP, and the position was not filled when Arthur assumed the presidency. Grover Cleveland - His first-term VP, Thomas Hendricks, was not replaced after dying nine months into his term. William McKinkey - His first VP, Garret Hobart, died in office in 1899, and was not replaced until March 1900 by Theodore Roosevelt. William Taft - His VP, James Sherman, died shortly before the end of Taft's term and was not replaced. Calvin Coolidge - He had been Warren Harding's VP, and the position was not filled until Coolidge was elected for his own term in 1924. Harry Truman - He had been Franklin Roosevelt's last VP, and the position was not filled until Truman was elected for his own term in 1948.

Lyndon Johnson - He had been John Kennedy's VP, and the position was not filled until Johnson was elected for his own term in 1964. Presidents defeated for reelection by their own vice-president John Adams was defeated by his VP, Thomas Jefferson. Vice-Presidents who tried for, but never achieved, the presidency George Clinton - Thomas Jefferson's VP, failed to defeat James Madison in the primary. Richard Johnson - Martin Van Buren's VP, failed to defeat James Polk in the primary. John Breckenridge - James Buchanan's VP, ran as a National Democrat and failed to defeat Abraham Lincoln . Henry Wallace - Franklin Roosevelt's VP, ran as a Progressive and failed to defeat Harry Truman. Hubert Humphrey - Lyndon Johnson's VP, failed to defeat Richard Nixon. Walter Mondale - Jimmy Carter's VP, failed to defeat Ronald Reagan. Al Gore - Bill Clinton's VP, lost the presidency to George W. Bush. Vice-Presidents who later joined the Confederacy John Breckenridge - James Buchanan's VP. Vice-Presidents who changed party affiliation after their terms as VP John Calhoun - Andrew Jackson's VP, was a Democrat and became a Whig.

John Breckenridge - James Buchanan's VP, was a Democrat and became a National Democrat. Henry Wallace - Franklin Roosevelt's VP, was a Democrat and became a Progessive. Vice-Presidents who resigned as VP John Calhoun - Andrew Jackson's VP, resigned in 1832 to accept election to the Senate. Spiro Agnew - Richard Nixon's VP, resigned in 1973 to avoid criminal prosecution. Miscellaneous Presidential Lists Presidents who killed people outside of war (or who were accused thereof) George Washington - accused of murdering a French ambassador during peacetime. Andrew Jackson - killed a man in a duel Presidents who had extramarital affairs Thomas Jefferson

Question: Name the only bachelor President of the U.S.A.
Answer: JAMES BUCHANAN