James Buchanan
15th President of the United States
(March 4, 1857 to March 3, 1861)
Nickname: "Old Buck"
Born: April 23, 1791, in Cove Gap (near Mercersburg), Pennsylvania
Died: June 1, 1868, at Wheatland (near Lancaster, Pennsylvania)
Father: James Buchanan (1761-1821)
Mother: Elizabeth Speer Buchanan (1767-1833)
Married: Never married. The White House hostess was his orphaned niece Harriet Lane.
Children: Harriett Lane (adopted) (1830-1903)
Religion: Presbyterian
Education: Graduated from Dickinson College (1809)
Occupation: Lawyer
Political Party: Democrat
Other Government Positions:
- Member of Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1815-16
- Member of U.S. House of Representatives, 1821-31
- Minister to Russia, 1832-34
- United States Senator, 1834-45
- Secretary of State, 1845-49 (under Polk)
- Minister to England, 1853-56
Presidential Salary: $25,000/year
Presidential Election Results:
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1856 James Buchanan 1,832,955 174
(map) John C. Fremont 1,339,932 114
Millard Fillmore 871,731 8
Vice President: John C. Breckinridge (1857-61)
Cabinet:
- Secretary of State
- Lewis Cass (1857-60)
Jeremiah S. Black (1860-61) - Secretary of the Treasury
- Howell Cobb (1857-60)
Philip F. Thomas (1860-61)
John A. Dix (1861) - Secretary of War
- John B. Floyd (1857-60)
Joseph Holt (1861) - Attorney General
- Jeremiah S. Black (1857-60)
Edwin M. Stanton (1860-61) - Postmaster General
- Aaron V. Brown (1857-59)
Joseph Holt (1859-61)
Horatio King (1861) - Secretary of the Navy
- Isaac Toucey (1857-61)
- Secretary of the Interior
- Jacob Thompson (1857-61)
Supreme Court Justices:
Nathan Clifford (1858-1881)
Notable Events:
- 1857
- Two days after Buchanan's inauguration the Supreme Court ruled on the Dred Scott case.
- The financial Panic of 1857 predominantly affected the northern economy.
- 1859
- John Brown led a raid on a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in hopes of initiating a slave revolt.
- 1860
- The Covode Committee established to investigate corruptions in government.
- On December 20, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union.
Internet Biographies:
- James Buchanan -- from The Presidents of the United States of America
- Compiled by the White House.
- James Buchanan -- from The American President
- From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, in addition to information on the Presidents themselves, they have first lady and cabinet member biographies, listings of presidential staff and advisers, and timelines detailing significant events in the lives of each administration.
- James Buchanan -- from Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Facts about Buchanan and his presidency.
- Timeline: President James Buchanan -- from the LandcasterHistory.org
- Interactive timeline biography.
- James Buchanan -- from the James Buchanan Resource Center
- Brief biography with links to more complete biographies published in the 19th centrury.
Videos:
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America's Presidents - James BuchananPres. Buchanan Never Married, So Who Was His First Lady? - a Presidential Story Ep. 26James Buchanan | 60-Second Presidents | PBSThe worst president in U.S. historyAmerican Presaident #15: James Buchanan (1857-1861)1 / 2
Historical Documents:
- Inaugural Address (1857)
- James Buchanan Digital Collections - from the Library of Congress
Other Internet Resources:
- The Best Biographies of James Buchanan
- In 2012, Stephen Floyd started his search for the best biography of each president. He usually has reviews of multiple biographies for each president.
- Buchanan's Birthplace State Park
- Park and memorial near Cove Gap, Pennsylvania
- Health and Medical History of James Buchanan
- Medical background of each president with references. Compiled by John Sotos, MD.
- James Buchanan Memorial
- Located in Meridian Hill Park in Washington, D.C.
- Wheatland
- The home of James Buchanan located near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Tourist information, biographies of Buchanan and Harriet Lane, and information on the mansion.
Points of Interest:
Moved to Mercersburg Academy
300 East Seminary Street, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania
6235 Aughwick Road, Fort Loudon, PA 17224
Woodward Hill Cemetery
508 South Queen Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
1120 Marietta Avenue, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Moved to Mercersburg Academy
300 East Seminary Street, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania
6235 Aughwick Road, Fort Loudon, PA 17224
Woodward Hill Cemetery
508 South Queen Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
1120 Marietta Avenue, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Additional Facts:
- In his inaugural address, Buchanan committed to serving only one term.
- Buchanan is the only president to have never married.
- James K. Polk offered his Secretary of State, Buchanan, a seat on the Supreme Court. Buchanan declined.
- Buchanan bought and freed slaves - sort of.
- Buchanan was nearsighted in one eye and farsighted in the other. To compensate for his poor vision he tilted his head to the left and closed one eye.
- Buchanan never had to shave.
Quotes:“The test of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there.”
“The ballot box is the surest arbiter of disputes among freemen.”
“What is right and what is practicable are two different things.”
“I like the noise of democracy.”
“The test of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there.”
“The ballot box is the surest arbiter of disputes among freemen.”
“What is right and what is practicable are two different things.”
“I like the noise of democracy.”