The 15th President of the United States
Name: James Buchanan
Number of terms he served: One
Year he took office: 1857
Birth Date: April 23, 1791
Age when he took office: 66
State of Birth: Cove Gap, Pennsylvania
Vice President: John C. Breckinridge
What Party was he from: Democrat
What was his major contribution while in office:
Buchanan said in his inauguration speech that there was a clear and simple solution to the conflict of slavery, that states should be allowed to decide the slave issue for themselves, since the southern states had constitutionally been allowed to have slaves already. Buchanan unfortunately didn’t get much resolved in office during his term and when Lincoln won the next election Buchanan did all he could just to avoid secession. But his effort was in vain before the end of his term seven states succeeded from the Union and called themselves the Confederate States of America.
What did he do after he left office:
After Buchanan left office he became quite adept to protecting himself from the public’s constant blame of starting the Civil War or as some people called it ‘Buchanan’s war’. Unfortunately his cabinet members refused to defend him publicly, and these attacks of his character caused him to become ill and depressed. When he caught a cold in May of 1868 he died that June of Respiratory Failure.
Did he have a nickname:
Yes, Ten-cent Jimmy
Was he married:
No
Did he have children:
No