James Buchanan Jr. was the 15th president of the United States. He served from 1857 to 1861. He also worked as the 17th United States secretary of state from 1845 to 1849. Buchanan represented Pennsylvania in both houses of the U.S. Congress. He supported states' rights, especially about slavery, and believed the federal government should have less power before the American Civil War.
Born in Pennsylvania, Buchanan was a lawyer. He won his first election to the state's House of Representatives as a member of the Federalist Party. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1820 and served for five terms. He later joined Andrew Jackson's Democratic Party. Buchanan served as Jackson's minister to Russia in 1832. He was elected a U.S. senator from Pennsylvania in 1834 and served for 11 years. He was appointed as President James K. Polk's secretary of state in 1845. Eight years later, he was appointed as President Franklin Pierce's minister to the United Kingdom.
Beginning in 1844, Buchanan became a regular candidate for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. He was nominated and won the 1856 presidential election. As president, Buchanan supported the Supreme Court's decision in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case, which allowed slavery. He supported efforts to admit Kansas Territory into the Union as a slave state under the Lecompton Constitution. Buchanan honored his promise to serve only one term. He supported his Vice President, John C. Breckinridge, in the 1860 presidential election, which was not successful. Buchanan did not help fix the divided Democratic Party, which led to the election of Republican Abraham Lincoln.
Buchanan's leadership before the American Civil War has been criticized. He faced criticism from both the North and South during the secession crisis. Buchanan supported the Corwin Amendment to try to unite the country. He tried but failed to strengthen Fort Sumter. He took few steps to prepare the military. His failure to stop the Civil War has been widely criticized. He spent his final years defending his reputation. Historians and scholars often rank him as one of the worst presidents in American history.
Early life
James Buchanan Jr. was born on April 23, 1791, in a log cabin at the Stony Batter farm, near Cove Gap in the Allegheny Mountains of southern Pennsylvania. He was the second of eleven children, with six sisters and four brothers. He was the eldest son of James Buchanan Sr. and Elizabeth Speer. James Buchanan Sr. was an Ulster-Scot from near Ramelton, a small town in County Donegal, Ireland. He moved to the United States in 1783. He was part of the Clan Buchanan, a group that had moved from the Scottish Highlands to Ulster during the Plantation of Ulster. Soon after Buchanan was born, his family moved to a farm near Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, and later settled in the town in 1794. His father became one of the wealthiest people in the area, working as a merchant, farmer, and real estate investor. Buchanan’s mother taught him most of what he learned in school, while his father influenced his character. His mother talked about politics with him as a child and enjoyed poetry, often quoting John Milton and William Shakespeare.
Buchanan attended the Old Stone Academy in Mercersburg and then Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In 1808, he was nearly expelled from school for disorderly conduct. He and other students were known for drinking in local taverns, disturbing the peace at night, and causing damage to property. He asked for another chance and eventually graduated with honors in 1809. Later that year, Buchanan moved to Lancaster, the state capital, to train as a lawyer for two and a half years under James Hopkins. During this time, he studied the United States Code, the Constitution of the United States, and legal works by William Blackstone.
In 1812, Buchanan passed the bar exam and stayed in Lancaster after Harrisburg became Pennsylvania’s new capital. He started a successful law practice in the city. His income grew after he began practicing law, and by 1821, he earned over $11,000 per year (equivalent to $270,000 in 2025). Buchanan became a Freemason and held leadership roles in Masonic Lodge No. 43 in Lancaster and the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.
He also served as chairman of the Lancaster chapter of the Federalist Party. Like his father, Buchanan supported the party’s goals, which included using federal funds for building projects, collecting import duties, and restarting a central bank after the First Bank of the United States lost its license in 1811. He strongly criticized Democratic-Republican President James Madison during the War of 1812. Though he did not serve in the military during the war, he joined a group of young men who helped take horses for the United States Army in the Baltimore area during the British occupation. Buchanan was the last president involved in the War of 1812.
In 1814, Buchanan was elected as a Federalist to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and became its youngest member. He held this position until 1816. Because the Pennsylvania General Assembly met for only three months each year, Buchanan continued practicing law during the rest of the year. His time in the legislature helped him gain more clients. In 1815, he defended District Judge Walter Franklin during an impeachment trial in the Pennsylvania Senate. Buchanan argued that impeachment should only be used for serious crimes or clear violations of the law.
Congressional career
In the congressional elections of 1820, Buchanan ran for a seat in the House of Representatives. Shortly after he won the election, his father died in a carriage accident. As a young Representative, Buchanan was one of the most important leaders of Pennsylvania's "Amalgamator party," which included both Democratic-Republicans and former Federalists. Buchanan's Federalist beliefs weakened, and he changed parties after disagreeing with a nativist Federalist bill. During the 1824 presidential election, Buchanan first supported Henry Clay but later chose Andrew Jackson when he saw that Pennsylvania voters preferred Jackson. After Jackson lost the 1824 election, he joined Jackson's group.
In Washington, Buchanan became a supporter of states' rights and worked closely with many southern Congressmen. Buchanan stayed connected with his voters and helped create a Democratic group in Pennsylvania. In the 1828 presidential election, he supported Andrew Jackson and helped Pennsylvania vote for Jackson.
Buchanan became well-known during an impeachment trial where he argued against federal judge James H. Peck, but the Senate found Peck not guilty. He was placed on a House committee about agriculture in his first year and later became head of the Judiciary Committee. In 1831, Buchanan refused a nomination for the 22nd United States Congress. He still wanted to be involved in politics, and some Pennsylvania Democrats suggested him as a vice presidential candidate in the 1832 election.
After Jackson was re-elected in 1832, he offered Buchanan the job of United States Ambassador to Russia. Buchanan did not want to leave the country, seeing St. Petersburg as a political exile, but he agreed. His work focused on making a trade and shipping agreement with Russia. Although he succeeded in the trade deal, negotiating a free shipping agreement with Foreign Minister Karl Nesselrode was difficult. Buchanan had previously criticized Tsar Nicholas I as a despot during his time in Congress. Many Americans had been upset with Russia's actions during the 1830 Polish uprising.
Buchanan returned to the United States and lost an election for a full Senate term. However, the Pennsylvania state legislature appointed him to replace William Wilkins in the U.S. Senate. Wilkins then took over as ambassador to Russia. Buchanan was re-elected in 1836 and 1842. He opposed the re-chartering of the Second Bank of the United States and supported removing a congressional criticism of Jackson from records related to the Bank War. Buchanan served in the Senate until March 1845 and was re-elected twice. To unite Pennsylvania Democrats, he was chosen as their candidate for the Democratic National Convention. Buchanan followed the Pennsylvania State Legislature's rules and sometimes voted against positions he had promoted in his speeches, even though he wanted to be president.
Buchanan was known for his support of states' rights and the idea of manifest destiny. He refused President Martin Van Buren's offer to become United States Attorney General and led Senate committees, such as the Committee on Foreign Relations. Buchanan was one of the few senators who voted against the Webster–Ashburton Treaty and demanded the entire Aroostook River Valley for the United States. In the Oregon Boundary Dispute, Buchanan supported the highest claim of 54°40′ as the northern border and supported the annexation of the Republic of Texas. During the 1838 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, he backed the Democratic candidate David Rittenhouse Porter, who became governor.
Buchanan also opposed a rule proposed by John C. Calhoun that would have stopped anti-slavery petitions. He joined the majority in blocking the rule. Buchanan said, "We have just as little right to interfere with slavery in the South, as we have to touch the right of petition." He believed that slavery was a matter for individual states and criticized abolitionists on the issue. Before the 1844 Democratic National Convention, Buchanan positioned himself as a possible replacement for former President Martin Van Buren, but the nomination went to James K. Polk, who won the election.
Diplomatic career
James Buchanan was given a choice between becoming Secretary of State in the Polk administration or joining the Supreme Court because of his help during Polk’s election. He chose the State Department job and worked there during Polk’s only term as president. During his time in the position, the United States gained the most land in its history through the Oregon Treaty and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. When negotiating with Britain over the Oregon Territory, Buchanan first supported the 49th parallel as the border, but Polk wanted a line farther north. Later, Buchanan supported the idea of claiming more land, known as "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight," before agreeing to the Oregon Compromise of 1846, which set the 49th parallel as the border in the Pacific Northwest.
Buchanan believed that Mexico’s attack on American soldiers in April 1846 near the Rio Grande was a violation of the border and a reason to go to war. During the Mexican-American War, he first advised against claiming land south of the Rio Grande, fearing conflict with Britain and France. As the war ended, Buchanan changed his mind and argued for taking more territory, saying Mexico was responsible for the war and the compensation offered was too low. In 1848, Buchanan tried to get the Democratic nomination for president after Polk promised to serve only one term. He received support from only Pennsylvania and Virginia delegates, while Senator Lewis Cass of Michigan was nominated instead.
After Whig candidate Zachary Taylor won the 1848 election, Buchanan returned to private life. He was older and still dressed in an old-fashioned way, earning the nickname "Old Public Functionary" from the press. Some people in the North criticized him for his traditional values, calling him a relic. Buchanan bought a home called Wheatland near Lancaster and hosted visitors while watching political events. During this time, he became the center of a large family network with 22 nieces, nephews, and their descendants, seven of whom were orphans. He helped some family members find government jobs and acted as a father figure to others. He had a close relationship with his niece Harriet Lane, who later became First Lady when he became president.
In 1852, Buchanan became president of Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, a position he held until 1866. He stayed involved in politics, planning to publish speeches and an autobiography, but his return to politics was stopped by the 1852 presidential election. Buchanan went to Washington to discuss Pennsylvania Democratic Party issues, which were split between two leaders, Simon Cameron and George M. Dallas. He quietly supported the Democratic nomination in 1852. After the Compromise of 1850, which allowed California to join the Union as a free state and passed the Fugitive Slave Act, Buchanan rejected the Missouri Compromise and supported Congress’s rejection of the Wilmot Proviso, which banned slavery in territories gained from Mexico. He criticized abolitionists as extreme and believed slavery should be decided by states, not Congress. Because of his support for the South, he was called a "doughface." Buchanan was a strong candidate for the Democratic nomination alongside Lewis Cass, Stephen A. Douglas, and William L. Marcy. However, the Pennsylvania convention did not fully support him, with over 30 delegates opposing him. At the 1852 Democratic National Convention, he won support from many southern delegates but did not get the two-thirds majority needed for the nomination, which went to Franklin Pierce. Buchanan refused to be the vice presidential nominee, and his friend William R. King was chosen instead.
Pierce won the 1852 election, and six months later, Buchanan accepted the position of United States Minister to the United Kingdom, a role he had previously refused twice. He traveled to England in 1853 and stayed there for three years. In 1850, the United States and the United Kingdom signed the Clayton–Bulwer Treaty, agreeing to jointly control any future canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through Central America. Buchanan met with British foreign minister Lord Clarendon to try to reduce British influence in Honduras and Nicaragua while promoting American interests in the region. He also focused on the possibility of annexing Cuba, which interested him for a long time.
At Pierce’s request, Buchanan met in Ostend, Belgium, with U.S. Ambassadors Pierre Soulé and John Mason to plan Cuba’s acquisition. A draft called the Ostend Manifesto suggested buying Cuba from Spain, which was in financial trouble. The document claimed Cuba was "as necessary to the North American republic as any of its present … family of states." Against Buchanan’s advice, the final version suggested taking Cuba by force if Spain refused to sell, calling it justified "by every law, human and Divine." The manifesto caused mixed reactions and was never acted on. It hurt the Pierce administration and reduced support for manifest destiny. In 1855, as Buchanan wanted to return home, Pierce asked him to stay in London to monitor a British fleet moving to the Caribbean.
Election of 1856
James Buchanan’s time working in other countries helped him avoid the heated debate over the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which was causing conflict in the United States about slavery. Although he did not try to become president, he agreed to be supported by others who wanted him to run. While he was still in England, he praised John Joseph Hughes, who was the Archbishop of New York, to a Catholic leader. This Catholic leader then encouraged high-ranking Catholics to support Buchanan when he returned home. When Buchanan came back to the United States in April 1856, he led the first vote for the presidency, with support from influential Senators John Slidell, Jesse Bright, and Thomas F. Bayard. These senators presented Buchanan as a leader with experience who could appeal to both the North and the South. The Democratic National Convention in June 1856 created a platform that included Buchanan’s views, such as support for the Fugitive Slave Act, which required escaped slaves to be returned to their owners. The platform also called for an end to anti-slavery protests and for the United States to have strong influence in the Gulf of Mexico. President Franklin Pierce hoped to be re-elected, and Senator Stephen A. Douglas was also a strong candidate. Buchanan won the nomination after seventeen votes when Douglas gave up. He was joined on the ticket by John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky to ensure fair representation from different regions, which made supporters of Pierce and Douglas, as well as Breckinridge, feel satisfied.
In the general election, Buchanan faced two opponents: Millard Fillmore, a former president from the anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant American Party (also called the Know Nothing party), and John C. Frémont, the Republican nominee. Buchanan and Frémont had very different styles, and some artists made fun of Buchanan by drawing him as an old man in unusual clothing. Buchanan did not actively campaign, but he wrote letters and promised to support the Democratic platform. In the election, Buchanan won every slave state except Maryland and five states without slavery, including his home state of Pennsylvania. He received 45 percent of the popular vote and won 174 out of 296 electoral votes. His election made him the first president from Pennsylvania. In his victory speech, Buchanan criticized Republicans, calling them a “dangerous” and “geographical” party that unfairly attacked the South. He also said his goal as president would be to end regional divisions and bring unity to the country under a strong, national government. To begin this, he tried to show balance between different regions by choosing cabinet members from various areas.
Presidency (1857–1861)
James Buchanan became president on March 4, 1857, and took the oath of office from Chief Justice Roger B. Taney. In his long speech at the time, Buchanan said he would serve only one term. He disliked the growing disagreements about slavery and its place in the territories. He believed Congress should not decide whether slavery would exist in states or territories. Buchanan suggested using the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which allowed people in each area to decide the issue of slavery through voting. He also proposed a federal law to protect the rights of slaveowners in territories. Buchanan mentioned a Supreme Court case called Dred Scott v. Sandford, which he believed would finally settle the slavery debate. Dred Scott was a slave who was taken from a slave state to a free territory by his owner, John F. A. Sanford. After returning to a slave state, Scott asked for freedom because he had lived in a free area.
Before the Dred Scott decision was made public, Associate Justice Robert Cooper Grier told Buchanan about it. In his speech, Buchanan said the Supreme Court would soon end the slavery debate. Historian Paul Finkelman wrote that the Dred Scott decision worsened tensions between the North and South, leading to the Civil War. Historian David W. Blight said 1857 was a turning point because the case increased fear and distrust between regions.
As Buchanan prepared for his presidency, he aimed to create a cabinet that worked well together, avoiding the conflicts that had happened during Andrew Jackson’s time. He wanted the cabinet to reflect the balance of political power and regions. Buchanan first worked on this in Wheatland before moving to Washington, D.C., in January 1857. There, he got very sick with dysentery, a severe stomach illness, and did not fully recover for months. Many people who stayed at the National Hotel also became ill, including Buchanan’s nephew and private secretary, Eskridge Lane.
Historian William G. Shade called Buchanan’s cabinet choices a "disaster," noting that four Southern members were slaveholders who later supported the Confederate States of America. Secretary of the Treasury Howell Cobb was seen as the most skilled politician in the group, while three Northern members were described as "doughfaces," a term for politicians who supported slavery. Buchanan wanted to control the cabinet and chose people who agreed with him. He had a poor relationship with his vice president, John C. Breckinridge, because he did not greet him during the inauguration and sent him to his niece and First Lady instead. Buchanan also did not appoint Stephen A. Douglas, who had helped him get the nomination. He focused on foreign policy by choosing Lewis Cass as Secretary of State. Buchanan’s choices upset Northerners, and not appointing Douglas supporters caused division within the party. Outside the cabinet, he kept many of President Pierce’s appointments but removed Northerners connected to Pierce or Douglas.
Buchanan named one Supreme Court justice, Nathan Clifford, and seven federal judges for district courts. He also appointed two judges to the United States Court of Claims.
The Dred Scott case, which Buchanan mentioned in his speech, began in 1846. Scott, a slave, sued for freedom in Missouri, arguing he had lived in free areas of Illinois and Wisconsin Territory. The case reached the Supreme Court and became widely known by 1856. In January 1857, Buchanan asked Justice John Catron about the case and suggested a broad decision to settle the slavery issue. Buchanan hoped the ruling would end debates about slavery in the territories.
Catron told Buchanan in February that the Southern majority on the Supreme Court would rule against Scott but might need to base the decision on narrow grounds unless Justice Robert Cooper Grier, a Pennsylvanian, joined the majority. Buchanan wrote to Grier, who agreed, giving the court the support to make a wide decision that would make the Missouri Compromise of 1820 unconstitutional.
Two days after Buchanan became president, Chief Justice Taney announced the Dred Scott decision, which denied Scott’s freedom. The ruling said Congress could not ban slavery in the territories and declared that enslaved people were property with no rights. It also said no African American could be a U.S. citizen, even if they lived in a free state. Buchanan’s letters to Grier were not public, but he was seen talking with Taney during his inauguration. When the decision was released, Republicans claimed Taney had told Buchanan about it. Instead of calming tensions, the ruling angered Northerners, who strongly opposed it.
In 1857, the Panic of 1857 began when the New York branch of Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company went bankrupt. The crisis spread quickly, causing over 1,400 state banks and 5,000 businesses to fail by fall. Unemployment and hunger increased in Northern cities, but the Southern agricultural economy was less affected. Buchanan agreed with Southern leaders who blamed the economic collapse on risky investments.
Buchanan followed Jacksonian democracy by limiting paper money and stopping federal funding for public projects, which upset some people who wanted economic help. The government paid debts in gold but did not add new public works. Buchanan urged states to limit bank credit and avoid using bonds for bank notes to reduce inflation. The economy eventually recovered, but many suffered during the panic. Buchanan aimed to reduce the federal deficit, but the budget grew by 15% by the time he left office.
In 1857, Brigham Young, leader of the Latter-day Saints in Utah Territory, caused problems by challenging federal officials and attacking non-Mormons. In September 1857, the Utah Territorial Militia, linked to the Latter-day Saints, killed 125 settlers in the Mountain Meadows massacre. Buchanan was upset by Young’s actions and sent a military force to Utah Territory in late March.
Post-presidency and death (1861–1868)
After leaving the presidency, Buchanan retired to private life in his home, Wheatland. He spent most of his time in his study, reading books and writing letters. The Civil War began one month after his retirement. He supported the Union and the war effort, writing to former colleagues that the attack on Fort Sumter marked the start of war by the Confederate states, and that the Union had no choice but to fight strongly. Buchanan supported President Lincoln’s decision to require all men in the northern states to serve in the military but disagreed with Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Although he believed some of Lincoln’s orders broke the Constitution, he never criticized them publicly. He also wrote a letter to fellow Pennsylvania Democrats in Harrisburg, encouraging them and young men to join the Union army and "join the many thousands of brave and patriotic volunteers already fighting."
Buchanan worked to explain his actions before the Civil War, which some people called "Buchanan's War." He received many angry letters and threats daily. In Lancaster, stores displayed drawings of Buchanan with red inked eyes, a noose around his neck, and the word "TRAITOR" written across his forehead. The Senate proposed a resolution to criticize him, but it failed. Newspapers accused him of helping the Confederacy. Five of his former cabinet members, who had later worked in Lincoln’s government, refused to publicly support him.
Buchanan became very upset by the harsh criticism he faced and grew sick and sad. In October 1862, he defended himself in a series of letters with General Winfield Scott, published in the National Intelligencer. Soon after, he wrote his most detailed public defense in his memoir, Mr. Buchanan's Administration on the Eve of Rebellion, published in 1866, one year after the Civil War ended. Buchanan blamed the secession of Southern states on the "malign influence" of Republicans and the abolitionist movement. He described his foreign policy successes and expressed satisfaction with his decisions, even during the secession crisis. He claimed that Robert Anderson, Winfield Scott, and Congress were responsible for the unresolved issues. Two years after the memoir was published, Buchanan caught a cold in May 1868. His health worsened quickly due to his age. He died on June 1, 1868, from respiratory failure at the age of 77 at his home in Wheatland. He was buried in Woodward Hill Cemetery in Lancaster.
Political views
James Buchanan was sometimes seen by people in the North who opposed slavery as a "doughface," a Northerner who supported Southern ideas. Buchanan's support for the Southern states was not just for political reasons but because he admired the cultural and social values of the wealthy Southern landowners, especially during his time in retirement after 1834. After becoming president, he said the main goal of his administration was to stop the discussion about slavery in the North and to reduce conflicts between different regions of the country. Buchanan believed that abolitionists, people who wanted to end slavery, were making it harder to solve the slavery issue. He claimed that before abolitionists started speaking out, many people in Southern states supported slowly ending slavery, but now no one in those states supported such plans. Buchanan was willing to believe that slave owners treated enslaved people kindly. In his third speech to Congress, he said enslaved people were "treated with kindness and humanity" because both the kindness of slave owners and their own interests helped create this outcome.
Buchanan believed that controlling oneself was important for good government. He thought the Constitution included rules that the people set for themselves and their leaders to prevent conflicts. He said that even though people might seem to share the same interests, regional differences often made them appear to disagree. He believed these differences could only be managed through mutual respect and patience. Regarding slavery, he stated that even though Pennsylvania opposed slavery, he would not break the agreement with Southern states. He said slavery was their responsibility, and it should stay within their states.
A major topic during Buchanan's time was tariffs, or taxes on imported goods. Buchanan had mixed feelings about free trade and high tariffs because both could help one region while harming another. As a senator from Pennsylvania, he was seen as a strong supporter of protecting American industries in other states, but in Pennsylvania, he was criticized for not supporting those policies.
Buchanan also struggled between wanting to grow the country for the benefit of all and ensuring the rights of people living in new areas. He said, "What, sir? Prevent the people from crossing the Rocky Mountains? You might just as well command the Niagara not to flow. We must fulfill our destiny." However, he strongly disliked the idea of expanding the country in a way that would spread slavery. He hoped that adding Texas to the United States would limit, not increase, the areas where slavery was allowed.
Personal life
James Buchanan had a medical condition called esotropia, which caused his eyes to cross. One eye was nearsighted, and the other was farsighted. To hide this, he often tilted his head forward and turned it to one side when speaking with others. This behavior led to mockery, including harsh comments from Henry Clay during a debate in Congress.
In 1818, Buchanan met Anne Caroline Coleman at a large party in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They began a relationship. Anne was the daughter of Robert Coleman, a wealthy ironmaker from County Donegal, Ireland, like Buchanan’s father. She was also the sister-in-law of Joseph Hemphill, a judge in Philadelphia who worked with Buchanan. By 1819, they were engaged, but they spent little time together. Buchanan was busy with his legal work and political efforts during the economic crisis of 1819, which kept him away from Coleman for long periods. Rumors spread that he was involved with other women. Letters from Coleman showed she knew about these rumors and accused him of wanting her money. She ended the engagement, and on December 9, 1819, she died at age 23 from seizures caused by an overdose of laudanum, a drug. It was never determined whether she took the drug intentionally, accidentally, or under someone else’s guidance. Buchanan asked her father for permission to attend her funeral, but the request was denied. At her funeral, he said, “I feel happiness has fled from me forever.” Later, he claimed he never married again as a tribute to Anne, who had died young. Buchanan was the only U.S. president who never married.
In 1833 and the 1840s, Buchanan mentioned plans to marry, but these never happened. Some believe his focus on political goals, such as a seat in the Senate or the presidency, may have delayed marriage. One woman linked to these plans was Anna Payne, a niece of Dolley Madison, the former First Lady. During his presidency, Buchanan’s adopted niece, Harriet Lane, served as the White House hostess. A false rumor claimed he had an affair with Sarah Childress Polk, the widow of President James K. Polk.
Buchanan had a close relationship with William Rufus DeVane King, a man who also never married. King was an Alabama politician and briefly served as vice president under Franklin Pierce. Buchanan and King lived together in a Washington boardinghouse and attended events together from 1834 to 1844. This living arrangement was common at the time, though Buchanan called their relationship a “communion.” President Andrew Jackson mocked them with nicknames like “Miss Nancy” and “Aunt Fancy,” terms used to describe men who appeared effeminate. Buchanan’s Postmaster General, Aaron V. Brown, also called King “Aunt Fancy” and referred to him as Buchanan’s “better half” and “wife.” King died of tuberculosis shortly after Franklin Pierce became president, four years before Buchanan became president. Buchanan praised King as “among the best, the purest and most consistent public men I have known.” Historian Jean H. Baker suggests that letters between Buchanan and King may have been destroyed by their nieces, but surviving letters show only the affection of a strong friendship.
After Anne Coleman’s death, Buchanan remained unmarried for his entire life, which has led to many questions and theories. Some believe her death helped avoid attention on his personal life and sexuality. When others encouraged him to marry after her death, he replied, “Marry I could not, for my affections were buried in the grave.” In 1955, historian Philip Shriver Klein wrote that Buchanan “purposely shunned” marriage for the rest of his life and that keeping Coleman’s letters until his death showed he never fully recovered from her loss. Jean Baker suggests Buchanan may have been celibate, if not asexual. Some historians, including James W. Loewen, Robert P. Watson, and Shelley Ross, have speculated that Buchanan was homosexual. Loewen noted that Buchanan, in later years, wrote a letter saying he might marry a woman who could accept his “lack of ardent or romantic affection.”
Legacy
James Buchanan believed that history would prove he was correct. However, historians have criticized him for not taking action or being unable to act when the Southern states left the Union. Most rankings of U.S. presidents place Buchanan among the least successful leaders. Surveys of scholars from 1948 to 1982 consistently ranked Buchanan as one of the worst presidents, along with Warren G. Harding, Millard Fillmore, and Richard Nixon. These surveys evaluated his leadership in areas such as setting goals, managing the country, handling foreign relations, and showing strong moral values.
In 1962, historian Klein wrote about the challenges Buchanan faced. Biographer Jean Baker, in 2004, stated that Buchanan was not indecisive or inactive. However, other historians, like Robert May, argued that Buchanan's politics were not strongly supportive of slavery. Historian Michael Birkner held a very negative view of Buchanan. Lori Cox Han noted that scholars often rank Buchanan as the worst president in U.S. history or among the worst. Civil War historian Bruce Catton wrote that Buchanan and his cabinet were "qualified to do nothing of any consequence with great dignity." Catton mentioned that Buchanan's only significant action was preventing Stephen A. Douglas from becoming the 1860 Democratic presidential candidate.
A bronze and granite memorial near Meridian Hill Park in Washington, D.C., was designed by architect William Gorden Beecher and sculpted by Maryland artist Hans Schuler. It was planned in 1916 but not approved by Congress until 1918. The memorial was completed and unveiled on June 26, 1930. It includes a statue of Buchanan, surrounded by classical figures representing law and diplomacy. Engraved text reads: "The incorruptible statesman whose walk was upon the mountain ranges of the law," a quote from Buchanan's cabinet member Jeremiah S. Black.
An earlier monument was built between 1907 and 1908 and dedicated in 1911 at Buchanan's birthplace in Stony Batter, Pennsylvania. Part of the 18.5-acre memorial site includes a 250-ton pyramid made of native rubble and mortar, standing on the site of Buchanan's original birth cabin.
Three counties—located in Iowa, Missouri, and Virginia—are named in Buchanan's honor. A county in Texas was originally named after Buchanan but was renamed Stephens County in 1861 to honor Alexander Stephens, the vice president of the Confederate States of America. The city of Buchanan, Michigan, and Pennsylvania's Buchanan State Forest are also named after him.
A residency hall for upperclassmen at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, is named in Buchanan's honor. Buchanan attended and graduated from Dickinson College.