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James Buchanan is born.
He was born in Cove Gap, Pennsylvania. His parents were James and Elizabeth Speer Buchanan. James was the second of their 11 children. -
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James Buchanan's life
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James graduated from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
He was only 16 when he entered college. -
James became a lawyer.
He had studied law in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He had quickly became successful. Later on in the year, James briefly served in the War of 1812. He had helped defend Baltimore,Maryland. Soon afterward, he began his carrer in politics. -
James' carrer lifts off.
It beggan in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. When he was elected, he was a Federalist. He had served from 1814 to 1816. -
Buchanan became engaged to Ann Caroline Coleman.
Rumors and arguments led to the end of their engagement. Soon after, Ann died. Buchanan was heartbroken and never married. He remains our only unmkarried president. -
He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1820.
He served five terms from 1821 to 1831. There, he became chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary.He had served as prosecutor in an 1831 impeachment trial. James H. Peck was on trial. Peck was a U.S. district court judge in Missouri. Peck had sent a lawyer named Luke Lawless to jail for speaking out against the judge. The Senate had found Peck innocent. -
James was made minister to Russia.
He was made minister in the early 1830s by President Andrew Jackson. As minister, Buchanan arranged the first trade treaty between Russia and the United States. -
Buchanan became a Senator.
He had worked there from 1834 to 1845. James served as chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations. He was also chairman of another committee dedicated to ending the slave trade in the District of Columbia. As part of this group, he defeated a proposed gag rule. -
Buchanan became Polk's secretary of state.
He had helped settle a border disagreement with England over the Oregon Territory. -
The Mexican War breaks out
James had tried to settle it, but had failed. The war had raged from the 1846 to 1848. -
The Wilmot Proviso.
It was proposed by Pennsylvania congressman David Wilmot. It would have banned slavery in any territory gained from Mexico. James was morally against slavery, however, he belived it was legal according to the U.S. Constitution. So,he opposed Wilmot's ideas. -
James retires.
President Polk's term also ended. James moved to a new house near Lancaster. It was called Wheatland. There, Buchanan planned his campaign for the 1852 election. He had joined the Democratic Party when the Federalist Party broke up. James hoped he would be nominated. Instead, Pierce was nominated. Buchanan supported Pierce and helped him win the election. -
The Compromise of 1850.
It was proposed by Kentucky senator Henry Clay. Part of the compromise attemped to keep the same number of free and slave states in the Senate. Anothe part was the Fugitive Slave Law. This law stated rules for returning runaway slaves to their owners. -
Pierce won the 1852 election.
In 1853, Pierce made Buchanan minister to Great Britain. While he was minister, James tried helping Pierce gain Cuba as a state. -
Ostend Manifesto
It recommended that the United States seize Cuba from Spain. -
James nominated to run for president.
His running mate was John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky. They won the election. -
James was inaugurated president.
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Dred Scott
The Supreme Court ruled against Scott. Chief Justice Roger B. Taney stated that slaves were property. He argued that a person could not be denied his property. He also said that slaves had no right to sue in court. -
Bleeding Kansas.
The people who were against slavery refused to register to vote. So, only those who favored slavery were elected to write the state constitution. They passed the Lecompton Constitution, which allowed slavery. The Senate approved this, but the house did not. As a replacement, Indiana representative William H. English created the English Bill. The English Bill would allow Kansas to be a slave state. But, it reduced the amount of land Kansas would get from the government. -
People in Kansas voted again.
This time, they rejected the constitution. Kansas eventually joined the United States as a free state in January 1861. -
Harpers Ferry
Abolitionst John Brown seized the U.S. arsenal at Harpers Ferry. National troops arrived at Harpers Ferry on October 17. They fought Brown and his followers. Seventeen people died. Brown was hanged on December 2. -
Buchanan's last four months in office.
Seven Southern states seceded. They where South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. -
James send supplies to Fort Sumter in South Carolina
The Confederates forced the ships back. -
Buchanan's long political career ended.
Abraham Lincoln became the sixteenth U.S. president. -
James published Mr. Buchanan's Administration on the Eve of the Rebellion.
The work defended his actions as presidents. -
Buchanan dies.