born April 23, 1791, near Mercersburg, Pa., U.S.
died June 1, 1868, near Lancaster
15th president of the U.S. (1857–61).
He was admitted to the bar in 1812 and soon established a successful law practice. He was elected to the Pennsylvania legislature in 1814 and later served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1821–31), as minister to Russia (1832–34), and in the U.S. Senate (1834–45). He was secretary of state in the cabinet of Pres. Ostend Manifesto . In 1856 he was elected president as a Democrat, defeating {{link=Fr%C3%A9mont, John Charles">John C. Frémont . Although experienced in government and law, he lacked the courage to deal effectively with the slavery crisis, and he equivocated on the question of Kansas's status as a slaveholding state. The ensuing split within his party allowed Abraham Lincoln to win the election of 1860. He denounced the secession of South Carolina following the election and sent reinforcements to Fort Sumter but failed to respond further to the mounting crisis. He was the only president never to have married.
James Buchanan, photograph by Mathew Brady.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.