*Welcome to the fifteenth installment in the “Hail To The Chief” series. Each week, I will share with readers lesser-known facts and details about each of our former U.S. Presidents. We’ve all sat in a classroom and been forced to memorize the same ol’ dates and information about these men, so I’m going to bring you the trivial tidbits that aren’t talked about but are so integral to understanding the person behind the office.
James Buchanan, born on April 23, 1791, in Cove Gap, Pennsylvania, was the second of eleven children in a prosperous family of Irish immigrants. Raised in the frontier of western Pennsylvania, Buchanan excelled in academics, graduating from Dickinson College in 1809. He studied law in Lancaster and was admitted to the bar in 1812. His legal career thrived, and he quickly became involved in politics, serving in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Buchanan's early political alignment with the Federalist Party gave way to Jacksonian Democratic principles, leading to his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1820. His diplomatic skills were recognized, and he served as Minister to Russia under President Andrew Jackson, a role that enhanced his political reputation.
Buchanan's ascent to the presidency was marked by extensive political and diplomatic experience. He served as a U.S. Senator, Secretary of State under President James K. Polk, and Minister to the United Kingdom under President Franklin Pierce. His tenure in these roles fortified his reputation as a seasoned statesman, though his views on slavery and states' rights garnered both support and criticism. In 1856, Buchanan was elected the 15th President of the United States, running as a Democrat with Southern sympathies at a time when the nation was deeply divided over the issue of slavery. His presidency, however, would be marred by his inability to address the escalating tensions between the North and South, leading to his legacy as a president whose actions—or lack thereof—contributed to the onset of the Civil War. Repeatedly, Buchanan is ranked as one of America’s worst presidents by historians.
At any rate, here are some lesser-known facts about our 14th President:
Buchanan remains the only U.S. president who never married. His niece, Harriet Lane, acted as First Lady during his presidency, as James had been a lifelong bachelor and was well into his sixties. Harriet Lane lost both of her parents by eleven. Jane’s (Harriet’s mother) brother, then-Senator James Buchanan of Pennsylvania, became Harriet’s legal guardian. Buchanan was once engaged to Anne Coleman, but she broke off the engagement and later died under mysterious circumstances, possibly by suicide.
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