Vice President: John C. Breckinridge (1857 - 1861)
Born: April 23, 1791, Cove Gap (near Mercersburg), Pennsylvania
Nickname: "Old Buck"
Education: Dickinson College (graduated 1809)
Religion: Presbyterian
Marriage: None
Career: Lawyer
Political Party: Democrat
Writings:Mr. Buchanan’s Administration on the Eve of the Rebellion (1866); Works of James Buchanan (12 vols., 1908-1911), ed. by John Bassett Moore
Died: June 1, 1868, near Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Buried: Woodward Hill Cemetery, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
James Buchanan Trivia:
Graduated Dickinson College (1809). Secretary of State under Polk. In 1857 Buchanan recommended a pro-slavery Kansas constitution. The constitution was rejected and Buchanan lost northern support. 1858 northern candidates opposing Buchanan won a majority in both houses of Congress. 1859 John Brown was seized at Harpers Ferry and hanged for his attempt to start a slave revolt. February 4, 1861 seven southern states formed the Confederacy. By the time Buchanan was 30 years old, he had amassed a fortune of $ 300,000. He was never married, so the duties of White House hostess were performed by his niece, Harriet Lane. One of his eyes was nearsighted and the other farsighted. As a result he always cocked his head to the left. Buchanan tired of being president and refused to run for reelection.
