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 * Name:** President James Buchanan
 * Birth-Death Date:** April 23, 1791 – June 1, 1868
 * Political Party:** Democratic Party
 * Terms of Office:** 1 (March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861)
 * Vice President:** John C. Breckinridge

Being known as one of the worst Presidents in America, James Buchanan deserves an F for his lack of action to preserve the Union. He wanted to maintain peace between the North and the South, but because he simpthized with the South and their interests, both sides were dividing. He failed to understand that the North did not want to accept constitional doctrines that the south favored. He also did nothing when the South was seceding away from the Union because his opinion was that it was illegal to go to war with them and also he needed the small army to fight the Indians. During his presidency, he delt with issues such as the Dred Scott Case which also favored the South and formed two seperate political systems: Republican Party (North) who were anti slavery and the Democratic Party made up of mainly Southerners supporting slavery and state rights.

Going into office, Buchannan did not have many goals. He wanted to keep the peace between the North and the South which in turn failed because of disagreements on issues especially slavery. Another goal was to uphold the rights of people. He also wanted to persuade people to accept constitutional law which was interpreted by the Supreme Court. He wanted the support of the Southern Democrats by passing the Lecompton Constitution in Kansas that would make Kansas a slave state, but instead it splits the democratic party into two forms. Many of Buchanan's goals failed and made matters worse leading to the Civil War.

The relationship between Buchanan and Congress was not very good. In both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the majority party was democratic. The Kansas-Nebraska Act was an act that allowed Kansans to be a free or slave state by election. Buchanan was eager to keep the support of the proslavery Democrats, so he needed Congress to approve of the Lecompton Constitution in Kansas. This was very unpopular with the North because it was dominated by slaveholders. Even though voters in Kansas rejected the Constitution, Buchanan found a way to pass his bill through the house but it was stopped in the Senate by Stephen Douglas who led the Northerners. Later, Congress called for a new vote to pass the Constitution; this action angered the South. Buchanan and Douglas both wanted control of the Democratic Party causing Buchanan to lose control of this party.In Congress, Senator Stephen Douglas challenged Buchanan's endorsement of the Constitution plan. Douglas said that it was a fraud that was passed by only a small minority of the voters in Kansas and it also violated the principle of "popular sovereignty."

During Buchanan's presidency, his administration did not have any positive outcomes because sectionalism of the North and South lead to the uprising of the Civil War. A close positive action would be that he did not take the side of neither the North nor the South on the Slavery issue. If he took the side of the North, Southerners would be furiated and would want to secede from the Union earlier. Taking the side of the South would have led to many more anti-slave movements and thousands of deaths. Sectionalism had also formed two different political parties that either supported slavery or wanted it abolished. The Democratic Party also split into two; the Northern Democrats led by Douglas and the Southern Democrats. The Whig Party was also destroyed while the Republicans rose because of the different disagreements of issues. The most negative outcome of Buchanan presidency was not taking to action when the South was seceding from the Union. This succession led to a new Confederacy and all the southerners in his cabinet resigned.

Choosing to be inactive in the succession of the South, led to the war and the operations enabled by the Confederate government. Buchanan's lack of action angered the South which then led to violence escalating to war. Buchanan was eager to get out of the office leaving Lincoln to deal with the succession and the issue of slavery.

Buchanan deserves an F because after he left office, the two seperate Unions emerged into Civil War. The country was worse at the end of his presidency and even Buchanan himself was pleased to leave the office because he failed to take action and preserve the Union. He was also not fit for the job because it seemed like he just did not care what happened to the Union as if he wanted the Union to fall apart.

=**Bibliography:**= "American President: James Buchanan: Domestic Affairs." __Miller Center of Public Affairs__. 22 Oct. 2009 .

"Biography of James Buchanan." __Welcome to the White House__. 22 Oct. 2009 .

"James Buchanan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." __Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia__. 22 Oct. 2009 .