Nate+T.+-+JB+-+FA09

Quote from //
 * //"Whatever the result may be, I shall carry to my grave the consciousness that I at least meant well for my country."

James Buchanan:** 15th President of the United States. born in Cove Gap, Penn. on April 15, 1791. died on June 1, 1868 in Lancaster, Penn. He was 77 years and 39 days old.

Democratic Party
 * Party:**

John Breckenridge (1857-1861), later served in the Confederate Army.
 * Vice President:**

Buchanan served one term as President 1857-1861.
 * Terms:**

James Buchanan was tall, stately, stiffly formal in the high stock he wore around his jaw, and was not the most sucessful president as he disliked the presidency. "My dear sir, if you are as happy on entering the White House as I on leaving, you are a happy man indeed." he wrote to Abe Lincoln and left in the white house after his depature; this shows his dislike for his term and how he was happy on leaving it. Buchanan's Presidency deserves a F plus as he is arguably the worst president to have taken office but he did do a little good (came right before one of the greatest in Abe Lincoln. Was Lincoln that good or was the standard set low?). He let the decision of the Dred Scott case to the supreme court and supported the Lecompton Constitution, which angered mainy of his fellow democrats. He was also president during the Panic of 1857 which the government found itself with a lose in revenue. He relationship with colleage Stephen A. Douglas also plauged his administration.In March 1857, Buchanan received false reports that Governor Brigham Young of the Mormon-dominated Utah Territory was planning a revolt. In November of that year, Buchanan sent the Army to replace Young as Governor with the non-Mormon Alfred Cumming before either confirming the reports or notifying.Army's inadequate supplies, and the failure of the President to verify the reports of rebellion and warning the territorial government of his intentions led to widespread condemnation of Buchanan from Congress and the press, who labeled the war "Buchanan's Blunder". When Young agreed to be replaced by Cumming and to allow the Army to enter the Utah Territory and establish a base, Buchanan attempted to save face by issuing proclamations detailing his merciful pardoning of the "rebels". These were poorly received by both Congress and the inhabitants of Utah.
 * Rating:**

Buchanan thought the crisis (of slavery and the disagreements of the north and south) would disappear if he maintained a sectional balance in his appointments and could persuade the people to accept constitutional law as the Supreme Court interpreted it. The Court was considering the legality of restricting slavery in the territories, and two justices hinted to Buchanan what the decision would be. First off in his Inargural Adress Buchanan swore that he would not be running for second term (which turned out good for him.), and refered to the matter of the North and South disagreements as "happily, a matter of but little practical importance" which started president Buchanan on a low note as the issues where of importance. Very early into Buchanans Presidency the Dred Scott case emerged as the slave ,Scott, tried to sue for his freedom because he had lived on free land but worked as a slave for his owner. The supreme court quickly answered this by saying that Congress had no constitutional power to exclude slavery and slaves where considered property that could be taken anywhere as long as they are purchased property. This allowed people to have slaves in free soil states such as New York as long as the slave was purchased in the south. Buchanan personally favored slaveowners' rights and he sympathized with the abonlitionists.
 * Goals:**

Buchanan mainly disagreed with what congress tried to pass through him since the majority in the house of representives changed to republican. Such as the matter of Kannas he sent a full group of administators to help with the Lecompton Constitution ,and he fully supported the Constitution. Even though the voters in Kansas had rejected the Lecompton Constitution, Buchanan managed to pass his bill through the House, but it was blocked in the Senate by Northerners led by Stephen A. Douglas. Eventually, Congress voted to call a new vote on the Lecompton Constitution. Only problem with congress that Buchanan had was in the Senate behind the supporters of Stephen A. Douglas. Buchanan and Douglas fought over the power of the slowly diminshing power of the democratic party (at the time). Douglas took control over Buchanan and used his power to upsurt Buchanan whenever possible. He did have a problem with congress during the Utah War when after recieving false reports of a morman Rebelion Buchanan sent the Army to take over and replace govener Brigham Young with non-morman Alfred Cumming. Since winter came and the army had to camp in Wyoming the mishap was settled but congress amply named it "Buchanan's Blunder".
 * Relationship with Congress:**

Buchanan didnt have anything good about his presidency as he was as happy to leave as Lincoln was to enter. During the Kansas issues President Buchanan made more enemys in his own party by supporting the Lecompton Constitution. During his entire term he had disagreements with a member of his party in Stephen A. Douglas. Many bills that he veoted during his term where offered to him by the now republican house of represenitives and they started to hate him in turn. They named the Utah War after Buchanan calling it "Buchanan's Blunder". His relationship with congress wasnt good and he relied heavly on the rulling of the Supreme Court for things to do with being constitutional or not. If he made a smart decision he made it in his Inargural Adresss when he stated that he would not run a for a second term, which almost certainly he would have lost anyway. Also keeping the country out of seccesion was a success for his presidency.
 * Biggest Decision:**

Buchanan helped only two future "presidents" as one is Stephen A. Douglas, and the actual soon to be leader Abe Lincoln. Douglas after his many disputes with Buchanan became on the Democratic nominee's for president against Lincoln. He helped in secureing Lincolns Greatness as he himself when he left applied low standards on the incoming president so the bar was not set high for the 6'4" Lincoln. Buchanan did however push for a compromise between states and that the soon to be "cotton states" would not secede from the union. A lot like his presidency his ideas where failures as these states after six weeks into Lincoln's Presidency they seceded from the union to form the confederacy.
 * Future Presidents:**

It may be impossible to tell whether or not the country was better off without James Buchanan, but there is a little bit of insight that may be allowed. Buchanan though a failure as a president did however clear a path for senator Douglas and Lincoln. He also was a believer in compromise as he tried to keep the union together after he left office. Without his presidency the civil war may have started a years before it would have started with Lincoln. Though unavoidable as the civil war was he did keep it from happening for four years in his term. Thats why he deserves a F plus.
 * Buchanan Better or Worse?**

"Biography of James Buchanan." __Welcome to the White House__. 20 Oct. 2009 .
 * Bibliography:**

"James Buchanan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." __Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia__. 20 Oct. 2009 .

Kennedy. __American Pagent Complete, Twelfth Edition and Bailey Spring, Volume 1 and 2, Tenth Edition__. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co, 1900.

"President Buchanan." __Classroom Help Home Page__. 20 Oct. 2009 <http://www.classroomhelp.com