Back James Buchanan Afrikaans ጄምስ ቡካነን Amharic James Buchanan AN Iacobus Buchanan ANG جيمس بيوكانان Arabic چيمس بيوكانان ARZ James Buchanan AST Ceyms Byukenen Azerbaijani جئیمز بیوکنن AZB James Buchanan BAN
James Buchanan, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Painting by George Peter Alexander Healy, 1859 | |
| 15th President of the United States | |
| In office March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861 | |
| Vice President | John C. Breckinridge |
| Preceded by | Franklin Pierce |
| Succeeded by | Abraham Lincoln |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 23, 1791 Cove Gap, Pennsylvania |
| Died | June 1, 1868 (aged 77) Lancaster, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Religion | Presbyterianism |
James Buchanan Jr. (April 23, 1791 – June 1, 1868) was an American politician who served as the 15th president of the United States.
He was the only president not to have married. His niece, Harriet Lane, stood in as First Lady. He was an experienced politician, and became president in 1857. His stances on slavery, and actions before the Civil War broke out, have been criticised by scholars.
In 1860, Buchanan announced that he would not be taking part in the election & supported Abraham Lincoln who eventually became president-elect just a week after his announcement in the 1860 election.
Historians rank Buchanan as one of the worst presidents in U.S. history.