James Buchanan served as the 15th President of the United States from 1857-1861. It was a Wednesday, March 4, 1857 when he delivered his inaugural address. That same month, the Supreme Court of the United States decided the Dred Scott Case. The four years of Buchanan's term were spent trying to avoid a civil war.
Although he campaigned for president on the theme "Save the Union," ironically it would be the events that occurred during Buchanan's term of office that would lead to the start of the Civil War (1861-1864). Before Buchanan left office in March of 1861, seven states had seceded from the Union and the Confederate States of America was formed.
Together with the Dred Scott decision, it was "John Brown's War" and the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 that were the deciding events for the southern states' secession.
Buchanan, strongly supported the Union effort after leaving the presidecy in 1861. He retired completely from public life and lived at Wheatland until his death on June 1, 1868 at the age of 77. He is buried at Wheatland.
