James Buchanan — 15th President of the United States
15th President of the United States, Democratic
James Buchanan
Term: Mar 4, 1857 – Mar 4, 1861
James Buchanan (1791–1868) was the fifteenth president of the United States, serving from 1857 to 1861, and is the only president never to have married. His term coincided with the deepening national crisis over slavery that led directly to the Civil War: seven Southern states seceded before he left office, and Buchanan took the position that secession was illegal but that the federal government had no authority to prevent it by force. Historians have consistently ranked him among the least effective presidents for his failure to act decisively as the Union fractured.
“I must humbly invoke the God of our fathers for wisdom and firmness to execute its high and responsible duties in such a manner as to restore harmony and ancient friendship among the people of the several States and to preserve our free institutions throughout many generations.”