Who was James Buchanan?
James Buchanan was born in Cove Gap, Pennsylvania to James Buchanan and Elizabeth Speer Buchanan. He graduated from Dickinson College in 1809. Before his Presidency, Buchanan served in the House of Representatives, was Minister to Russia, and served in the Senate. He was Secretary of State and Minister to Great Britain under President Polk and President Pierce respectively. He was the only President to have never married; his niece Harriet Lane served as White House hostess. Buchanan hoped to use the Constitution as the Supreme Law of the Land and reach a compromise whereby the Union could be preserved. However, the North and South were not so quick to agree on Constitutional interpretation by the Supreme Court. Buchanan left office with this issue still unresolved.
