James Buchanan Jr. (1791 - 1868)

Born 23 Apr 1791 in Cove Gap, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States

Ancestors

Died 1 Jun 1868 at age 77 in Lancaster, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: US Presidents Project WikiTree [send private message]

James Buchanan Jr. was the President of the United States. Join: US Presidents Project Discuss: presidents

Preceded by 14th President Franklin Pierce Preceded by 16th Secretary John C. Calhoun Preceded by William Wilkins

James Buchanan 15th President of the United States 1857—1861 17th United States Secretary of State 1845—1849 US Senator (Class 3) from Pennsylvania 1834—1845

Succeeded by 16th President Abraham Lincoln Succeeded by 18th Secretary John M. Clayton Succeeded by Simon Cameron

Biography

James Buchanan Jr. is Notable.

James Buchanan, Jr.,^[1] is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only one who never got married^[2], and the last to be born in the Category: 18th Century.

Harriet Rebecca Lane Johnston acted as First Lady of the United States during the presidency of her uncle, lifelong bachelor James Buchanan, from 1857 to 1861.

Early Life

James Buchanan Jr. is a member of Clan Buchanan.

The Buchanans were Scotch-Irish.^[4] In 1783, James, Sr. emigrated from Donegal, Ireland.^[5] He and his wife had 5 sons, and six daughters.^[6].

In 1797, the family moved nearby to Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, where their home was later converted into the James Buchanan Hotel.^[7]

Education

Buchanan attended the village academy (Old Stone Academy) and later Dickinson College. Although expelled for behavior, he eventually graduated with honors on 19 September 1809. Later that year he moved to Lancaster, and studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1812.

Military

A Federalist, James initially opposed the War of 1812, but when the British invaded Maryland, he joined a volunteer light dragoon unit to defend Baltimore.

Politics

Called "doughface," Buchanan was "a Northerner with Southern sympathies," which caused problems when it came to slavery. He could not maintain peace between the North and South, so the South seceded, heralding a looming civil war.^[8]

• Democrat
• Minister to the UK (23 Aug 1853 – 15 Mar 1856)
• 17th Secretary of State (10 Mar 1845 – 07 Mar 1849)
• Senator: PA (06 Dec 1834 – 05 Mar 1845}
• Minister to Russia (04 Jan 1832 – 05 Aug 1833)
• Chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary (04 Mar 1829 – 04 Mar 1831)
• House of Reps: PA 4th district (04 Mar 1823 – 04 Mar 1831)
• House of Reps: PA 3rd district (04 Mar 1821 – 04 Mar 1823)

Religion

• Religion: Presbyterian

Fraternal Affiliation

• Freemason:^[9] Initiated: 11 Dec1816, Lodge No. 43, Lancaster, PA; Master of Masonic Lodge No. 43. Lancaster, PA; District Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.^[10]

Death

bur. Woodward Hill Cemetery, Lancaster, PA

Most Distant Known Ancestors

Paternal Thomas Buchanan

Link to 10 Generation Paternal Chart

Maternal Mary Patterson

Link to 10 Generation Maternal Chart

Legacy

Three states have named counties in honor of President Buchanan: Iowa, Missouri and Virginia.

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia: James Buchanan; White House; Memorial #143, Find a Grave
2. ↑ numerous historians claim James Buchanan was gay. See: Loewen, J; Salon.com; 2012, May 14. Our real first gay president and Robert Watson, Affairs of State: The untold story of presidential love sex and scandal, 1789-1900, Plymouth, 2012. Page 247. Cf. McSweeney’s: “SO, UH… JAMES BUCHANAN? (PART II)” by Chris White.
3. ↑ Franklin County, Pennsylvania Buchanan's Birthplace State Park; [1])
4. ↑ create category for Scotch- Irish?
5. ↑ second of eleven children, 3 died in infancy.
6. ↑ ^{[citation needed]}; need to find siblings
7. ↑ (in 2012 a pub and restaurant)[2]
8. ↑ Wikipedia
9. ↑ other Pres. Freemasons
10. ↑ Wikipedia

• Wikipedia

• Portrait & Bio. Album of Mahaska Co. IA (1887)

• Find A Grave: Memorial #143