The six ill -fated American presidents

[Jung Ji-Hoon]

James Buchanan

James Buchanan followed Franklin Pierce on the eve of the Civil War, and was just as ineffective. Even though he believed that secession was illegal, he did not believe that it was legal to go to war to prevent it, and so in essence was unable to prevent secession.

During his tenure, the Dred Scott Decision was announced, making any law prohibiting slavery in the territories illegal.

The battle over Kansas (whether it should be a free or slave state) and the Democratic party continued under him, as Southern pro-slavery Democrats vied for influence with Northern ones.

His time also saw the first world financial crisis, the Panic of 1857. He firmly believed the government's only role was to prevent similar occurrences, not to do anything about the current one ("reform, not relief").

Finally, the end of his presidency saw the actual secession of the South, and the beginning of the Civil War. Having escalated the situation at Fort Sumter by sending relief, he then alienated the North by not retaliating for the Confederate attack, and gladly handed the keys to the White House to Lincoln.