On April 23, 1791, future President James Buchanan was born in Pennsylvania.  Prior to becoming President, he served as a congressman, a senator and a diplomat.  To date, he is the most recent Secretary of State to later serve as President.

It was perhaps his quest for diplomatic reconciliations which led him to repeatedly make blunders during his presidency when it came to policies in the US. He realized that slavery was a weakness for the US morally, but refused to step in and do anything to stop it.  In addition to vacillating on issues of slavery, he vetoed the Morrill Act and Homestead Act (both of which his successor, Abraham Lincoln signed).  The Homestead Act accelerated westward expansion, while the Morrill Act accelerated agricultural and engineering research and education to develop the young nation.

He served only one term (1857 to 1861) and was not seriously considered for renomination by the divided Democratic Party in its 1860 convention.  Several Democrats ran in November 1860 including southerner John C. Breckenridge (Buchanan’s Vice President) and Illinois Senator Stephen Douglas, who was Buchanan’s nemesis.  Buchanan backed Breckenridge. Abraham Lincoln handily won the 1860 election, and Buchanan spent the rest of his life pretty much in exile.

Buchanan Street in Little Rock is named for him.