James Buchanan, the 15th president of the United States (1857–1861), had a presidency marked by significant and controversial actions amid rising sectional tensions that led to the Civil War.

Key Actions and Accomplishments as President

• Dred Scott Decision : Buchanan actively influenced the Supreme Court's pro-slavery ruling in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case, which declared that blacks were not citizens and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories. Buchanan hoped this decision would settle the slavery issue, but it instead intensified sectional conflict

• Kansas and Slavery : He supported the admission of Kansas as a slave state under the Lecompton Constitution, aligning with Southern interests and alienating many Northern Democrats and Republicans

• Efforts to Avert Civil War : Buchanan worked to prevent secession but took a passive stance once Southern states began to secede, refusing to use federal power to stop them. He is the only president who did not seek reelection partly to avoid further dividing the country

• Economic Policy : His administration saw economic growth through policies favoring free trade and open immigration, although the Panic of 1857 caused a major depression affecting the North severely

• Infrastructure : Buchanan supported important infrastructure projects, including the early stages of the transcontinental railroad

• Foreign Policy and Alaska : He pursued an ambitious foreign policy aimed at expanding U.S. influence in Central America and the Caribbean. Notably, he initiated negotiations to purchase Alaska from Russia, a move initially criticized but later viewed as advantageous for the U.S.

• Civil Rights : Buchanan was the first president to appoint a Black man to a prominent government position, showing some advocacy for civil rights despite his overall pro-slavery stance

Legacy

Buchanan's presidency is widely criticized for his failure to prevent the Civil War and his alignment with Southern pro-slavery interests. Historians often rank him among the worst U.S. presidents due to his inability to reconcile the nation during its most critical period

. In summary, Buchanan's presidency was a complex mix of attempts at economic development and infrastructure expansion overshadowed by his controversial handling of slavery and sectional conflict, which ultimately failed to prevent the nation's slide into civil war.