# James Buchanan

_President of the United States from 1857 to 1861_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/james-buchanan
Last updated: 2026-10-19

> James Buchanan Jr. was the 15th president of the United States, serving from 1857 to 1861. A Democrat from Pennsylvania, he upheld a pro-slavery interpretation of the U.S. Constitution that did little to reverse the sectional crisis between the North and South. In his final months in office, seven Southern states seceded, forming the Confederacy. On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter, starting the American Civil War.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 23 April 1791 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12325#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Stony Batter ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12325#P19))
- **Died:** 1 June 1868 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12325#P570))
- **Place of death:** Lancaster ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12325#P20))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12325#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; diplomat; lawyer; statesperson; ambassador ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12325#P106))
- **Political party:** Democratic Party ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12325#P102))
- **Education:** Dickinson College ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12325#P69))
- **Positions held:** President of the United States (4 March 1857 – 4 March 1861); President-elect of the United States (4 November 1856 – 4 March 1857); United States Secretary of State (10 March 1845 – 7 March 1849); United States senator (4 March 1845 – 5 March 1845); United States senator (4 March 1843 – 4 March 1845); United States senator (4 March 1841 – 4 March 1843); United States senator (4 March 1839 – 4 March 1841); United States senator (4 March 1837 – 4 March 1839); United States senator (4 March 1835 – 4 March 1837); United States senator (6 December 1834 – 4 March 1835); United States ambassador to the Russian Empire (11 June 1832 – 5 August 1833); United States representative (4 March 1823 – 3 March 1831); United States representative (4 March 1821 – 4 March 1823); member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1814–1816); senator ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12325#P39))

## Questions

**When was James Buchanan born?**  
James Buchanan was born on 23 April 1791 in Stony Batter.

**What positions has James Buchanan held?**  
Positions held by James Buchanan include: President of the United States (1857–1861); President-elect of the United States (1856–1857); United States Secretary of State (1845–1849); United States senator (1845–1845); United States senator (1843–1845).

**Where did James Buchanan study?**  
James Buchanan was educated at Dickinson College.

## Related

- [Barack Obama](https://diginpl.com/people/barack-obama)
- [Donald Trump](https://diginpl.com/people/donald-trump)
- [Ronald Reagan](https://diginpl.com/people/ronald-reagan)
- [Abraham Lincoln](https://diginpl.com/people/abraham-lincoln)
- [George W. Bush](https://diginpl.com/people/george-w-bush)
- [Joe Biden](https://diginpl.com/people/joe-biden)
- [Thomas Jefferson](https://diginpl.com/people/thomas-jefferson)
- [James Madison](https://diginpl.com/people/james-madison)
- [John Quincy Adams](https://diginpl.com/people/john-quincy-adams)
- [James Monroe](https://diginpl.com/people/james-monroe)
- [Martin Van Buren](https://diginpl.com/people/martin-van-buren)
- [Mike Pompeo](https://diginpl.com/people/mike-pompeo)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): James Buchanan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Buchanan) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): जेम्स बुकानान](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B8_%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q12325](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12325) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: James Buchanan (cropped).jpg by From Brady daguerreotype (Mathew Brady) (1822-1896) (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Buchanan_(cropped).jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article James Buchanan, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: James Buchanan (cropped).jpg — From Brady daguerreotype (Mathew Brady) (1822-1896), Public domain.

## Cite this page

"James Buchanan". DigiNepal. Last updated 19 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/james-buchanan. Retrieved 21 October 2026.