James Buchanan was the 15th president of the United States. He served from 1857 to 1861, during the build-up to the Civil War.

• James Buchanan Jr. was the 15th president of the United States, serving prior to the American Civil War. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the United States Secretary of State and in both houses of Congress before becoming president.
• Born: April 23, 1791, Cove Gap, PA
• Died: June 1, 1868, President James Buchanan’s Wheatland, PA
• Presidential term: March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861
• Battles/wars: War of 1812 • Defense of Baltimore
• Vice president: John C. Breckinridge (1857–1861)
• Siblings: Elizabeth E. Buchanan, Edward Young Buchanan
• First president born in Pennsylvania.
• First president to be a bachelor.
• First president to meet a member of the British Royal Family while in office. (He met the future king Edward VII, then Prince of Wales, in 1860 during his tour of America).
• First president to have his inauguration photographed.