James Buchanan: A Legacy of Failure
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When James Buchanan—America’s 15th president—took office, the country was ready to explode over the issue of slavery. Buchanan thought he could avert civil war. Instead, his every action (and inaction) made it inevitable.
Script:
James Buchanan should have been prepared to be president. He had served as a congressman, a senator, a cabinet member, and an ambassador. He certainly wanted the job. He sought the office four times.
But when he finally achieved his ambition in 1856 and became the fifteenth president of the United States, his impressive resume did him little good. When he left office in 1861, the country was on the brink of civil war.
James Buchanan was born in a log cabin on April 23, 1791, in Cove Gap, Pennsylvania. His Irish-born father, James Senior, lived the classic early 19th-century immigrant story: he worked hard, lived frugally, and prospered. He and his American-born wife, Elizabeth, had great ambitions for their son, James Junior, and with the exception of a few stumbles—like getting kicked out of college for drunkenness—he didn’t disappoint them.
Pursuing a legal career, young James moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he took a strong interest in local affairs. Elected to Congress in 1820 as a Federalist, he switched his allegiance to the newly-formed Democratic Party in 1824, becoming a devoted follower of Andrew Jackson.
He supported states’ rights, a strict reading of the Constitution, and was sympathetic to Southern interests, including, of course, slavery. Northerners with such inclinations were known by their political opponents as “doughfaces,” men who were overly deferential to Southern grievances. Buchanan was more than happy to return the insult. He despised Northern abolitionists who, he believed, threatened the stability of the Union with their “extremist” views.
In 1844, he took his first run at the Democratic presidential nomination. He lost to former Tennessee governor James Polk. In 1848, he lost to Michigan Senator Lewis Cass. In 1852, he lost yet again, this time to New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce. In 1856, the stars finally aligned. Buchanan won the Democratic nomination and then the presidency by defeating legendary explorer and abolitionist John Frémont of the newly-formed, anti-slavery Republican Party.
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Most corrupt to serve as president until Harding, Nixon, Reagan, Bush Jr and Trump. He should have been impeached and removed for corruption and bribery scandals that heavily and rightfully ruined his own career and repution because he did not use his brains and just did nothing to solve serious problem by being too passive and a helpless coward.
The civil war was caused when the south decided to take up arms to defend owning human beings as property, nothing else
My father's family tree in Pennsylvania included President Buchanan and the Presidents Harrison's. However, to balance it out on my mothers side was Hanks so I am also distantly related to Abraham Lincoln. Seems the self made man from abject poverty made the best President and Man for his times.
Wheres the George Bush Jr Legacy of failure?
Interesting, thanks. As a 6th generation Texan, I recall the old heads in my family reminiscing how Gov. Houston refused Lincoln's offer of sending a Federal Army to the Lone Star state in 1860-61 prior to the war. My great grandparents speculated that Gen. Sam was considering how to avoid joining the Confederacy by taking Texas back to Republic. The McCollough brothers' control in the legislature ended all that, my folk's concluded.
If Fremont had won the election vs Buchanan, wouldn't this have accelerated the Civil War?
When a State left the union, there was no longer any "Federal" property, it became the States property.
Is this an example of history repeating itself? Change the main point of contention from slavery to illegal immigration. Reverse the stances of North (anti)/South(pro) to promoting and condoning illegal rights (North pro) vs complying with the Constitution (South). Insert the lie that modern Constitutionalists are racist for wanting the rule of law, and that they are destroying America. Promote the lie that EVERY argument for rule of law is evil, and any politician, judge or action supporting it should be immediately suppressed (cancelled) by any means including violent response. Now insert a President who has been a completely ineffective politician for over 40 years, and a self-gratifying gritter who has been "on the wrong side of every foreign policy for 40 years". When this finally gets to the point that the Kommiecrats insist on giving these 20 million (5-7M in the last 3 years) ILLEGAL immigrants ALL rights and privileges afforded to natural born and LEGALLY sworn American citizens, there very well may be a divide among America that could rival the 1860-65 conflict for states rights. Meanwhile the new President will be left to deal with it while the old President who caused the strife slips out the back door with his Million$, and blames it all on the new guy!
What was he supposed to do? Invade the south like Lincoln resulting in a million deaths?
SAME INITIALS! What are the odds?!
The video doesn’t mention the Utah War which was the worst part of his presidency. He was a people pleaser with no backbone who said and cried that he was going to be the last president. I was never taught about his presidency in school and had to learn through my own research. Unfortunately he was not the worst, but luckily we had Lincoln next. The next time we have a major conflict we might be so lucky.
This has to be a joke account right ? The meme is too good
Interesting video… thought provoking!!! Is the drafting of new legislation by the Biden administration with supposed "bi-partisan" support for executive-orders to ban private sale of guns through ATF rules on the radar?? Fourteen house republicans and fifteen in the senate… C. Noir?? Supposed "Safer Communities Act" obviously leading the way to "gulag archipelago" dissident arrests and prosecutions?? Turning private sales illegal for both handgun and rifle/shotgun? Or requiring the purchase of class 3 license and "universal background" for eventual national registry followed inevitably by widespread confiscation… as the DNC cult faction have openly expressed intentions in history and memory? M. Mcconnell and twenty-nine other republicans who believe that the "high" gun-violence… "gun-free" zone is the path to lower crime and mortality rate?? All cities being DNC controlled and having populations over 250,000 "gun-free/high-gun-violence"?? What of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights… inalienable… see definition- immutable, irrevocable, nonnegotiable, untransferable, absolute. The rights "God-given" that would exist if there were no government at all? These "negative" rights safeguarded by the Constitution of the United States of America are in danger and erasure-edited every day… Freedom of speech and religion, freedom of assembly, seizure of property/quartering of troops… the second amendment? As if new litigation and professional cause fighter politicians will ensure safety to voting citizenry… I will put my faith in caliber weight of handgun and thirty or better caliber rifle… and Bible teaching and tenant. Will you believe that politician "professional" and litigation will leap from shadow to save citizenry at three o'clock A.M.?? When seconds count law enforcement is hours/minutes where?? Independance… or concern versus fear… fear is path of a tyrant palace… I fear tyrannical government. What do tyrants and tyrannical governments fear??? The new normal… can have a big cup of get f#%k'd! Freedom the dream of the brave…
What is the point of this nonsense? Other than to push the implicit message "republicans good" and display this guy bad hair dye job there is no point to this BS.
Sometimes if you do not succeed, you are not meant to.
Not a fan of Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was responsible for the Trail of Tears. He broke the treaty Jefferson had with the Indians. The treaty protected the Native American Indians and their land/property/homestead if they colonized among the Europeans in the states. Which they did and many intermarried.
Ethnic cleansing as new Europeans coming over did not want any Indians living among them whether colonized or not. They were scared of them.
Yet, our US Constitution was inspired by respected Indian Chiefs our founding fathers befriended.
15,000 died on the trail if tears. 😢
The question I ask historians all the time is "Did the people who voted for Abraham Lincoln KNOW there would be a war if he were elected?" Even though I find slavery to be repugnant, I think I would not have voted for somebody I knew being elected would cause a war.
When are you gonna talk more about how “radical” abolitionist were? You cockroaches?
prager u trying to turn kids into this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOV_xzpQmmI
0:34 on April 23, 1791 both Virginia and West Virginia were the same state: Virginia. You could have at least tried to get that correct on your map. Also, Ohio and Michigan were not states yet, but you have their boundaries drawn in.
You need to do a better job with your historical maps.
Go whitetrash Florida Nazis!!
Can someone help me come back to the GOP?
Er
Teach "what is fascism, and how Trump is a fascist."
That'd be a service.
Can you do one on the Tulsa race massacres of 1921?
The expertise in which this video twist and points at its point is shameful and amazing. Who’s paying for this?
He understood the rights of the people of the States to govern themselves. He understood the Union was voluntary.
That bastard. He was not like dictator Lincoln. BTW: My family fought for NH via a Mass. Regiment (Union).
Another video from PragerU promoting Righteous Cause mythology though to be fair it wasn't as bad as some of the others. Slavery did not cause the war but instead it was the Republicans lust for control over the Federal government and later the Confederate States of America.
John Brown raided the federal armory at Harper's Ferry seizing thousands of muskets with which he planned to arm a slave insurrection and carve out his own country from within the United States of America. A fun fact about John Brown is that the first person he murdered at Harper's Ferry was a free black man of color for the "crime" of ignoring him. Why does PragerU continue to simp for this treasonous psychopath?
Bogus content from politicians IMPERSONATING an educational institution. Please call yourselves what you are, political hacks trying to push your opinionated beliefs on people as though they are historical facts.
Maine was a slave state ore-civil war. Last time I checked it was as far north as you can go.
Ought to make sure your vids are at least historically accurate.
As a left winger this is one of the few PragerU videos I completely agree with. The number of dislikes on the video is quite revealing of the audience however.
Buchanans' legacy just shows the risks of trying to thread the needle in public affairs.
This video is really oversimplified, and at times inaccurate. Sloppy work.
Buchanan is unfairly blamed for the Civil War. Routinely labeled the worst POTUS, he is actually underrated – because he wasn't that bad. The idea that he caused the Civil War is pretty ridiculous.