Buchanan was elected to the Pennsylvania
House of Representatives in 1814.
He entered the U.S. House of Representatives
in 1821 and the U.S. Senate in
1834. He resigned in 1845 to become
secretary of state under President James
K. Polk. During that time Texas became
a state. This led to a war with Mexico
because Mexico claimed part of Texas.
Buchanan helped settle another border
dispute that came up during his time as
secretary of state. The dispute was with
Great Britain over the boundary
between Canada and the Oregon
Territory.
Buchanan ran for president twice in the
1840s but lost. He became minister to
Great Britain after Franklin Pierce won
the election of 1852. While in Europe
Buchanan helped write the Ostend
Manifesto. That report recommended
April 23, June 1,
1791 1834 1845 1856 1860 1861 1868
Buchanan is
born near
Mercersburg,
Pennsylvania.
Buchanan
becomes a
U.S. senator.
Buchanan
becomes
secretary of
state under
President James
K. Polk.
Buchanan is
elected
president.
Abraham
Lincoln is
elected to
replace
Buchanan as
president.
Seven Southern
states leave the
Union before
Buchanan
leaves office.
Buchanan
dies in
Pennsylvania.
T I M E L I N E
James Buchanan was the 15th president of
the United States.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Buchanan, James 139
that the United States take Cuba from
Spain, by force if necessary. The Ostend
Manifesto increased Buchanan’s popularity
because the nation wanted to gain
more territory.
Presidency
In 1856 the Democratic Party nominated
Buchanan for president and John
C. Breckinridge for vice president.
“Buck and Breck,” as they were called,
won the election.
As president, Buchanan handled foreign
affairs well. At home, however, he
stumbled over the question of slavery.
The split between the slave states of the
South and the free states of the North
widened. Several Southern states threatened
to withdraw from the Union.
Buchanan disapproved of slavery, but he
wanted to hold the country together. He
believed the United States might avoid a
civil war if Northerners stopped protesting
slavery and the government protected
slave owners.
In 1860 the Democratic Party split into
Northern and Southern groups. Neither
group wanted Buchanan as its presidential
nominee. The split led to the election
of the antislavery Republican
candidate, Abraham Lincoln. As Buchanan’s
term was ending, he could not
stop seven Southern states from leaving
the Union. The result was the American
CivilWar, which began in 1861.
Retirement and Death
Buchanan retired to his home near Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, in March 1861.
During his retirement, critics in both
the North and the South attacked him
for his efforts at compromise. Buchanan
died on June 1, 1868, near Lancaster.
..More to explore
American CivilWar • Lincoln, Abraham
• Pierce, Franklin • Slavery • United
States
Bucharest
Population
(2007 estimate)
1,931,838
Bucharest is the capital of Romania, a
country in eastern Europe. It is the largest
city in Romania. Bucharest is also a
center of culture and industry. Several
factories in the city make electrical
equipment and various kinds of
machines. Others make chemicals,
cloth, clothing, and processed foods.
Culture, shopping, and industry help make
Bucharest a lively city.
James
Buchanan was
the only president
who was
never married.
140 Bucharest BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
People have lived in the Bucharest area
for many thousands of years. By the
mid-1400s it was part of a state called
Walachia. Vlad III, the prince ofWalachia,
built the fort of Bucharest. The
fort was intended to protectWalachia
from attacks by the Turks. Eventually,
however, the Turkish Ottoman Empire
took over the area. Under the Turks
Bucharest became the main economic
center ofWalachia. In 1659 Bucharest
becameWalachia’s capital.
In 1859Walachia became part of the
new country of Romania. Bucharest was
declared the capital of Romania in 1862.
In the early 1900s Bucharest grew as the
most important city of a large country.
DuringWorldWar II (1939–45) Bucharest
was damaged by bombing. After the
war the center of the city was rebuilt.
Building projects made the city larger
and more modern.
..More to explore
Romania
Budapest
Population
(2008 estimate)
1,702,297
Budapest is the capital of Hungary, a
country of central Europe. It is the largest
city in the country. Budapest is also
an important center of culture, education,
and science.
Budapest lies on both banks of the
Danube River. The city has two main
sections: Buda and Pest. These sections
sit on opposite banks of the river. Several
bridges connect them. Buda features
many hills. Pest is fairly flat.
More than 100 natural hot springs are
found in Budapest. Many spas, or
resorts, are built around these springs.
Partly because of this, Budapest is a
major tourist site.
Budapest is also Hungary’s center of
transportation, manufacturing, and
banking. Factories in the city make electronics,
communications equipment,
chemicals, cloth, and processed foods.
Others make buses, railroad equipment,
and boats.
In ancient times the Romans built a
town on the site of Budapest. Hungarians
came to the area in the 800s. They
