- James buchanans full#
- James buchanans free#
Having already filled up all the territory where slavery was allowed under the Missouri Compromise with existing states, popular sovereignty, or the introduction of new territory, was the only way slavery could be expanded. While popular sovereignty may have sounded like the fairest way to decide the issue, it was basically a ruse by proslavery forces as a way of spreading slavery.
James buchanans free#
On the issue of slavery, and it’s extension, Buchanan believed in “popular sovereignty”, which would allow residents of a territory to decide for themselves whether a territory would become a free state or slave state by popular vote.
This was very disingenuous, since Buchanan himself actually changed the scope of the case and knew the decision beforehand. It threw out “Once free, always free” laws that stated a slave became free upon entering a free state or territory.Ĭlearly Buchanan thought that by agreeing with the case’s decision before it was handed down, he would help it to garner public support.
It stated that the 5th Amendment protected slave owners’ rights, because slaves were protected property. citizens and thus had no right to sue in court. It stated that all people of African descent, whether free or slave, were not U.S. It threw out the Missouri Compromise stating that Congress did not have the authority to prohibit slavery in the territories. Chief Justice Roger Taney wrote the decision in Dred Scott v Sanford, which had three main declarations: Buchanan then went on to convince fellow Pennsylvanian, Justice Robert Cooper Grier, to allow the court to leverage the case into a much broader decision that would repeal the Missouri Compromise. Carton had responded to Buchanan that the decision would be against Dred Scott, but it would be a narrow decision without northern support. He had written Justice John Carton in January inquiring about the case, and suggesting that a broader decision should be returned. Why was Buchanan so willing to accept the court’s decision in the Dred Scott case? Because Buchanan had interfered in the decision as president elect. Buchanan stated that the territorial question was “happily, a matter of but little practical importance” since the Supreme Court was about to settle it “speedily and finally”, and proclaimed that when the decision came, he would “cheerfully submit, whatever this may be”. The Dred Scott case involved a slave who had been brought to the free Wisconsin territory. James Buchanan started his presidency under the shadow of the impending Dred Scott decision. So why do I rank Buchanan so poorly if I don’t blame him for the Civil war? Quite frankly, he was an awful president even before states started seceding from the Union. You could argue that Buchanan just had the bad luck of being the president when the slavery issue erupted over the election of the first Republican president. If any of the other three candidates had won the election, it is highly doubtful that states would have started seceding from the union. The catalyst for secession was the election of Abraham Lincoln and the realization in the South that they were now a minority on the national stage. Buchanan deserves some of the blame, but he wasn’t fully responsible for secession or the war that it led to. Whereas Buchanan didn’t handle the secession crisis in an optimal manner, he certainly could have acted in a far worse manner than what he did. Most recent historical polls rate James Buchanan as the worst president ever, with the justification being that Buchanan single handedly caused the Civil War. James buchanans full#
To see the most up to date full rankings, and where each president ranks follow the link here: Presidential Rankings This is an entry in my Presidential Rankings series.
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