The presidency of James Buchanan began on March 4, 1857, when James Buchanan was inaugurated as 15th president of the United States , and ended on March 4, 1861. Buchanan, a Democrat from Pennsylvania , took office as the 15th United States president after defeating John C. Frémont of the Republican Party and former President Millard Fillmore of the American Party in the 1856 presidential election . He declined to seek re-election and was succeeded by Republican Abraham Lincoln .
211-589: Buchanan was nominated by the Democratic Party at its 1856 convention , where he defeated both the incumbent President Franklin Pierce and Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas . Despite his long experience in government, Buchanan was unable to calm the growing sectional crisis that would divide the nation at the close of his term. Prior to taking office, Buchanan lobbied the Supreme Court to issue
422-589: A Bachelor of Arts in September 1838, he spent the following winter as a "resident graduate" at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). Returning to Kentucky in mid-1839, he read law with Judge William Owsley . In November 1840, he enrolled in the second year of the law course at Transylvania University in Lexington, where his instructors included George Robertson and Thomas A. Marshall of
633-495: A Congressman from Arkansas ), Frances (b. 1848), John Milton (b. 1849), John Witherspoon (b. 1850), and Mary Desha (b. 1854). Gaining confidence in his ability as a lawyer, Breckinridge moved his family back to Lexington in 1845 and formed a partnership with future U.S. Senator James B. Beck . A supporter of the Mexican–American War, Breckinridge sought appointment to the staff of Major General William Orlando Butler ,
844-579: A Democrat. Reed's goal in China was to negotiate a new treaty that would win for the United States the privileges Britain and France had forced on China in the war. Reed did well in this. The Treaty of Tientsin (1858) granted American diplomats the right to reside in Peking, reduced tariff levels for American goods, and guaranteed the free exercise of religion by foreigners in China. The treaty helped set
1055-682: A broad ruling in Dred Scott v. Sandford . Though Buchanan hoped that the Court's ruling would end the dispute over slavery in the territories, Buchanan's support of the ruling deeply alienated many Northerners. Buchanan also joined with Southern leaders in attempting to gain the admission of Kansas to the Union as a slave state under the Lecompton Constitution . In the midst of the growing chasm between slave states and free states ,
1266-523: A candidate for president at the 1852 Democratic National Convention , and after the 1852 election he agreed to serve as Pierce's ambassador to Britain . Buchanan's service abroad conveniently placed him outside of the country while the debate over the Kansas–Nebraska Act roiled the nation. Powerful Senators like John Slidell , Jesse Bright , and James A. Bayard lined up behind Buchanan, presenting him as an experienced leader who could appeal to
1477-550: A candidate, delegates voted to reconvene in Baltimore, Maryland, on June 18. Pro-Southern delegates, who had walked out of the Charleston convention in protest of its failure to adopt a federal slave code plank in its platform, did not participate in the Baltimore convention. The delegates from Alabama and Louisiana – all of whom had walked out at Charleston – had been replaced, after five days of debate and holding votes on
1688-650: A collection of constitutional amendments designed to avert secession and appease the South. Breckinridge used his influence as the Senate's presiding officer in an unsuccessful attempt to get it approved by either the committee or the Senate. Ultimately, the committee reported that they were unable to agree on a recommendation. On March 4, 1861, the last day of the session, Breckinridge swore in Hannibal Hamlin as his successor as vice president. Hamlin, in turn, swore in
1899-469: A federal slave code should protect the rights of slave owners in any federal territory. He alluded to a pending Supreme Court case, Dred Scott v. Sandford , which he stated would permanently settle the issue of slavery. Buchanan already knew the outcome of the case and had even played a part in its disposition. Associate Justice Robert C. Grier leaked the decision of the "Dred Scott" case early to Buchanan. In his inaugural address Buchanan declared that
2110-439: A federal slave code. Seven Southern delegation chairmen walked out on the convention in reaction to the party platform. After Southern leaders bolted from the convention, Caleb Cushing , a Buchanan ally who had won election as chair of the convention, ruled that the presidential ballot would require a two-thirds majority of all delegates (including the bolters), meaning that the nominee would have to win support from five-sixths of
2321-565: A free and fair referendum on any state constitution. Shortly after arriving in Kansas, Walker remarked that an "isothermal line" (i.e. the climate) had made Kansas unsuitable to slavery, angering pro-slavery leaders in Kansas and across the United States. In October 1857, the Lecompton government organized territorial elections that resulted in a pro-slavery legislature, despite Walker's discovery of fraud in several counties. The convention framed
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#17327661017472532-455: A free state in the final months of Buchanan's presidency; the Southern senators blocking a free Kansas had withdrawn, because their states had seceded. Guerrilla warfare in the state would continue throughout Buchanan's presidency and extend into the 1860s, when it became a relatively minor theater of the wider American Civil War . The battle over Kansas escalated into a battle for control of
2743-559: A friend that Breckinridge was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, but as late as January 1860, Breckinridge told family members that he had no desire for the nomination. A New York Times editorial noted that while Buchanan was falling "in prestige and political consequence, the star of the Vice President rises higher above the clouds." Douglas, considered the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination,
2954-743: A fusion ticket in the North, but they achieved little success outside of New Jersey. With the Democrats divided, Lincoln won the 1860 election with a plurality of the popular vote and a majority of the electoral vote. Lincoln won virtually no support in the South, but his strong performance over Douglas in the North gave him a majority of the electoral vote. Breckinridge won most of the South, Bell won Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and Douglas won Missouri and three electoral votes in New Jersey. Despite Lincoln's presidential victory, Republicans failed to win
3165-583: A large margin in Owen County, which reported 123 more votes than eligible voters living in the county. Grateful for the support of the reliably Democratic county, he gave his son John Witherspoon Breckinridge the nickname "Owen". Of the 234 members of the House, Breckinridge was among the 80 who were returned to their seats for the Thirty-third Congress . Due to his increased seniority, he
3376-725: A love interest, former classmate Thomas W. Bullock and he departed for the Iowa Territory on October 10, 1841, seeking better opportunities. They considered settling on land Breckinridge had inherited in Jacksonville, Illinois , but they found the bar stocked with able men such as Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln . They continued on to Burlington, Iowa , and by the winter of 1842–1843, Breckinridge reported to family members that his firm handled more cases than almost any other in Burlington. Influenced by Bullock and
3587-1021: A majority in the House or Senate, and the Supreme Court membership remained largely the same as it had been when it issued the Dred Scott decision. Thus, despite the election of a Republican president, slavery in the South faced no immediate danger. As early as October, the army's Commanding General , Winfield Scott , warned Buchanan that Lincoln's election would likely cause at least seven states to secede. He recommended that massive amounts of federal troops and artillery be deployed to those states to protect federal property, and warned that few reinforcements were available. Buchanan, however, distrusted Scott (the two had long been political adversaries) and ignored his recommendations. After Lincoln's election, Buchanan directed Secretary of War Floyd to reinforce southern forts with as many provisions, arms and men as were available; however, Floyd convinced him to revoke
3798-465: A majority of residents. Under President Pierce, a series of violent confrontations known as " Bleeding Kansas " occurred as supporters of the two governments clashed. The situation in Kansas was watched closely throughout the country, and some in Georgia and Mississippi advocated secession should Kansas be admitted as a free state. Buchanan himself did not particularly care whether or not Kansas entered as
4009-463: A moderate legislator. An ally of Illinois' Stephen A. Douglas, Breckinridge supported the doctrine of popular sovereignty as expressed in Douglas's Kansas–Nebraska Act. He believed passage of the act would remove the issue of slavery from national politics – although it ultimately had the opposite effect – and acted as a liaison between Douglas and Pierce to secure its passage. During the debate on
4220-582: A national character", he sought to increase Kentucky's federal allocation for construction and maintenance of rivers and harbors, and supported bills that benefited his district's hemp farmers. Returning home from the legislative session, Breckinridge made daily visits with Henry Clay, who lay dying in Lexington, and was chosen to deliver Clay's eulogy in Congress when the next session commenced. The eulogy enhanced his popularity and solidified his position as Clay's political heir apparent. He also campaigned for
4431-478: A new and larger Chamber, this Constitution vigorous and inviolate, and that the last generation of posterity shall witness the deliberations of the Representatives of American States, still united, prosperous, and free." Breckinridge then led a procession to the new chamber. Breckinridge opposed the idea that the federal government could coerce action by a state, but maintained that secession, while legal,
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#17327661017474642-629: A peaceful separation of these States than to see endless, aimless, devastating war, at the end of which I see the grave of public liberty and of personal freedom." On August 1, he declared that, if Kentucky sided with the federal government against the Confederacy, "she will be represented by some other man on the floor of this Senate." Kentucky's neutrality was breached by both federal and Confederate forces in early September 1861 (the Federal forces maintained that there had been no breach, as Kentucky
4853-565: A personal grudge due to Buchanan's veto of a land grant bill for agricultural colleges. Despite this criticism, the Democratic committee members, as well as Democratic witnesses, were equally enthusiastic in their pursuit of Buchanan as were the Republicans. The committee was unable to establish grounds for impeaching Buchanan; however, the majority report issued on June 17 exposed corruption and abuse of power among members of his cabinet, as well as allegations (if not impeachable evidence) from
5064-426: A platform devoted to keeping slavery out of all Western territories, defeated the splintered Democratic Party and Constitutional Union candidate John Bell to win the 1860 election . In response to Lincoln's victory, seven Southern states declared their secession from the Union. Buchanan refused to confront the seceded states with military force, but retained control of Fort Sumter . However, in its last two months
5275-472: A private agent to negotiate peace. The mission succeeded, the new governor was shortly placed in office, and the Utah War ended. The president granted amnesty to all inhabitants who would respect the authority of the government, and moved the federal troops to a nonthreatening distance for the balance of his administration. Though he continued to practice polygamy, Young largely accepted federal authority after
5486-431: A pro-slavery state constitution (known as the " Lecompton Constitution ") and, rather than risking a referendum, sent it directly to Buchanan. Though eager for Kansas statehood, even Buchanan was forced to reject the entrance of Kansas without a state constitutional referendum, and he dispatched federal agents to bring about a compromise. The Lecompton government agreed to a limited referendum in which Kansas would vote not on
5697-529: A prominent Kentucky Democrat, but Butler could only offer him an unpaid aide position and advised him to decline it. In July 1847, Breckinridge delivered an address at a mass military funeral in Frankfort to honor Kentuckians killed in the Battle of Buena Vista . The oration brought Whig Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky, whose son was among the dead, to tears, and inspired Theodore O'Hara to write " Bivouac of
5908-429: A promotion to major general on April 14, 1862. After his promotion, he joined Earl Van Dorn near Vicksburg, Mississippi . The Confederate forces awaited a Union attack throughout most of July. Finally, Van Dorn ordered Breckinridge to attempt to recapture Baton Rouge, Louisiana , from federal forces. Despite having his forces reduced to around 3,000 by illness and desertions, on the morning of August 5, he attacked
6119-525: A series of three elaborate, conjoined row houses in which to live during their time in Washington, DC . In November 1857, after Breckinridge found alternative lodging in Washington, he sold a slave woman and her young infant, which according to historian James C. Klotter , probably ended his days as a slaveholder. When Breckinridge did not travel to Illinois to campaign for Douglas's re-election to
6330-456: A slave state, and instead sought to admit Kansas as a state as soon as possible since it would likely tilt towards the Democratic Party. Rather than restarting the process and establishing one territorial government, Buchanan chose to recognize the pro-slavery Lecompton government. In his first Annual Message to Congress , in December 1857, he urged that Kansas be admitted as a slave state under
6541-527: A thought that was not full of devotion to the Constitution and the Union." While he had very little support in the northern states, most, if not all, of the southern states were expected to go for Breckinridge. This would give him only 120 of 303 electoral votes, but to gain support from any northern states, he had to minimize his connections with the southern states and risked losing their support to Bell. Some Breckinridge supporters believed his best hope
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6752-455: Is regarded as an effective military commander. Though well liked in Kentucky and other Southern states, he was reviled by many in the North as a traitor. John Cabell Breckinridge was born at Thorn Hill, his family's estate near Lexington, Kentucky, on January 16, 1821, the fourth of six children and only son of Joseph "Cabell" Breckinridge and Mary Clay (Smith) Breckinridge. His mother was
6963-532: The Dred Scott decision , which asserted that Congress had no constitutional power to exclude slavery in the territories. Prior to his inauguration, Buchanan had written to Justice John Catron in January 1857, inquiring about the outcome of the case and suggesting that a broader decision would be more prudent. Catron, who was from Tennessee , replied on February 10 that the Supreme Court's Southern majority would decide against Scott, but would likely have to publish
7174-759: The Louisville Courier because of its pro-Confederate editorials. Word reached Breckinridge that Union General Thomas E. Bramlette intended to arrest him next. To avoid detainment, on September 19, 1861, he left Lexington. Joined in Prestonsburg by Confederate sympathizers George W. Johnson , George Baird Hodge , William Preston, and William E. Simms , he continued to Abingdon, Virginia , and from there by rail to Confederate-held Bowling Green, Kentucky . The state legislature immediately requested his resignation. In an open letter to his constituents dated October 8, 1861, Breckinridge maintained that
7385-554: The 36°30′ parallel . Each new state would instead decide upon the status of slavery under the concept of popular sovereignty . The bill was very unpopular in the North, and its passage contributed to the collapse of the Whig Party and the rise of the Republican Party, which consisted almost entirely of Northerners opposed to the expansion of slavery into the territories. Though few Republicans sought to abolish slavery in
7596-552: The Dred Scott decision. Clifford's nomination was opposed by many Northern senators, but he won confirmation in a 26-to-23 vote. A second vacancy arose after the death of Peter Vivian Daniel in 1860, and Buchanan nominated Attorney General Black to fill the opening. In the aftermath of the election of 1860, Black fell just one vote short of confirmation, leaving one Supreme Court seat open as Buchanan left office. Aside from Clifford, Buchanan appointed only seven other Article III federal judges, all to United States district courts . In
7807-536: The Eighth District 's congressional seat, but he declined, supporting Alexander Keith Marshall , the party's unsuccessful nominee. As a private citizen, he opposed the Wilmot Proviso that would have banned slavery in the territory acquired in the war with Mexico. In the 1848 presidential election , he backed the unsuccessful Democratic ticket of Lewis Cass and William Butler. He did not vote in
8018-657: The Electoral College . The final electoral vote was 180 for Lincoln, 72 for Breckinridge, 39 for Bell, and 12 for Douglas. Although Breckinridge won the states of the Deep South , his support in those states came mostly from rural areas with low slave populations; the urban areas with higher slave populations generally went for Bell or Douglas. Breckinridge also carried the border states of Maryland and Delaware. Historian James C. Klotter points out in light of these results that, while Douglas maintained that there
8229-818: The First Lady , at the White House. In the lame duck session following the election, Congress adopted a resolution authored by Lazarus Powell, now in the Senate, calling for a committee of thirteen (Committee of Thirteen on the Disturbed Condition of the Country) "to consider that portion of the President's message relating to the disturbances of the country." Frank Heck wrote that Breckinridge appointed "an able committee, representing every major faction." He endorsed Crittenden's proposed compromise ,
8440-537: The Fugitive Slave Law , an end to anti-slavery agitation, and U.S. "ascendancy in the Gulf of Mexico ." Buchanan led on the first ballot, boosted by the support of powerful Senators John Slidell , Jesse Bright , and James A. Bayard , who presented Buchanan as an experienced leader who could appeal to the North and South. President Pierce and Senator Stephen A. Douglas also sought the nomination, but Buchanan
8651-509: The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 and subsequent violence known as " Bleeding Kansas " from the civil strife in the Kansas Territory during its campaign for statehood. Two notable Democratic politicians, President Pierce and Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois , were seen as being at the center of the controversies, which led many party members to look elsewhere for a new compromise candidate for president. James Buchanan had been
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8862-495: The Kentucky Court of Appeals . On February 25, 1841, he received a Bachelor of Laws and was licensed to practice the next day. Breckinridge remained in Lexington while deciding where to begin practice, borrowing law books from the library of John J. Crittenden, Thomas Crittenden's father. Deciding that Lexington was overcrowded with lawyers, he moved to Frankfort, but was unable to find an office. After being spurned by
9073-789: The Lincoln-Douglas debates between Douglas and the Republican candidate, former Congressman Abraham Lincoln . Buchanan, working through federal patronage appointees in Illinois, ran candidates for the legislature in competition with both the Republicans and the Douglas Democrats. This could easily have thrown the election to the Republicans—which showed the depth of Buchanan's animosity toward Douglas. In his 1858 re-election bid, Douglas defeated Lincoln, who warned that
9284-576: The Morrill Act , which would have granted public lands to establish land-grant colleges . Buchanan argued that these acts were beyond the power of the federal government as established by the Constitution. Following the secession of several Southern states, Congress passed the Morrill Tariff , significantly raising rates. Despite his long opposition to higher tariffs, Buchanan signed the tariff into law on March 2, 1861. The Morrill Tariff raised
9495-616: The Orphan Brigade because its men felt orphaned by Kentucky's Unionist state government, the brigade was in Buckner's 2nd Division of the Army of Mississippi , commanded by General Albert Sidney Johnston . For several weeks, he trained his troops in the city, and he also participated in the organization of a provisional Confederate government for the state . Although not sanctioned by the legislature in Frankfort, its existence prompted
9706-490: The Panic of 1857 struck the nation, causing widespread business failures and high unemployment. Tensions over slavery continued to the end of Buchanan's term. Buchanan had promised in his inaugural address to serve just one term, and with the ongoing national turmoil over slavery and the nature of the Union, there was a deep yearning for fresh leadership within the Democratic Party. Republican nominee Abraham Lincoln , running on
9917-510: The Republican nominee. Much of the private rhetoric of the campaign focused on unfounded rumors regarding Frémont—talk of him as president taking charge of a large army that would support slave insurrections, the likelihood of widespread lynchings of slaves, and whispered hope among slaves for freedom and political equality. Sticking with the convention of the times, Buchanan did not himself campaign, but he wrote letters and pledged to uphold
10128-580: The Russian Empire , possibly as a colony for Mormon settlers, but the U.S. and Russia were unable to agree upon a price. The Alaska purchase would later be made in 1867, negotiated by William Seward as Secretary of State. In China, the U.S. was neutral in the Second Opium War of 1856–58. Buchanan appointed William Bradford Reed as Minister to China in 1857–58. Reed had helped Buchanan win in 1856 by persuading old-line Whigs to support
10339-739: The Salt Lake City area, and in September 1857 the Utah Territorial Militia perpetrated the Mountain Meadows massacre against Arkansans headed for California. Buchanan was also personally offended by the polygamous behavior of Young. Accepting the wildest rumors and believing the Mormons to be in open rebellion against the United States, Buchanan sent the army in November 1857 to replace Young as governor with
10550-527: The United States Capitol . Chief Justice Roger Taney administered the Oath of office . This is the first inauguration ceremony known to have been photographed. In his inaugural address, Buchanan committed himself to serving only one term. He also spoke critically about the growing divisions over slavery and its status in the territories, stating, "It is the imperative and indispensable duty of
10761-592: The War of 1812 ; he was expected to win the election easily. In April, the candidates held a debate in Frankfort, and in May, they jointly canvassed the district, making daily speeches. Breckinridge reiterated his strict constructionist view of the U.S. Constitution and denounced the protective tariffs advocated by the Whigs, stating that "free thought needs free trade". His strong voice and charismatic personality contrasted with
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#173276610174710972-487: The Young America movement that he was too old and had not made his stance on slavery clear. The attacks came from the pages of George Nicholas Sanders 's Democratic Review , and on the House floor from several men, nearly all of whom supported Stephen Douglas for the nomination. These men included California 's Edward C. Marshall , who was Breckinridge's cousin. Their attacks ultimately hurt Douglas's chances for
11183-423: The "Ashland district" because it contained Ashland , the estate of Whig Party founder Henry Clay, and much of the area Clay once represented, the district was a Whig stronghold. In the previous congressional election, Democrats had not even nominated a candidate. Breckinridge's opponent, Leslie Combs , was a former state legislator whose popularity was bolstered by his association with Clay and his participation in
11394-635: The 14th and youngest-ever vice president of the United States . Serving from 1857 to 1861, he took office at the age of 36. He was a member of the Democratic Party , and ran for president in 1860 as a Southern Democrat . He served in the U.S. Senate during the outbreak of the American Civil War , but was expelled after joining the Confederate Army . He was appointed Confederate Secretary of War in 1865. Breckinridge
11605-508: The 1858 elections, Senator Jefferson Davis of Mississippi and fellow Southern radicals sought to pass a federal slave code that would protect slavery in the territories, thereby closing the loophole contemplated by Douglas's Freeport Doctrine. In February 1859, as debate over the federal slave code began, Davis and other Southerners announced that they would leave the party if the 1860 party platform included popular sovereignty, while Douglas and his supporters likewise stated that they would bolt
11816-495: The 1858 elections, but he had alienated Buchanan and much of the South with his stance on slavery in the territories. Some Southern Democrats, especially those from the Deep South, preferred a Republican president to Douglas because the election of a Republican president would encourage secession. After a long and acrimonious fight, the convention adopted a platform favoring Douglas's conception of popular sovereignty and rejecting
12027-467: The American victories at Contreras and Churubusco . To hide his involvement, Pillow convinced a subordinate to take credit for the letter he wrote. Breckinridge biographer William C. Davis writes that it was "most unlikely" that Breckinridge knew the details of Pillow's intrigue. His role in the proceedings was limited to questioning a few witnesses; records show that Pillow represented himself during
12238-623: The Assembly chose Breckinridge over Joshua Fry Bell , the defeated candidate in the August gubernatorial election, by a vote of 81–53. In his acceptance speech, delivered to the Kentucky House of Representatives on December 21, Breckinridge endorsed the Supreme Court 's decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford , which ruled that Congress could not restrict slavery in the territories, and insisted that John Brown 's recent raid on Harpers Ferry
12449-401: The Battle of Shiloh as Johnston tried to force Grant's troops into the river. Despite Johnston being killed in the fighting, the Confederates made steady progress against Grant's troops until P. G. T. Beauregard – who assumed command after Johnston's death – ordered his generals to break off the fighting at about 6 o'clock in the afternoon. The next day, the Union forces regrouped and repelled
12660-563: The Breckinridges extended his visit, and after he contracted influenza , he decided to remain for the summer rather than returning to Iowa's colder climate. He met Bullock's cousin, Mary Cyrene Burch , and by September, they were engaged. In October, Breckinridge went to Iowa to close out his business, then returned to Kentucky and formed a law partnership with Samuel Bullock, Thomas's cousin. He married on December 12, 1843, and settled in Georgetown, Kentucky . The couple had six children – Joseph Cabell (b. 1844), Clifton Rodes (b. 1846; later
12871-498: The Buchanan Administration took a much stiffer anti-Confederate position, as Southerners resigned. The president announced that he would do all within his power to defend Fort Sumter, thereby rallying Northern support. Key anti-Confederate leaders included the new Attorney General Edwin Stanton and the new Secretary of War Joseph Holt . The secession crisis culminated in the outbreak of the American Civil War shortly after Buchanan left office. Historians condemn him for not forestalling
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#173276610174713082-497: The Buchanan administration was "undoubtedly the most corrupt [administration] before the Civil War and one of the most corrupt in American history." In March 1860, the House created the Covode Committee to investigate the administration for evidence of corruption, bribery, and extortion. The committee, with three Republicans and two Democrats, was accused by Buchanan's supporters of being nakedly partisan; they also charged its chairman, Republican Congressman John Covode , with acting on
13293-416: The Buchanan administration. Buchanan and his allies in Congress worked systematically to undermine Douglas. By 1860 they had weakened his influence in the party; they had stripped away his patronage and removed him from the powerful chairmanship of the Committee on Territories. He was much weaker inside the Senate than before. Nevertheless, Douglas had a powerful base outside Washington in the northern wing of
13504-409: The Confederacy to admit Kentucky on December 10, 1861. Johnston's forces were forced to withdraw from Bowling Green in February 1862. During the retreat, Breckinridge was put in charge of Johnston's Reserve Corps. Johnston decided to attack Ulysses S. Grant 's forces at Shiloh, Tennessee on April 6, 1862, by advancing North from his base in Corinth, Mississippi . Breckinridge's reserves soon joined
13715-589: The Confederate States of America. 1856 Democratic National Convention The 1856 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention that met from June 2 to June 6 in Cincinnati , Ohio . It was held to nominate the Democratic Party 's candidates for president and vice president in the 1856 election . The convention selected former Secretary of State James Buchanan of Pennsylvania for president and former Representative John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky for vice president. Incumbent Democratic President Franklin Pierce 's standing with
13926-412: The Confederate army days earlier. On December 2, 1861, he was declared a traitor by the U.S. Senate. A resolution stating "Whereas John C. Breckinridge, a member of this body from the State of Kentucky, has joined the enemies of his country, and is now in arms against the government he had sworn to support: Therefore—Resolved, That said John C. Breckinridge, the traitor, be, and he hereby is, expelled from
14137-404: The Confederates were unable to hold the city. Breckinridge withdrew his troops at 10 o'clock. Later that month, Breckinridge served as an independent commander in the lower Mississippi Valley , securing Confederate control of the area by taking Port Hudson , which helped halt the federal advance down the Mississippi River. Meanwhile, General Braxton Bragg , commanding the Army of Mississippi,
14348-430: The Confederates. Breckinridge's division formed the Confederate rearguard, stationing itself on the ground that the Confederates held the night before the first day of the battle while the rest of the army retreated. Union troops did not pursue them. Of the 7,000 troops under Breckinridge's command at the battle, 386 were killed and 1,628 were wounded, Breckinridge among the latter. Breckinridge's performance earned him
14559-411: The Congress find a solution that would preserve the Union. During its half century in the chamber, the Senate had grown from 32 to 64 members. During those years, he observed, the Constitution had "survived peace and war, prosperity and adversity" to protect "the larger personal freedom compatible with public order." Breckinridge expressed hope that eventually "another Senate, in another age, shall bear to
14770-419: The Constitution made no provision for secession and that such an act would be unconstitutional. He stated that a "revolution" is justifiable in some instances, but argued that the South should wait for an "overt or dangerous" act before resorting to such a drastic action. Despite his opposition to secession, Buchanan argued that the president had no power to coerce states to remain in the Union, though he did state
14981-417: The Court. When Buchanan urged the nation to support the decision, he already knew what Taney would say. Republican suspicions of impropriety turned out to be fully justified. Historians agree that the address was a major disaster for Buchanan as the Dred Scott decision dramatically inflamed tensions leading to the Civil War. In 2022 historian David W. Blight argues that the year 1857 was, "the great pivot on
15192-616: The Covode Committee report throughout the nation as campaign material in that year's presidential election. The 1860 Democratic National Convention convened in April 1860 in Charleston, South Carolina . Buchanan had decided to stick to his pledge to serve just one term, but his administration actively sought a successor who would uphold his policies. Stephen Douglas had emerged as the most popular Northern Democratic leader after
15403-579: The Dead ". Breckinridge again applied for a military commission after William Owsley , the governor of Kentucky, called for two additional regiments on August 31, 1847. Owsley's advisors encouraged the Whig governor to commission at least one Democrat, and Whig Senator John J. Crittenden supported Breckinridge's application. On September 6, 1847, Owsley appointed Manlius V. Thomson as colonel, Thomas Crittenden as lieutenant colonel, and Breckinridge as major of
15614-752: The Democratic Party that was increasingly hostile to the president and his southern supporters. Douglas's debates with Lincoln in 1858 drew national attention, with Democrats reading the debates and hailing Douglas as the victor, allowing him to emerge as the favorite to win the party nomination for president in 1860. Buchanan appointed one Justice to the Supreme Court of the United States , Nathan Clifford of Maine. Clifford had served with Buchanan in James K. Polk 's cabinet, and his views on major issues largely aligned with those of Buchanan. Clifford succeeded Benjamin Robbins Curtis , who had resigned in protest of
15825-590: The Democratic Party. In 1859, he was elected to succeed Senator John J. Crittenden at the end of Crittenden's term in 1861. After Southern Democrats walked out of the 1860 Democratic National Convention , the party's northern and southern factions held rival conventions in Baltimore that nominated Douglas and Breckinridge, respectively, for president. A third party, the Constitutional Union Party , nominated John Bell . These three men split
16036-410: The Democratic Party. On one side were Buchanan, most Southern Democrats, and "doughface" Northern Democrats; on the other side were Douglas and most Northern Democrats, as well as a few Southerners. Douglas's faction continued to support the doctrine of popular sovereignty , while Buchanan insisted that Democrats respect the Dred Scott decision and its repudiation of federal interference with slavery in
16247-451: The Democratic platform. In the election, Buchanan carried every slave state except for Maryland, as well as five free states, including his home state of Pennsylvania. He won 45 percent of the popular vote and 174 electoral votes , compared to Frémont's 114 electoral votes and Fillmore's 8 electoral votes. Buchanan's election made him the first and only president from Pennsylvania. In his victory speech, Buchanan denounced Republicans, calling
16458-401: The Democrats carry his home state of Kentucky, which the party had not won since 1828 , by 6,000 votes. Buchanan and Breckinridge received 174 electoral votes to 114 for Republicans John C. Frémont and William L. Dayton and eight for Know Nothing candidates Millard Fillmore and Andrew Jackson Donelson . Thirty-six years old at the time of his inauguration on March 4, 1857, Breckinridge
16669-507: The Eighth District, making multiple speeches a day between May and August. Letcher was an experienced campaigner, but his popular, anecdote-filled oratory was unpolished, and he was prone to outbursts of anger when frustrated. By contrast, Breckinridge delivered calm, well-reasoned speeches. Cassius Clay, a political enemy of Letcher's for years, endorsed Breckinridge, despite their differences on slavery. Citing this endorsement and
16880-432: The House , but he refused to allow his own nomination and voted with the majority to elect fellow Kentuckian Linn Boyd . Despite this, the two were factional enemies, and Boyd assigned Breckinridge to the lightly regarded Committee on Foreign Affairs . Breckinridge's first speech, and several subsequent ones, were made to defend William Butler, again a presidential aspirant in 1852 , from charges leveled by proponents of
17091-414: The House floor, New York 's Francis B. Cutting , incensed by a statement that Breckinridge had made, demanded that he explain or retract it. Breckinridge interpreted Cutting's demand as a challenge to duel . Under code duello , the individual being challenged retained the right to name the weapons used and the distance between the combatants; Breckinridge chose rifles at 60 paces. He also specified that
17302-504: The Kentucky General Assembly, he continued to advocate peaceful reconciliation of the states and proposed a conference of border states to seek a solution. On April 12, Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter , ending plans for the conference. Breckinridge recommended that Governor Beriah Magoffin call a sovereignty convention to determine whether Kentucky would side with the Union or the Confederacy. On May 10, he
17513-402: The Kentucky congressional delegation to support the compromise as a "fair, equitable, and just basis" for settlement of the slavery issue in the newly acquired U.S. territories. Breckinridge felt that the resolution was too vague and authored a minority report that explicitly denied federal authority to interfere with slavery in states and territories. Both sets of resolutions, and a set adopted by
17724-525: The Lecompton Constitution. Historians have taken one of two approaches to the Kansas policy. Allan Nevins presents a "melodramatic" interpretation. He argues that Buchanan honestly wanted a constitution ratified by genuine residents. His firmness weakened in the face of pro-Southern factions in his cabinet and party and he retreated. Roy Nichols takes a "legalist" approach arguing that Buchanan only submitted one issue, slavery itself, to
17935-467: The Lecompton Constitution. In a December 1857 meeting with Stephen Douglas, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Territories and an important Northern Democrat, Buchanan demanded that all Democrats support the administration's position of admitting Kansas under the Lecompton Constitution. Facing re-election and outraged by the perceived fraud in Kansas, Douglas broke with Buchanan and attacked
18146-509: The Lecompton Constitution. On February 2, Buchanan transmitted the Lecompton Constitution to Congress. He also transmitted a message that attacked the "revolutionary government" in Topeka, conflating them with the Mormons in Utah. Buchanan made every effort to secure congressional approval, offering favors, patronage appointments, and even cash for votes. The Lecompton Constitution won the approval of
18357-570: The Minnesota Territory thwarted an attempt by Breckinridge's fellow investors (not including Breckinridge) to secure approval of a railroad connecting Dubuque, Iowa , with their investments near Superior, Wisconsin , they petitioned Pierce to remove Gorman and appoint Breckinridge in his place. In 1855, Pierce authorized two successive investigations of Gorman, but failed to uncover any wrongdoing that would justify his removal. During his time away from politics, Breckinridge also promoted
18568-527: The North and South. While Buchanan did not overtly seek the presidency, he also took no action to discourage his supporters. Called to order at noon on Monday, June 2, by the National Committee chair Robert Milligan McLane , Samuel Medary was made the temporary president. The first day, the convention appointed committees on credentials, organization, and resolutions. On the second day the organization committee ( John L. Dawson , chair) report
18779-527: The North, except in Buchanan's home state of Pennsylvania, leaving Buchanan with a narrow base of Southern supporters. However, the Freeport Doctrine further diminished Douglas's support in the South, which was already in decline following his refusal to support the Lecompton Constitution. The division between Northern and Southern Democrats helped the Republicans win a plurality in the House in
18990-468: The Republican Party a "dangerous" and "geographical" party that had unfairly attacked the South. President-elect Buchanan would also state, "the object of my administration will be to destroy sectional party, North or South, and to restore harmony to the Union under a national and conservative government." Buchanan was inaugurated as the nation's 15th president on March 4, 1857, on the East Portico of
19201-581: The Republican members of the committee, that Buchanan had attempted to bribe members of Congress in connection with the Lecompton constitution. The Democratic report, issued separately the same day, pointed out that evidence was scarce, but did not refute the allegations; one of the Democratic members, Rep. James Robinson , stated publicly that he agreed with the Republican report even though he did not sign it. Buchanan claimed to have "passed triumphantly through this ordeal" with complete vindication. Nonetheless, Republican operatives distributed thousands of copies of
19412-533: The Senate confirmed the nomination, Breckinridge declined it on February 8, 1855, telling Pierce only that his decision was "of a private and domestic nature." His term in the house expired on March 4. Desiring to care for his sick wife and rebuild his personal wealth, Breckinridge returned to his law practice in Lexington. In addition to his legal practice, he engaged in land speculation in Minnesota territory and Wisconsin . When Governor Willis A. Gorman of
19623-477: The Senate and gave him only a lukewarm endorsement, relations between them worsened. Functioning as the Senate's presiding officer, Breckinridge's participation in the chamber's debates was also restricted, but he won respect for presiding "gracefully and impartially." On January 4, 1859, he was asked to deliver the final address in the Old Senate Chamber ; in the speech, he expressed his desire that
19834-613: The Senate in March, but a combination of Know-Nothings, Republicans, and Northern Democrats defeated the bill in the House. Rather than accepting defeat, Buchanan backed the English Bill , which offered Kansans immediate statehood and vast public lands in exchange for accepting the Lecompton Constitution. Despite the continued opposition of Douglas, the English bill won passage in both houses of Congress. Despite congressional approval of
20045-446: The Senate, were all laid on the table . On March 4, 1850, three days before the end of the session, Breckinridge took a leave of absence to care for his son, John Milton, who had become ill; he died on March 18. Keeping a busy schedule to cope with his grief, he urged adoption of the proposed constitution at a series of meetings around the state. His only concern with the document was its lack of an amendment process. The constitution
20256-620: The Senate," was adopted by a vote of 36–0 on December 4. Ten Southern Senators had been expelled earlier that year in July. On the recommendation of Simon Bolivar Buckner , the former commander of the Kentucky State Militia who had also joined the Confederate Army, Breckinridge was commissioned as a brigadier general on November 2, 1861. On November 16, he was given command of the 1st Kentucky Brigade. Nicknamed
20467-415: The South, Breckinridge and Bell garnered the most support. Like his successful Whig predecessors, Lincoln largely refrained from campaigning after the convention, instead leaving that to others in the party. In his silence, Lincoln failed to refute the charge of Southern radicals that he hoped to abolish slavery. During the summer and fall of 1860, Southern governors corresponded about potentially seceding from
20678-424: The South, Seward's remarks and the subsequent Republican victories in the 1858 elections caused many in the South to believe that the election of a Republican president would lead to the abolition of slavery. The election losses served as a Northern rebuke to the Buchanan administration, and Republican control of the House allowed Republicans to block much of Buchanan's agenda in the second half of his term. Following
20889-457: The South, Southerners saw the very existence of the Republican Party as an affront, and the Republicans made little effort to appeal to the South with any of their other policies, such as support for high tariffs and federally-funded internal improvements . Upon taking office, Buchanan hoped to not only end the tensions over slavery but also vanquish what he saw as a dangerously sectional Republican Party. The most pressing issue regarding slavery
21100-497: The South, to Buchanan's 135, with Douglas and Lewis Cass receiving the remaining votes. By the following morning fourteen ballots had been completed, but none of the three main candidates were able to get two-thirds of the vote. Pierce, whose support had been slowly declining as the ballots passed, directed his supporters to break for Douglas, withdrawing his name in a last-ditch effort to defeat Buchanan. Douglas, only 43 years of age, believed that he could be nominated in 1860 if he let
21311-451: The Southern vote, while antislavery Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln won all but three electoral votes in the North, winning the election. Breckinridge carried most of the Southern states. Taking his seat in the Senate, Breckinridge urged compromise to preserve the Union. Unionists were in control of the state legislature, and gained more support when Confederate forces moved into Kentucky . Breckinridge fled behind Confederate lines. He
21522-415: The Supreme Court would soon bar states from excluding slavery. As part of his campaign, Douglas laid out his " Freeport Doctrine ", which held that territorial legislatures retained the de facto right to exclude slavery despite the Dred Scott decision, because said legislatures could refuse to recognize slavery as property. In the 1858 elections, Douglas forces took control of the Democratic Party throughout
21733-497: The Third Kentucky Infantry Regiment. The regiment left Kentucky on November 1 and reached Vera Cruz by November 21. After a serious epidemic of la Vomito, or yellow fever , broke out at Vera Cruz, the regiment hurried to Mexico City . Reports indicate that Breckinridge walked all but two days of the journey, allowing weary soldiers to use his horse. When they reached Mexico City on December 18,
21944-535: The Union garrison , capturing several prisoners, destroying its supplies, and driving it from the city. Union troops were forced to take shelter under cover of their gunboats. The ironclad CSS Arkansas was intended to support Breckinridge's attack by moving down the Red River , but it was immobilized by a mechanical failure and its crew set it on fire before letting it loose downriver to threaten oncoming Union vessels and to prevent its capture. Without naval support,
22155-494: The Union no longer existed and that Kentucky should be free to choose her own course; he defended his sympathy to the Southern cause and denounced the Unionist state legislature, declaring, "I exchange with proud satisfaction a term of six years in the Senate of the United States for the musket of a soldier." He was indicted for treason in U.S. federal district court in Frankfort on November 6, 1861, having officially enlisted in
22366-438: The abolitionism of Breckinridge's uncles, Letcher tried to paint Breckinridge as an enemy of slavery. Breckinridge pointed to his consistent support for slavery and claimed Letcher was actually hostile to the interests of slaveholders. Although the district had gone for Whig candidate Winfield Scott by over 600 votes in the previous year's presidential election , Breckinridge defeated Letcher by 526 votes. Once again, he received
22577-517: The acquisition of more Mexican territory. So Buchanan wrote to Grier and successfully prevailed upon him, allowing the majority leverage to issue a broad-ranging decision that transcended the specific circumstances of Scott's case to declare the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional. When the Court's decision in Dred Scott was issued two days after Buchanan's inauguration, Republicans began spreading word that Taney had revealed to Buchanan
22788-744: The advancement of horse racing in his native state and was chosen president of the Kentucky Association for the Improvement of the Breed of Horses. As a delegate to the 1856 Democratic National Convention in Cincinnati , Ohio, Breckinridge favored Pierce's renomination for president. When Pierce's hopes of securing the nomination faltered, Breckinridge joined other erstwhile Pierce backers by throwing his support behind his friend, Stephen Douglas. Even with this additional support, Douglas
22999-490: The aftermath of the Mexican–American War , a new debate had arisen over the status of slavery in the western territories. While abolitionism had not emerged as a strong force, many Northerners saw slavery as a moral blight and opposed the extension of slavery into the territories . Many Southerners, meanwhile, were deeply offended by the moral assault on the institution of slavery and feared that an attack on slavery in
23210-481: The campaign style of the much older Combs. On election day, he carried only three of the district's seven counties, but accumulated a two-to-one victory margin in Owen County , winning the county by 677 votes and the election by 537. Democrats carried five of Kentucky's 10 congressional districts, and Powell was elected as the first Democratic governor since 1834. Supporters promoted Breckinridge for Speaker of
23421-604: The candidate of the Buchanan faction, Breckinridge outpolled Douglas in Pennsylvania and received support comparable to Douglas in Connecticut , although he received very little support elsewhere in the North. It was Breckinridge's duty as vice president to announce Lincoln as the winner of the electoral college vote on February 13, 1861. On February 24, Breckinridge visited Lincoln at Willard's Hotel in Washington, DC, and frequently thereafter he visited his cousin, now
23632-595: The children in Lexington, supported by her mother-in-law. While in Lexington, Breckinridge attended Pisgah Academy in Woodford County . His grandmother taught him the political philosophies of her late husband, John Breckinridge , who served in the U.S. Senate and as attorney general under President Thomas Jefferson . As a state legislator, Breckinridge had introduced the Kentucky Resolutions in 1798, which stressed states' rights and endorsed
23843-543: The citizens of Iowa, he identified with the Democratic Party , and by February 1843, he had been named to the Democratic committee of Des Moines County . Most of the Kentucky Breckinridges were Whigs , and when he learned of his nephew's party affiliation, William Breckinridge declared, "I felt as I would have done if I had heard that my daughter had been dishonored." Breckinridge visited Kentucky in May 1843. His efforts to mediate between his mother and
24054-679: The colony to the US. After long negotiations with the British, he convinced them to agree to cede the Bay Islands to Honduras and the Mosquito Coast to Nicaragua . However, Buchanan's ambitions in Cuba and Mexico were blocked in the House of Representatives, where the anti-slavery forces strenuously opposed any move to acquire new slave territory. Buchanan also considered buying Alaska from
24265-635: The conclusion of the Utah War. After the passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Act in 1854, two competing governments had been formed in Kansas Territory . The anti-slavery settlers organized a government in Topeka , while pro-slavery settlers established a seat of government in Lecompton, Kansas . For Kansas to be admitted as a state, a constitution had to be submitted to Congress with the approval of
24476-484: The constitution overall, but rather merely on whether or not Kansas would allow slavery after becoming a state. The anti-slavery Topeka government boycotted the December 1857 referendum, in which slavery overwhelmingly won the approval of those who did vote. A month later, the Topeka government held its own referendum in which voters overwhelmingly rejected the Lecompton Constitution. Despite the protests of Walker and two former governors of Kansas, Buchanan decided to accept
24687-443: The constitution, Kansas voters strongly rejected the Lecompton Constitution in an August 1858 referendum. Southerners were outraged that the Lecompton Constitution had been defeated by a supposed Northern conspiracy led by Douglas, while many Northerners now saw Buchanan as a tool of the Southern " Slave Power ." Anti-slavery delegates won a majority of the elections to the 1859 state constitutional convention, and Kansas won admission as
24898-428: The constitutional convention and the legislature. In response, a bipartisan group of proslavery citizens organized its own slate of candidates, including Breckinridge for one of Fayette County 's two seats in the House of Representatives. Breckinridge, who by this time enslaved five humans, had publicly opposed "impairing in any form" the legal protection of slavery . Despite his endorsement of slavery protections, he
25109-409: The containment of slavery to the Southern states, but promised that Republicans would not seek to abolish slavery in the South itself. With four major candidates in the field, Buchanan hoped that not one candidate would win an electoral vote majority and the election would be thrown to the House. The 1860 election was essentially two races; in the North, Lincoln competed with Douglas for votes, while in
25320-458: The convention, and although Breckinridge desired the vice presidential nomination, he declined, citing his deference to fellow Kentuckian and former House Speaker Linn Boyd, who was supported by the Kentucky delegation. Ten men received votes on the first vice-presidential ballot. Mississippi 's John A. Quitman had the most support with 59 votes. Eight state delegations – with a total of 55 votes – voted for Breckinridge in spite of his refusal of
25531-453: The convention, but instructed his supporters not to nominate him as long as James Guthrie remained a candidate. Accordingly, when a delegate from Arkansas nominated Breckinridge for president on the 36th ballot, Beck asked that it be withdrawn, and the request was honored. Over the course of 57 ballots, Douglas maintained a wide plurality, but failed to gain the necessary two-thirds majority; Guthrie consistently ran second. Unable to nominate
25742-478: The country while a debate over the Kansas–Nebraska Act roiled the nation. While Buchanan did not overtly seek the 1856 Democratic presidential nomination, he deliberately chose not to discourage the movement on his behalf, something that was well within his power on many occasions. The 1856 Democratic National Convention met in June 1856, writing a platform that largely reflected Buchanan's views, including support for
25953-715: The court's proceedings. Returning to Louisville on July 16, the Third Kentucky mustered out on July 21. During their time in Mexico, over 100 members of the 1,000-man regiment died of illness. Although he saw no combat, Breckinridge's military service proved an asset to his political prospects. Breckinridge campaigned for Democratic presidential nominee James K. Polk in the 1844 election . He decided against running for county clerk of Scott County after his law partner complained that he spent too much time in politics. In 1845, some local Democrats encouraged him to seek
26164-468: The daughter of Samuel Stanhope Smith , who founded Hampden–Sydney College in 1775, and granddaughter of John Witherspoon , a signer of the Declaration of Independence . Having previously served as speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives, Breckinridge's father had been appointed Kentucky's secretary of state just prior to his son's birth. In February, one month after Breckinridge's birth,
26375-429: The decision on narrow grounds if there was no support from the Court's northern justices—unless Buchanan could convince his fellow Pennsylvanian, Justice Robert Cooper Grier , to join the majority. Buchanan hoped that a broad Supreme Court decision protecting slavery in the territories could lay the issue to rest once and for all, allowing the country to focus on other issues, including the possible annexation of Cuba and
26586-441: The decision to the remaining Southern delegates, who eventually picked former Governor Herschel Johnson of Georgia. The delegates who had bolted from the Charleston and Baltimore conventions met elsewhere in Baltimore. After stating that he did not believe that the South should secede if Republicans won the 1860 election, Vice President Breckinridge was nominated on the first ballot of the convention. Senator Joseph Lane of Oregon
26797-499: The delegates present. After fifty-seven ballots, all of which Douglas led, the convention adjourned with plans to reconvene in June in Baltimore, Maryland . After re-convening, most of the remaining Southern delegates, as well as some Northern delegates loyal to Buchanan, left the convention after losing a vote to re-seat the delegates that had bolted in Charleston. The remaining delegates nominated Douglas for president. Douglas preferred Alexander H. Stephens as his running mate, but left
27008-646: The doctrine of nullification in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts . After an argument between Breckinridge's mother and grandmother in 1832, his mother, his sister Laetitia, and he moved to Danville, Kentucky , to live with his sister Frances and her husband, John C. Young , who was president of Centre College . Breckinridge's uncle, William Breckinridge, was also on the faculty there, prompting him to enroll in November 1834. Among his schoolmates were Beriah Magoffin , William Birney , Theodore O'Hara , Thomas L. Crittenden , and Jeremiah Boyle . After earning
27219-517: The domestic portions were supported unanimously, the foreign policy planks by large margins. A separately reported plank on a railroad to the Pacific coast failed by a vote of 120 to 154. On June 5, the New York problem was finally settled by seating half of each of the competing delegations. Nominations for President were then made. On the first ballot, Pierce received 122 votes, many of them from
27430-428: The duel should be held at Silver Spring, Maryland , the home of his friend Francis Preston Blair . Cutting, who had not intended his initial remark as a challenge, believed that Breckinridge's naming of terms constituted a challenge; he chose to use pistols at a distance of 10 paces. While the two men attempted to clarify who had issued the challenge and who reserved the right to choose the terms, mutual friends resolved
27641-608: The economy recovered by 1859, the panic inflamed sectional tensions, as many Northerners blamed the Southern-backed Tariff of 1857 (passed during Pierce's last day in office) for the panic. Southerners, as well as Buchanan, instead blamed the over-speculation of Northern bankers. In part due to the worsened economy, by the time Buchanan left office the federal deficit stood at $ 17 million, higher than it had been when Buchanan took office. Throughout 1858 and 1859, Congress continued to debate perennial issues such as
27852-430: The election of Democrat Franklin Pierce as president. Although Pierce lost Kentucky by 3,200 votes, Breckinridge wielded more influence with him than he had with outgoing Whig President Millard Fillmore . A week after his inauguration, Pierce offered Breckinridge an appointment as governor of Washington Territory . He had initially sought the appointment, securing letters of recommendation from Powell and Butler, but by
28063-429: The election. Defending his decision during a speech in Lexington on September 5, 1860, Breckinridge explained: But it so happened that there were six or eight gentlemen also accompanying me, all of them belonging to the Whig Party, and they proposed to me that if I would not return to my own town and vote, they would not. If they would, there would be six or seven votes cast for Taylor and but one cast for Cass. I accepted
28274-410: The elections of 1858. While campaigning for a Republican congressional candidate in New York, Republican Senator William Seward described the party struggle between Republicans and Democrats as part of a larger "irrepressible conflict" between systems of free and slave labor. Though Seward quickly walked back his remarks and relatively few Northerners actually sought the immediate abolition of slavery in
28485-432: The execution of Kentucky Corporal Asa Lewis after a court martial had convicted him of desertion . Lewis's enlistment had expired, but he continued to serve with the 6th Kentucky Infantry until his impoverished mother and siblings begged him to return home. Although Lewis claimed he was returning to the army at the time of his arrest, Bragg was insistent on reducing desertions by making him an example. After witnessing
28696-721: The expense of Great Britain. He hoped to re-negotiate the Clayton–Bulwer Treaty , signed between the U.S. and Britain in 1850, which he viewed as a mistake that limited U.S. influence in the region. He also sought to establish American protectorates over the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora , partly to serve as a destination for Mormons. Aware of the decrepit state of the Spanish Empire, he hoped to finally achieve his long-term goal of acquiring Cuba, where state slavery still flourished, by maneuvering Spain into selling
28907-595: The family moved with Governor John Adair to the Governor's Mansion in Frankfort , so his father could better attend to his duties as secretary of state. In August 1823, an illness referred to as "the prevailing fever" struck Frankfort, and Cabell Breckinridge took his children to stay with his mother in Lexington. On his return, both his wife and he fell ill. Cabell Breckinridge died, but she survived. His assets were not enough to pay his debts, and his widow joined
29118-464: The fighting was almost over; they participated in no combat and remained as an army of occupation until May 30, 1848. In demand more for his legal expertise than his military training, he was named as assistant counsel for Gideon Johnson Pillow during a court of inquiry initiated against him by Winfield Scott . Seeking to derail Scott's presidential ambitions, Pillow and his supporters composed and published letters that lauded Pillow, not Scott, for
29329-456: The first 10 days of September 1856, he spoke in Hamilton and Cincinnati, Ohio; Lafayette and Indianapolis , Indiana ; Kalamazoo, Michigan ; Covington, Kentucky ; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . His speeches stressed the idea that Republicans were fanatically devoted to emancipation, and their election would prompt the dissolution of the Union. Breckinridge's presence on the ticket helped
29540-561: The first time that Fayette County had elected a Democrat to the state House of Representatives. Between the election and the legislative session, Breckinridge formed a new law partnership with Owsley's former secretary of state, George B. Kinkead, his previous partner having died in a cholera epidemic earlier in the year. He also co-founded the Kentucky Statesman , a semiweekly Democratic newspaper, and visited his cousin, Mary Todd , where he met her husband, Abraham Lincoln, for
29751-468: The first time; despite their political differences, they became friends. When the House convened, Breckinridge received a plurality of votes for speaker, but fell at least eight votes short of a majority. Unable to break the deadlock, he withdrew, and the position went to Whig Thomas Reilly. Biographer Frank H. Heck wrote that Breckinridge was the leader of the House Democratic caucus during
29962-532: The first two ballots, Lincoln emerged as the party's nominee on the third ballot. Lincoln's candidacy was boosted by the widely-held view that his reputation for honesty and moderation made him a strong candidate, especially in key Northern swing states like Indiana and Illinois. For vice president, the Republicans nominated Hannibal Hamlin , a former Democrat from Maine who maintained warm relations with both Lincoln and Seward. Republicans, including Seward, rallied to Lincoln as did many former Whigs. Lincoln argued for
30173-424: The forthcoming result. Buchanan's strong public support of the decision earned him and his party the enmity of many Northerners from the outset of his presidency. The Panic of 1857 began in the middle of that year, ushered in by the sequential collapse of fourteen hundred state banks and five thousand businesses. While the South escaped largely unscathed, Northern cities saw numerous unemployed men and women take to
30384-451: The government of the United States to secure to every resident inhabitant the free and independent expression of his opinion by his vote. This sacred right of each individual must be preserved. That being accomplished, nothing can be fairer than to leave the people of a territory free from all foreign interference to decide their own destiny for themselves, subject only to the Constitution of the United States." Furthermore, Buchanan argued that
30595-471: The issue of slavery in the territories would be "speedily and finally settled" by the Supreme Court. According to historian Paul Finkelman : Buchanan already knew what the Court was going to decide. In a major breach of Court etiquette, Justice Grier, who, like Buchanan, was from Pennsylvania, had kept the President-elect fully informed about the progress of the case and the internal debates within
30806-451: The issue of slavery. Though the party initially hoped to compete in both the North and the South, some Constitutional Unionists in the South endorsed a federal slave code, which destroyed the party's support in the North. The 1860 Republican National Convention opened with five major candidates: Abraham Lincoln, William Seward, Salmon P. Chase of Ohio, Simon Cameron of Pennsylvania, and Edward Bates of Missouri. Despite Seward's lead on
31017-501: The issue, preventing the duel. The recently adopted Kentucky Constitution prevented anyone who participated in a duel from holding elected office, and the peaceful resolution of the issue may have saved Breckinridge's political career. In February 1854, the Whig majority in the Kentucky General Assembly passed – over Powell's veto – a reapportionment bill that redrew Breckinridge's district, removing Owen County and replacing it with Harrison and Nicholas Counties. This, combined with
31228-506: The issue, with Douglas supporters from those states, leading to the nomination of Douglas and Herschel Vespasian Johnson for president and vice president, respectively, on the sixth day. The protesting delegates convened on the same day in Baltimore. On the first ballot, Breckinridge received 81 votes, with 24 going to former senator Daniel S. Dickinson of New York. Dickinson supporters gradually changed their support to Breckinridge to make his nomination unanimous, and Joseph Lane of Oregon
31439-436: The majority of his party was killed or captured. In the aftermath of the attack, Republican leaders denied any connection to Brown, who was executed in December 1859 by the state of Virginia. Though few leaders in the North approved of Brown's actions, Southerners were outraged, and many accused Republican leaders such as Seward of having masterminded the raid. In his December 1859 annual message to Congress, Buchanan characterized
31650-399: The mansion's host for the unmarried president. Feeling slighted by the response, Breckinridge refused to carry out these instructions; later, three of Buchanan's intimates informed Breckinridge that requesting to speak to Miss Lane was actually a secret instruction to White House staff to usher the requestor into a private audience with the president. They also conveyed Buchanan's apologies for
31861-464: The mission of reconciling the settler factions and approving a constitution. Walker, who was from the slave state of Mississippi, was expected to assist the pro-slavery faction in gaining approval of a new constitution. Buchanan overcame Walker's initial reluctance to accept the appointment by persuading Walker that a successful resolution to the Kansas issue could catapult Walker to the presidency in 1860. Buchanan also promised Walker that Kansas would hold
32072-476: The misunderstanding. Buchanan rarely consulted Breckinridge when making patronage appointments, and meetings between the two were infrequent. When Buchanan and Breckinridge endorsed the Lecompton Constitution, which would have admitted Kansas as a slave state instead of allowing the people to vote, they managed to alienate most Northern Democrats, including Douglas. This disagreement ended plans for Breckinridge, Douglas, and Minnesota's Henry Mower Rice to build
32283-464: The new Republican Party , and a strong third party showing from the American Party of the " Know Nothings " represented by former President Millard Fillmore and Andrew J. Donelson . John C. Breckinridge John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was an American lawyer, politician, and soldier. He represented Kentucky in both houses of Congress and became
32494-534: The newly elected senators, including Breckinridge. Seven states had already seceded when Breckinridge took his seat as a senator, leaving the remaining Southern senators more outnumbered in their defense of slavery. Seeking to find a compromise that would reunite the states under constitutional principles, he urged Lincoln to withdraw federal forces from the Confederate states to avert war. The congressional session ended on March 28, and in an April 2 address to
32705-420: The nomination on the seventeenth ballot. Pierce became the first and only elected president who was an active candidate for reelection to be denied his party's nomination for a second term. Eleven candidates received votes on the first vice presidential ballot, with Congressman John A. Quitman winning a plurality of the vote. The delegates lined up unanimously behind Breckinridge on the second ballot, giving him
32916-635: The nomination, and Breckinridge's defense of Butler enhanced his own reputation. After this controversy, he was more active in the chamber's debates, but introduced few significant pieces of legislation. He defended the constitutionality of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 against attacks by Ohio Representative Joshua Giddings , and opposed Andrew Johnson's proposed Homestead Act out of concern that it would create more territories that excluded slavery. Despite his campaign rhetoric that federal funds should only be used for internal improvements "of
33127-486: The nomination, making him the second-highest vote getter. Kentucky cast its 12 votes for Boyd, bringing his third-place total to 33 votes. Seeing Breckinridge's strength on the first ballot, large numbers of delegates voted for him on the second ballot, and those who did not soon saw that his nomination was inevitable and changed their votes to make it unanimous. Unlike many political nominees of his time, Breckinridge actively campaigned for Buchanan and his election. During
33338-515: The non-Mormon Alfred Cumming . While the Mormons had frequently defied federal authority, some question whether Buchanan's action was a justifiable or prudent response to uncorroborated reports. Complicating matters, Young's notice of his replacement was not delivered because the Pierce administration had annulled the Utah mail contract. After Young reacted to the military action by mustering a two-week expedition destroying wagon trains, oxen, and other Army property, Buchanan dispatched Thomas L. Kane as
33549-451: The older Buchanan win this time, and received assurances from Buchanan's managers that this would be the case. After two more deadlocked ballots, Douglas's managers withdrew his name, leaving Buchanan as the clear winner. To soften the blow to Pierce, the convention issued a resolution of "unqualified approbation" in praise of his administration. This loss marked the first (and until 2024, only) time in U.S. history that an elected president who
33760-464: The order. With Lincoln's victory, talk of secession and disunion reached a boiling point. A Cincinnati newspaper wrote, "the doctrine of secession is anarchy. If any minority have the right to break up the government at pleasure, because they have not had their way, there is an end of all government." In his annual message, delivered on December 3, 1860, Buchanan blamed the crisis entirely on Northerners and their anti-slavery agitation. He also argued that
33971-470: The party if the party platform included a federal slave code. Despite this continuing debate over slavery in the territories, the decline of Kansas as a major issue allowed unionists to remain a powerful force in the South. In October 1859, abolitionist John Brown led raid on a federal armory in Harpers Ferry , Virginia, in hopes of initiating a slave revolt . Brown's plan failed miserably, and
34182-591: The party. Though Buchanan owed his nomination to Douglas's decision to withdraw from consideration at the 1856 Democratic convention, he disliked Douglas personally. He favored Jesse D. Bright , who hoped to unseat Douglas as the leader of the Midwestern Democrats. Outside of the cabinet, Buchanan left in place many of Pierce's appointments but removed a disproportionate number of Northerners who had ties to Pierce or Douglas. Buchanan quickly alienated his vice president, Breckinridge, who played little role in
34393-480: The plan, but Douglas was opposed to compromising with the "Bolters", and his supporters retained an intense dislike for Breckinridge that made them averse to Davis's proposal. Opponents knew Breckinridge believed in the right of secession and accused him of favoring the breakup of the Union; he denied the latter during a speech in Frankfort: "I am an American citizen, a Kentuckian who never did an act nor cherished
34604-753: The president could defend federal property in seceding states. Finally, Buchanan asked Congress to call a convention of states to propose a constitutional amendment that would recognize slaves as property throughout the United States. His address was sharply criticized both by the North, for its refusal to stop secession, and the South, for denying its right to secede. Historian Jean H. Baker explains Buchanan's behavior in terms of his Southern leanings, his long‐standing friendship with Southerners, and his choice of strong Southern personalities for his cabinet. She suggests that if it had not been for Joseph Holt, Edwin Stanton, and Jeremiah Black, Buchanan might have recognized
34815-471: The proposition, and we went hunting; and had every man done as well as myself, we should have carried the State by 40,000 majority. In August 1849, Kentuckians elected delegates to a state constitutional convention in addition to state representatives and senators . Breckinridge's abolitionist uncles, William and Robert , joined with Cassius Marcellus Clay to nominate slates of like-minded candidates for
35026-646: The public had been badly damaged by " Bleeding Kansas ," the civil strife in Kansas Territory over slavery . Many dissatisfied Democrats lined up behind Buchanan, who had served as Pierce's ambassador to Britain and thus had avoided the controversy over Bleeding Kansas, while a smaller group of Democrats supported Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois. Buchanan led on the first ballot and slowly grew his support on subsequent ballots, leading Pierce to instruct his delegates to back Douglas. Douglas agreed to withdraw his name after receiving assurances that Buchanan would not seek re-election in 1860, allowing Buchanan to clinch
35237-504: The raid as part of an "open war by the North to abolish slavery in the South", and he called for the establishment of a federal slave code. Senate hearings led by Senator James Murray Mason of Virginia cleared the Republican Party of responsibility for the raid after a long investigation, but Southern Congressmen remained suspicious of their Republican colleagues. Buchanan entered the White House with an ambitious foreign policy centered around establishing U.S. hegemony over Central America at
35448-486: The rise of the Know Nothing Party in Kentucky, left Breckinridge with little hope of re-election, and he decided to retire from the House at the expiration of his term. Following the December 1854 resignation of Pierre Soulé , the U.S. Minister to Spain , who failed to negotiate a U.S. annexation of Cuba following the controversial Ostend Manifesto , Pierce nominated Breckinridge to the position. Although
35659-468: The road to disunion...largely because of the Dred Scott case, which stoked the fear, distrust and conspiratorial hatred already common in both the North and the South to new levels of intensity." As his inauguration approached, Buchanan sought to establish a harmonious cabinet that would not fall victim to the in-fighting that had plagued Andrew Jackson 's top officials. One of his closest advisers—who
35870-667: The roots of what later became Washington's Open Door Policy . In 1858, Buchanan ordered the Paraguay expedition to punish Paraguay for firing on the USS ; Water Witch , which was on a scientific mission. The punitive expedition resulted in a Paraguayan apology and the payment of an indemnity. Buchanan and his allies awarded no-bid contracts to political supporters, used government money to wage political campaigns and bribe judges, and sold government property for less than its worth to cronies. According to historian Michael F. Holt,
36081-539: The secession of Southern states or addressing the issue of slavery. He is consistently ranked as one of the worst presidents in American history, often being ranked as the worst president. After Franklin Pierce won the 1852 presidential election , Buchanan agreed to serve as the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom . Buchanan's service abroad conveniently placed him outside of
36292-512: The session, during which time most of the measures considered were "local or personal and in any case, petty". Breckinridge was assigned to the House's standing committees on federal relations and the judiciary. He supported bills allocating funding for internal improvements , a traditionally Whig stance. As Congress debated Henry Clay's proposed Compromise of 1850 , the four Whigs on the Committee on Federal Relations drew up resolutions urging
36503-457: The streets to beg. Reflecting his Jacksonian background, Buchanan's response was "reform not relief". While the government was "without the power to extend relief", it would continue to pay its debts in specie, and while it would not curtail public works, none would be added. Buchanan urged the states to restrict the banks to a credit level of $ 3 to $ 1 of specie, and discouraged the use of federal or state bonds as security for bank note issues. Though
36714-618: The tariff and infrastructure spending. Southern and Western congressmen succeeded in retaining the low rates of the Tariff of 1857 until 1861. Many in Congress pushed for the construction of a transcontinental railroad , but its construction was prevented by a combination of Southern and New England congressmen. Among the pieces of legislation that Buchanan vetoed were the Homestead Act , which would have given 160 acres of public land to settlers who remained on settled land for five years, and
36925-451: The tariff to the highest levels seen since the 1840s, and passage of the law marked a new period of protectionist tariffs that would continue long after Buchanan left office. Utah had been settled by Mormons in the decades preceding Buchanan's presidency, and under the leadership of Brigham Young the Mormons had grown increasingly hostile to federal intervention. Young harassed federal officers and discouraged outsiders from settling in
37136-516: The territories could lead to an attack on slavery in the South. The Compromise of 1850 had temporarily defused the situation, but every Northern defiance of the Fugitive Slave Act (passed as part of the compromise) inflamed tensions in the South. The 1852 publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin further divided opinion. In 1854, the Kansas–Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise , which had excluded slavery from territories north of
37347-404: The territories. The struggle lasted the remainder of Buchanan's presidency. Buchanan used his patronage powers to remove Douglas' sympathizers in favor of pro-administration Democrats. Douglas's Senate term ended in 1859, so the Illinois legislature elected in 1858 would determine whether Douglas would win re-election. The Senate election was the primary issue of the legislative election, marked by
37558-468: The time it was offered, he had decided to stay in Kentucky and seek re-election to the House. The Whigs, seeking to recapture Breckinridge's seat, nominated Kentucky Attorney General of Kentucky James Harlan , but some Whig factions opposed him, and he withdrew in March. Robert P. Letcher , a former congressman and governor who had won 14 elections in Kentucky without a loss, was the party's second choice. Both candidates campaigned vigorously throughout
37769-498: The union, and Buchanan did little to denounce secessionists. Douglas, on the other hand, focused much of his campaign on attacking secessionists, who he worried would attempt to seize control of the federal government in the aftermath of a Lincoln victory. As Breckinridge and Bell lacked support in the North, the defeat of Lincoln required the victory of Douglas in at least some Northern states, but Buchanan remained focused on defeating Douglas. Some anti-Republican leaders attempted to form
37980-410: The vice presidential nomination. However, following a draft effort led by the delegation from Vermont, Breckinridge was nominated on the second ballot. As Vermont's David Allen Smalley stated, "No Democrat has a right to refuse his services when his country calls." The Buchanan-Breckinridge ticket went on to win the 1856 presidential election , defeating John C. Fremont with William L. Dayton from
38191-448: The vice presidential nomination. The Democratic ticket went on to win the 1856 election, defeating the Republican ticket of John C. Fremont and William L. Dayton and the American Party ticket of Millard Fillmore and Andrew J. Donelson . The Democratic Party was wounded from its devastating losses in the 1854–1855 midterm elections. The party faced continued north–south sectional division over slavery-related issues , especially
38402-415: The voters. But he became distracted by the financial panic of 1857 and accepted the Lecompton Constitution . Nevins and Nichols agree on Buchanan's weak leadership, but offer subtle variations on how Buchanan tried to hold the middle ground by accepting a de facto slavery settlement. Upon taking office, Buchanan appointed Robert J. Walker to replace John W. Geary as territorial governor of Kansas, with
38613-462: The war that had not been allocated by Congress, and his suspension of the writ of habeas corpus . He was the only senator to vote against a resolution authorizing Lincoln to use "the entire resources of the government" for the war. Asked what he would do if he were president, he replied, "I would prefer to see these States all reunited upon true constitutional principles to any other object that could be offered me in life. But I infinitely prefer to see
38824-716: Was "not a disunionist in America who is not a Breckinridge man", it is more likely that party loyalty and economic status played a more prominent role in Breckinridge's support than did issues of slavery and secession. He lost to Douglas in Missouri and Bell in Virginia and Tennessee. Bell also captured Breckinridge's home state, Kentucky. Lincoln swept most of the northern states, although New Jersey split its electoral votes, giving four to Lincoln and three to Douglas. As
39035-501: Was Secretary of the Navy Isaac Toucey , widely considered to be a "doughface", or Southern-sympathizer. Aside from the nearly-senile Cass, only Attorney General Jeremiah S. Black lacked partiality towards the South, but Black despised abolitionists and free-soilers. Buchanan's appointment of Southerners and Southern sympathizers alienated many in the North, and his failure to appoint any followers of Stephen Douglas divided
39246-662: Was a member of the Freemasons and the First Presbyterian Church in Lexington , both of which officially opposed slavery. He had also previously represented free blacks in court, expressed support for voluntary emancipation , and supported the Kentucky Colonization Society, which was dedicated to the relocation of free blacks to Liberia . Breckinridge received 1,481 votes, over 400 more than his nearest competitor, making this
39457-465: Was adopted and John Elliot Ward of Georgia was made the convention's president. The committee on credentials ( James A. Bayard Jr. , chair) settled a dispute over the Missouri delegation, but needed more time for the thorny problem of competing delegations from New York . June 4 saw the adoption of a platform (former National Committee chair Benjamin F. Hallett headed the committee on resolutions);
39668-496: Was an active candidate for reelection was not nominated for a second term. 1st Day of Presidential Balloting / 4th Day of Convention (June 5, 1856) 2nd Day of Presidential Balloting / 5th Day of Convention (June 6, 1856) Eleven candidates were nominated for the vice presidency, but a number of them attempted to withdraw themselves from consideration, among them the eventual nominee, John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky. Breckinridge supported fellow Kentuckian Linn Boyd for
39879-511: Was an integral part of the Union). Confederate forces invaded Kentucky on September 3; they were followed by a Union force commanded by Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant , which on the morning of September 6 occupied the town of Paducah on the Ohio River . Soon after, Unionists in the state arrested former governor Charles S. Morehead for his suspected Confederate sympathies and shut down
40090-456: Was approved by the legislature. In special elections in June, pro-Union candidates captured 9 of 10 seats in Kentucky's House delegation. Returning to the Senate for a special session in July, Breckinridge was regarded as a traitor by most of his fellow legislators because of his Confederate sympathies. He condemned as unconstitutional Lincoln's enlistment and arming of men for a war Congress had not officially declared, his expending funds for
40301-469: Was assigned to the more prestigious Ways and Means Committee , but he was not given a committee chairmanship as many had expected. Although he supported Pierce's proslavery agenda on the principle of states' rights and believed that secession was legal, he opposed secession as a remedy to the country's immediate problems. This, coupled with his earlier support of manumission and African colonization, balanced his support for slavery; most still considered him
40512-591: Was born near Lexington, Kentucky , to a prominent local family . After serving as a noncombatant during the Mexican–American War , he was elected as a Democrat to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1849, where he took a states' rights position against interference with slavery . Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1851, he allied with Stephen A. Douglas in support of the Kansas–Nebraska Act . After reapportionment in 1854 made his re-election unlikely, he declined to run for another term. He
40723-459: Was chosen by acclamation as his vice presidential running mate. Despite concerns about the breakup of the party, Breckinridge accepted the presidential nomination. In August, Mississippi Senator Jefferson Davis attempted to broker a compromise under which Douglas, Breckinridge, and Tennessee's John Bell , the nominee of the Constitutional Union Party , would all withdraw in favor of a compromise candidate. Both Breckinridge and Bell readily agreed to
40934-605: Was chosen by the legislature as one of six delegates to a conference to decide the state's next action. The states' rights delegates were Breckinridge, Magoffin, and Richard Hawes ; the Unionist delegates were Crittenden, Archibald Dixon , and S.S. Nicholas . Unable to agree on substantial issues, the delegates recommended that Kentucky adopt a neutral stance in the Civil War and arm itself to prevent invasion by either federal or Confederate forces. Breckinridge did not support this recommendation, but he agreed to abide by it once it
41145-456: Was commissioned a brigadier general and then expelled from the Senate. Following the Battle of Shiloh in 1862, Breckinridge was promoted to major general , and in October, he was assigned to the Army of Mississippi under Braxton Bragg . After Bragg charged that Breckinridge's drunkenness had contributed to defeats at Stones River and Missionary Ridge , and after Breckinridge joined many other high-ranking officers in criticizing Bragg, he
41356-591: Was convinced that Breckinridge would be a candidate; this, combined with Buchanan's reluctant support of Breckinridge and Breckinridge's public support for a federal slave code, deepened the rift between the two. Among Breckinridge's supporters at the 1860 Democratic National Convention in Charleston, South Carolina , were several prominent Kentuckians. They were former Kentucky Governor and current Senator Lazarus W. Powell , former Kentucky Representative William Preston (a distant relative), law partner James Brown Clay , and James B. Beck . Breckinridge did not attend
41567-422: Was evidence of Republicans' insistence on either "negro equality" or violence. Resistance in some form, he predicted, would eventually be necessary. He still urged the assembly against secession – "God forbid that the step shall ever be taken!" – but his discussion of growing sectional conflict bothered some, including his uncle Robert. Early in 1859, Senator James Henry Hammond of South Carolina reported to
41778-438: Was for the election to be thrown to the House of Representatives; if he could add the support of some Douglas or Bell states to the 13 believed to support him, he could beat Lincoln, who was believed to carry the support of 15 states. To Davis's wife, Varina , Breckinridge wrote, "I trust I have the courage to lead a forlorn hope." In the four-way contest, Breckinridge came in third in the popular vote, with 18.1%, but second in
41989-473: Was hopeless, he urged Davis to arrange a national surrender. After the fall of Richmond , Breckinridge ensured the preservation of Confederate records. He then escaped the country and lived abroad for over three years. When President Andrew Johnson extended amnesty to all former Confederates in 1868, Breckinridge returned to Kentucky, but resisted all encouragement to resume his political career. War injuries sapped his health, and he died in 1875. Breckinridge
42200-419: Was its status in the territories, and whether popular sovereignty meant that territorial legislatures could bar the entrance of slaves. Seeing an opening in a pending Supreme Court case to settle the issue, President-Elect Buchanan had involved himself in the decision-making process of the Court in the months leading up to his own inauguration. Two days after Buchanan's inauguration, Chief Justice Taney delivered
42411-610: Was named ambassador to Britain—was Jehu Glancy Jones . Buchanan sought to be the clear leader of the cabinet, and chose men who would agree with his views. Anticipating that his administration would concentrate on foreign policy and that Buchanan himself would largely direct foreign policy, he appointed the aging Lewis Cass as Secretary of State. Cass would become marginalized in Buchanan's administration, with Buchanan and Assistant Secretary of State John Appleton instead directing foreign affairs. In filling out his cabinet, Buchanan chose four Southerners and three Northerners, one of whom
42622-546: Was nominated as Breckinridge's running mate. Buchanan and former President Franklin Pierce both endorsed Breckinridge and his platform, which called for the federal protection of slavery in the territories. A group of former Whigs opposed to both Breckinridge and the Republicans, and unable to reach an accommodation with Douglas, formed the Constitutional Union Party and nominated John Bell of Tennessee for president and Edward Everett of Massachusetts for vice president. The nascent party emphasized unionism and sought to push aside
42833-406: Was nominated for vice president at the 1856 Democratic National Convention to balance a ticket headed by James Buchanan . The Democrats won the election , but Breckinridge had little influence with Buchanan, and as presiding officer of the Senate, could not express his opinions in debates. He joined Buchanan in supporting the proslavery Lecompton Constitution for Kansas, which led to a split in
43044-425: Was not the solution to the country's problems. Although John Crittenden's Senate term did not expire until 1861, the Kentucky General Assembly met to choose his successor in 1859. Until just days before the election, the contest was expected to be between Breckinridge and Boyd, who had been elected lieutenant governor in August; Boyd's worsening health prompted his withdrawal on November 28, 1859. On December 12,
43255-494: Was overwhelmingly ratified in May. Democrats wanted to nominate him for re-election, but he declined, citing problems "of a private and imperative character". Davis wrote "his problem – besides continuing sadness over his son's death – was money." Breckinridge was a delegate to the January 8, 1851, state Democratic convention, which nominated Lazarus W. Powell for governor. A week later, he announced that he would seek election to Congress from Kentucky's Eighth District. Nicknamed
43466-594: Was preparing an invasion of Kentucky, and Breckinridge was ordered to join him. Confederate leaders believed that Breckinridge's presence in the state could spur enlistments. Van Dorn was reluctant to lose command of Breckinridge and his men, and by the time he relented on October 15, Bragg was already retreating from the state after being defeated at the Battle of Perryville . Breckinridge and his division of 7,000 men met Bragg at Murfreesboro, Tennessee . With Kentucky solidly under Union control, Breckinridge's wife and children moved south and followed his troops as closely as
43677-406: Was safely possible. Bragg resented Breckinridge's close ties to Confederate commanders, particularly Joseph E. Johnston , Wade Hampton , John B. Floyd , and William Preston, all of whom were related to Breckinridge. Furthermore, he thought Breckinridge's late arrival for the Kentucky campaign had contributed to the lack of Confederate volunteers he found in the state. In December, Bragg ordered
43888-479: Was selected as the Democratic presidential nominee on the seventeenth ballot of the convention. He was joined on the Democratic ticket by John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky. By 1856, the Whig Party , which had long been the main opposition to the Democrats, had collapsed. Buchanan faced not just one but two candidates in the general election: former Whig President Millard Fillmore ran as the American Party (or " Know-Nothing ") candidate, while John C. Frémont ran as
44099-435: Was still unable to garner two third's majority of the delegates' votes, and he withdrew, leaving James Buchanan as the Democratic presidential nominee. William Alexander Richardson , a Kentucky-born Representative from Illinois, then suggested that nominating Breckinridge for vice president would balance Buchanan's ticket and placate disgruntled supporters of Douglas or Pierce. A delegate from Louisiana placed his name before
44310-431: Was the youngest vice president in U.S. history, exceeding the minimum age required under the Constitution by only a year. Buchanan resented that Breckinridge had supported both Pierce and Douglas before endorsing his nomination. Relations between the two were further strained, when upon asking for a private interview with Buchanan, Breckinridge was told to come to the White House and ask for Harriet Lane , who acted as
44521-401: Was transferred to the Trans-Allegheny Department , where he won his most significant victory in the 1864 Battle of New Market . After participating in Jubal Early 's campaigns in the Shenandoah Valley , Breckinridge was charged with defending supplies in Tennessee and Virginia . In February 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis appointed him secretary of war. Concluding that the war
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