James Buchanan began life as a country boy in rural Pennsylvania. He would later leave the farm for law school and, after that, politics. Buchanan’s ascent to the presidency was a careful and steady rise; he checked all of the requisite boxes and took all of the necessary steps he believed the office required, but nevertheless, when Buchanan was inaugurated president in March of 1857, he had inherited a powder keg that was just waiting to explode into the turmoil that was the American Civil War.

James Buchanan has since been vilified as being the great appeaser who placated the South enough to embolden them to secede from the Union. He is frequently listed as one of the worst presidents in the history of the United States. Buchanan himself, however, always held out the hope that history would vindicate him and the role he played. In this book, we explore James Buchanan’s life - before, during, and after the American Civil War - in full.