James Buchanan

Birth-Death: (1797 - 1868 ) Term: (1857-1861 )

President Buchanan was confronted with problems of Southern succession. He turned his efforts towards reaching a compromise with the North and South in order to try and preserve the Union. Unfortunately, his attempts to use the Constitution to bridge the widening gap between the North and South failed.

Administration of James Buchanan

Secretary of State

Lewis Cass (1857-60)
Jeremiah S. Black (1860-61)

Secretary of the Treasury

Howell Cobb (1857-60)
Philip F. Thomas (1860-61)
John A. Dix (1861)

Secretary of War

John B. Floyd (1857-60)
Joseph Holt (1861)

Attorney General

Jeremiah S. Black (1857-60)
Edwin M. Stanton (1860-61)

Postmaster General

Aaron V. Brown (1857-59)
Joseph Holt (1859-61)
Horatio King (1861)

Secretary of the Navy

Isaac Toucey (1857-61)

Secretary of the Interior

Jacob Thompson (1857-61)