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A review by toitoine
James Buchanan by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., Jean H. Baker
4.0
James Buchanan is widely perceived as the worst US President in history. Although he had the best resume for the job before his election (Secretary of State, Minister to Russia then to the UK, long-time Congressman), he managed to fail most if not all of what he did in office. Jean H. Baker makes a good point in looking for reasons for those failures: how can a man so attached to the Union drive it to the point of disintegration? Of course, he cannot be held the sole responsible for the Civil War but his actions were so divisive, so pro-Southern (which led him to be a 'doughface' in his home state of PA) that it feels as if he almost did not care about the Union.
Baker gives three reasons for this failure. Buchanan wanted to be his own president and closed himself to advice, even from his own cabinet (one of the most corrupt in US history). He also completely underestimated the size of issues, like his participation in the Ostende Manifesto and the consequences of his presidential actions. The effects were particularly disastrous during the Bleeding Kansas fallout. Eventually, he also closed himself from Northern states, belittling their opinions and ignoring their calls for action on slavery and other matters. The division of the Democratic Party because of this was one of the great drives towards Civil War.
Until the end of his life, Buchanan defended his time in the White House, looking for people to hold responsible while exempting himself. Jean H. Baker gives a very interesting recollection of those events with the historian eye for analysis. There is judgment (how could there not be) but just enough to make for a rather neutral and very well-researched biography.
Baker gives three reasons for this failure. Buchanan wanted to be his own president and closed himself to advice, even from his own cabinet (one of the most corrupt in US history). He also completely underestimated the size of issues, like his participation in the Ostende Manifesto and the consequences of his presidential actions. The effects were particularly disastrous during the Bleeding Kansas fallout. Eventually, he also closed himself from Northern states, belittling their opinions and ignoring their calls for action on slavery and other matters. The division of the Democratic Party because of this was one of the great drives towards Civil War.
Until the end of his life, Buchanan defended his time in the White House, looking for people to hold responsible while exempting himself. Jean H. Baker gives a very interesting recollection of those events with the historian eye for analysis. There is judgment (how could there not be) but just enough to make for a rather neutral and very well-researched biography.