What major events happened during James Buchanans presidency?

Answer 1

Major Domestic Policy: James Buchanan was strongly supported by Southern Democrats due to the fact that he supported the Ostend Manifesto and was pro slavery. The Democrats also supported the Kansas-Nebraska bill and the Compromise of 1850. This caused the opposing Republican Party to support the entrance of Kansas as an anti-slavery state, attack the Ostend Manifesto and also declared that Congress had the right to have power over slavery. During this time, the Dred Scott case was held by the North in attempt to test the strength and power the pro-slaves had. This plan ended up by being bad towards the North's ideas. It ruled that all African Americans had no right to be in the Supreme Court and they were not citizens of the United States. At the same time, it also stated that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional, because of the fact that the power was in the state to decide whether it is a slave state. This outraged the North, causing even more tension and sectionalism. James Buchanan did attempt to compromise this growing sectionalism, but he was unsuccessful at this task. Later these problems help in the brewing for the upcoming Civil War.

Major Foreign Policy: Buchanan realized the amount of conflict that the United States was having. Sectionalism was growing more between the North and the South. With this in mind, Buchanan wanted to keep the country from any foreign affairs. With the Civil War rising, the United States was not looking towards other nations for help. The Ostend Manifesto angered Europe, but the nation still continued it's trading.

Answer 2

• Kansas became the 34th state in 1861 and the flag of the USA received it 34th star a little bit after President Buchanan left office.