What problems did James Buchanan face in the white house?

Answer 1

Major Domestic Policy: The Ostend Manifesto was one of the major reasons why Buchanan was elected, and because of the fact that he was not willing to abolish slavery. There was a major split in the beliefs or the Democratic and Republican parties at this time. The Democrats favored the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska bill, and the Republicans stated that Congress had the power to decide issues on slavery. They also favored Kansas becoming a free state, and they attacked the Ostend Manifesto. More tension was created between the North and the South when the case of Dred Scott was handed down by the Supreme Court. This case was set up by the North to test the constitutionality of decisions made about slavery. This set-up did not work, because the court decided that blacks were not citizens and therefore could not sue in courts. The North was outraged. Another result was that the Missouri Compromise was declared unconstitutional because only a state could decide to forbid slavery.

Major Foreign Policy: At this time, Europe was angry with the U.S. because of the Ostend Manifesto. Even though the U.S. was on the brink of the Civil War, they were not looking for help from foreign countries nor did Europe provide any advice.