---
title: James Buchanan: The United States' 15th President
author: Mathew Brady
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/22200/james-buchanan/
format: machine-readable-alternate
updated: 2026-09-24
---
# James Buchanan: The United States' 15th President
_Authored by Mathew Brady_
## Image File
[](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/22200.jpg)
## Image Caption
Portrait of James Buchanan, photograph by Mathew Brady, c. 1860-1865.
The waning months of Buchanan's tenure saw seven states secede from the Union, with no effectual response from the president to preserve the fracturing country. A month after he left office, the first shot of the [American Civil War](https://www.worldhistory.org/American_Civil_War/) was fired on Fort Sumter.
National Archives at College Park.
## Cite This Work
### APA
Brady, M. (2026, September 24). James Buchanan: The United States' 15th President. *World History Encyclopedia*.
### Chicago
Brady, Mathew. "James Buchanan: The United States' 15th President." *World History Encyclopedia*, September 24, 2026. .
### MLA
Brady, Mathew. "James Buchanan: The United States' 15th President." *World History Encyclopedia*, 24 Sep 2026, .
## License & Copyright
[Original image](https://catalog.archives.gov/id/528303) by **Mathew Brady**. Submitted by [Zachary Kay](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/zacharykay/ "User Page: Zachary Kay"), published on 24 September 2026. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Public Domain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain). This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.