Mr. Buchanan's Administration: On the Eve of the Rebellion

An autobiographical vindication of the policy of the Buchanan administration during the last months of his term, this book is an important source for understanding the political events leading to the secession and the Civil War. Throughout his administration, Buchanan was constantly plagued with the issues of slavery, even though the existence of domestic slavery in the South was recognized and protected by the Constitution of the United States. This book details the rising conflict within the nation as Southern slave holding states argued with Northern abolitionists and Anti-Slavery societies as to whether or not slavery should continue to flourish in the United States.

Feeling the pressures of the unbearable tension between the North and South, Buchanan tried desperately to compromise, pleading with both sides of the issue. He repeatedly warned his countrymen, at every opportunity, of the imminent danger they were putting the nation in and advised them of the means to avoid the certainty of civil war. Despite these efforts, Congress rejected his recommendations. The result was the escalation of a conflict that led to the secession of the South and one of the bloodiest battles in our nation's history.