Buchanan Administration - Buchanan and the Judiciary
Buchanan and the Judiciary
Buchanan appointed one Supreme Court justice, Nathan Clifford of Maine. Clifford had previously served as attorney general under James Polk. Like all of Buchanan's battles with Congress, the confirmation of Clifford, considered more a loyal Democrat than a notable scholar, was also heated. The Senate narrowly confirmed Clifford after a fervent debate.
The Dred Scott Case
Buchanan's relations with the judicial branch is best remembered for his controversial role in the Dred Scott case, decided by the Supreme Court two days before his inauguration in March 1857. Dred Scott, a slave, had traveled with his master from Missouri, a slave state, to live in Illinois, and in federal territory, neither of which allowed slavery. Scott's owner died, and in 1846 Scott sued his master's widow for freedom, on the grounds that living...
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