Buchanan Administration - Post-presidential Years
Post-presidential Years
Buchanan retired to his estate in Wheatland, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, after Lincoln's inauguration. His retirement was not a peaceful one: many Americans held Buchanan responsible for the American Civil War (1861–65), and he found himself so unpopular that, for a time, he was unable to leave his house. Buchanan fell violently ill as the attacks mounted. When he recovered, he embarked upon a crusade to restore his reputation. He cut off his relationships with Confederate leaders (those in charge of the southern states that had seceded) and used every possible opportunity to offer his public support for Lincoln and the Union war effort. He also wrote a memoir, Mr. Buchanan's Administration on the Eve of the Rebellion, defending his decisions as president and refuting attacks on his administration. Although he would never be a popular president, he did, in the end, manage to salvage his good...
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