Notes on the presidency of James Buchanan

The Presidency of James Buchanan: The Deepening Sectional Crisis The Dred Scott Case On March 6, 1857, two days after the inauguration, the Supreme Court rendered a decision in the long-pending case of Dred Scott v. Sanford. This case tested the constitutionality of laws regulating the status of slavery in the territories. Dred Scott, born a slave in Virginia about 1800, had been taken to St. Louis in 1830 and sold to an army surgeon, who took him first …

…Cotton prices fell, but slowly, and world markets for cotton quickly recovered. In response, Buchanan followed the accepted economic wisdom of laissez faire economics. However, this further aggravated northerners who wanted Buchanan's regime especially as many wanted them to take firm action to help their plight. Indeed, many Northern businessmen tended to blame the depression on the Democratic Tariff of 1857, which had put rates at their lowest level since 1816. Therefore, sectional divisions were again increased.