When you think about the most dysfunctional pairings in American political history, your mind probably jumps to the modern era. But honestly? Nothing compares to the mess that was the mid-19th century. If you search for the James Buchanan vice president, you're going to hit a wall of confusion almost immediately.
Why? Because the man most people associate with Buchanan—his "soulmate" in every political and personal sense—never actually served as his vice president.
That was William Rufus King.
King died before Buchanan ever touched the presidency. It's one of those weird historical glitches. Instead, when Buchanan finally took the oath in 1857, he was joined by a 35-year-old kid named John C. Breckinridge. He remains the youngest person to ever hold the office.
The story is kind of tragic. And a little bit scandalous.
The Vice President Who Actually Served: John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was a rising star from Kentucky. He was charming. He was brilliant. People called him the "Adonis of the West." But here is the thing: James Buchanan absolutely hated him.
They didn't talk.
Literally, Buchanan rarely consulted his vice president on anything. It was a cold, silent war inside the White House. While the country was literally screaming itself apart over slavery and the looming Civil War, the two men at the top weren't even on speaking terms.
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Breckinridge was a Southern Democrat. Buchanan was a "Doughface"—a Northerner with Southern sympathies. You’d think they’d get along, right? Wrong. Buchanan felt Breckinridge was too ambitious, a threat to his own narrow-minded control of the party.
By the end of their term, Breckinridge didn't just leave office. He ran against his own party’s other candidate in 1860, helped split the vote, and essentially handed the keys to Abraham Lincoln. Then, to top it all off, he joined the Confederacy.
He ended the war as the Confederate Secretary of War. He was a literal traitor to the government he had just helped lead.
The "Other" James Buchanan Vice President: The William Rufus King Connection
You cannot talk about the James Buchanan vice president topic without talking about William Rufus King. This is where the history gets "spicy" as the kids say.
Buchanan and King were inseparable for decades.
They lived together in a Washington boarding house for 13 years. People called them "the Siamese twins." Andrew Jackson, who wasn't exactly known for his subtlety, nicknamed King "Miss Nancy" and "Aunt Fancy." It was a 19th-century way of questioning their sexuality.
Historians like Thomas Balcerski have written entire books (like Bosom Friends) exploring if they were the first gay couple in the White House.
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Here is the kicker:
- King was elected Vice President in 1852.
- He was paired with Franklin Pierce, NOT Buchanan.
- He was so sick with tuberculosis that he had to be sworn in on a plantation in Cuba.
- He died 45 days later.
Because King died, the vice presidency sat empty for nearly four years. When Buchanan finally won in 1856, he was essentially "widowed" politically and personally. He had lost his closest confidant, and he was forced to work with Breckinridge, a man he couldn't stand.
Imagine trying to prevent a Civil War while grieving your best friend and ignoring your only partner in government. It was a recipe for the disaster that followed.
Why the Buchanan-Breckinridge Partnership Failed So Hard
The 1850s were a nightmare. Honestly, no one was going to "save" the Union at that point, but Buchanan and his vice president made it so much worse.
The Dred Scott decision happened just two days after they took office. Buchanan actually pressured the Supreme Court to make that ruling, thinking it would "settle" the slavery issue forever. It did the opposite. It set the North on fire.
Breckinridge, meanwhile, was stuck in a lame-duck role. The Vice President back then had almost zero power besides presiding over the Senate. Since Buchanan wouldn't let him in the room for Cabinet meetings, Breckinridge spent his time building his own base in the South.
A Quick Look at the Dynamics:
- Buchanan: 65 years old, stubborn, legalistic, and isolated.
- Breckinridge: 35 years old, energetic, and increasingly radicalized by Southern interests.
- The Result: A complete vacuum of leadership.
When the South finally started seceding in late 1860, Buchanan just... watched. He famously argued that while secession was illegal, the federal government didn't have the power to stop it. It’s arguably the most "I’m moving out tomorrow, so it’s not my problem" move in history.
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What Most People Get Wrong About This Era
People often think the James Buchanan vice president was some kind of right-hand man. He wasn't. In the 19th century, VPs were often chosen just to balance a ticket geographically. They weren't partners.
Another misconception is that Buchanan was a "Southern" president. He was from Pennsylvania! He just believed that the Constitution protected the right to own slaves, and he was terrified that the South would leave if they didn't get their way.
He was a man of the law who forgot that laws don't matter when people are ready to kill each other.
Actionable Insights for History Buffs
If you're trying to understand why this specific vice presidency matters today, look at the transition of power.
- Check the Primary Sources: If you want the real dirt, look up the letters between Buchanan and William Rufus King. Most were destroyed by their families (suspicous, right?), but the ones that remain are incredibly intimate.
- Visit Wheatland: Buchanan’s home in Lancaster, PA, is still standing. It’s a time capsule of a man who thought he could bargain with a hurricane.
- Compare to Today: The breakdown of communication between a President and Vice President is a massive red flag for any administration. The Buchanan-Breckinridge fallout is the ultimate "worst-case scenario" case study.
The story of the James Buchanan vice president isn't just a trivia answer. It's a reminder that when the people at the top stop talking, the rest of the country pays the price.
To dig deeper into this era, look into the 1860 Democratic Convention in Charleston. It was the moment the party—and the country—officially snapped in two, largely because Buchanan and Breckinridge couldn't get on the same page. Researching the "Doughface" political movement will also give you context on why Northern politicians like Buchanan felt they had to appease the South at all costs.