Great Speech of the Honourable James Buchanan

Great Speech of the Honourable James Buchanan is a published speech by James Buchanan (1791-1868), the American politician who served as the fifteenth President of the United States from 1857 to 1861. Buchanan had a long political career before his presidency including service as a US Senator from Pennsylvania, Secretary of State under President Polk, and Minister to Russia and to Great Britain.

The published speech belongs to the substantial body of nineteenth-century American political oratory that appeared in pamphlet form for distribution to party supporters and the broader political audience. Buchanan’s speeches addressed the major political controversies of the antebellum period including the various sectional disputes over slavery, tariff policy, and territorial expansion that eventually produced the Civil War shortly after his presidency ended.

Buchanan’s presidential reputation is generally low among historians because his administration failed to prevent the secession crisis that began with South Carolina’s secession in December 1860. The published speeches give insight into his political positions across his long earlier career.