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186-492: John Andrew Jackson Creswell (November 18, 1828 – December 23, 1891) was an American politician and abolitionist from Maryland , who served as United States Representative, United States Senator, and as Postmaster General of the United States appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant . Creswell is considered to be one of the ablest, if not the best, Postmaster General in United States history. Creswell modernized
372-502: A "dangerous" and "geographical" party that had unfairly attacked the South. He also declared, "the object of my administration will be to destroy sectional party, North or South, and to restore harmony to the Union under a national and conservative government." He set about this initially by feigning a sectional balance in his cabinet appointments. Buchanan was inaugurated on March 4, 1857, taking
558-460: A "very important" role in their lives, a proportion unusual among developed countries . However, similar to the other nations of the Americas. Many faiths have flourished in the United States, including both later imports spanning the country's multicultural immigrant heritage, as well as those founded within the country; these have led the United States to become the most religiously diverse country in
744-669: A Maryland lawyer, he married Hannah J. Richardson of Maryland. Hannah was considerably wealthy. His uncle was Jacob Tome . During the early 1850s, Creswell was a strongly partisan Whig . In 1850, Creswell was an unsuccessful candidate to the Maryland Reform State Convention. When the Whig party ceased to exist in the mid-1850s, Creswell became a Democrat and he attended the 1856 Democratic National Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio that nominated James Buchanan for president. At
930-632: A Postmaster General during the Grant Administration, Creswell helped to integrate and modernize the federal post office system. He had truly become a man of the future." Born a Southerner, Creswell became "an unlikely advocate for equality of opportunity." Historian Ronald C. White said Creswell was a "highly competent lawyer" and "had ideas on how to reform the Post Office Department." White noted that Postmaster Creswell received "strong commendations" for introducing reforms, including expanding
1116-819: A congressional censure of Jackson stemming from the Bank War . Buchanan served in the Senate until March 1845 and was twice confirmed in office. To unite Pennsylvania Democrats at the State Convention, he was chosen as their candidate for the National Convention . Buchanan maintained a strict adherence to the Pennsylvania State Legislature 's guidelines and sometimes voted against positions in Congress which he promoted in his own speeches, despite open ambitions for
1302-566: A continuous presence in what is now the continental United States in 1565. Martín de Argüelles , born in 1566 in San Agustín, La Florida then a part of New Spain , was the first person of European descent born in what is now the continental United States. Virginia Dare , born in 1587 in Roanoke Island in present-day North Carolina , was the first child born in the original Thirteen Colonies to English parents. The Spaniards also established
1488-414: A continuous presence in what over three centuries later would become a possession of the United States with the founding of the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico , in 1521. In the 2020 United States census, English Americans 46.5 million (19.8%), German Americans 45m (19.1%), Irish Americans 38.6m (16.4%), and Italian Americans 16.8m (7.1%) were the four largest self-reported European ancestry groups in
1674-618: A few days off before he returned to Washington. Creswell, as Postmaster-General, had enormous power in distributing patronage nationally in the Postal Service. During Reconstruction as a Radical Republican Creswell appointed African Americans to serve in every state working in the Postal System. African American postal workers encountered abuse in certain areas of the South. Creswell appointed more African Americans than any of his predecessors. In distributing patronage Creswell followed
1860-639: A forgotten "committed abolitionist" and have taken renewed interest for Creswell's support of the Thirteenth Amendment ending slavery for African Americans in the United States, as a member of the House of Representatives, and for his advancement of African Americans , both male and female, in the Postal Service, while serving as President Grant's appointed Postmaster General during that latter half of Reconstruction . The mistake of his name "Angel James" from his correct name "Andrew Jackson" may have "originated in
2046-565: A legitimate reason for war. During the Mexican-American War , Buchanan initially advised against claiming territory south of the Rio Grande, fearing war with Britain and France. However, as the war came to an end, Buchanan changed his mind and argued for the annexation of further territory, arguing that Mexico was to blame for the war and that the compensation negotiated for the American losses
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#17328590051422232-610: A local academy, Creswell graduated from Dickinson College in 1848 and passed the bar in 1850. A former Whig, Creswell joined the Democratic Party and supported James Buchanan for president. When the Civil War broke in 1861, Creswell remained loyal to the Union and supported Abraham Lincoln . Creswell joined the Radical Republicans and supported the end of slavery and the civil rights of African Americans . In 1861, Creswell
2418-583: A log cabin on a farm called Stony Batter , near Cove Gap , Peters Township , in the Allegheny Mountains of southern Pennsylvania . He was the last president born in the 18th century and, until the election of Joe Biden in 2020, the only one born in Pennsylvania. Buchanan was the second of eleven children with six sisters and four brothers, and the eldest son of James Buchanan Sr. (1761–1821) and his wife Elizabeth Speer (1767–1833). James Buchanan Sr.,
2604-531: A majority vote. He was appointed to the Agriculture Committee in his first year, and he eventually became chairman of the Judiciary Committee . In 1831, Buchanan declined a nomination for the 22nd United States Congress from his constituency consisting of Dauphin , Lebanon , and Lancaster counties. He still had political ambitions and some Pennsylvania Democrats put him forward as a candidate for
2790-772: A militia during the War of 1812, during the British occupation he joined a group of young men who stole horses for the United States Army in the Baltimore area. He was the last president involved in the War of 1812 . In 1814, he was elected for the Federalists to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives , where he was the youngest member, and held this seat until 1816. Since the sessions in
2976-478: A nativist Federalist bill. During the 1824 presidential election , Buchanan initially supported Henry Clay , but switched to Andrew Jackson (with Clay as a second choice) when it became clear that the Pennsylvanian public overwhelmingly preferred Jackson. After Jackson lost the 1824 election, he joined his faction, but Jackson had contempt for Buchanan due to his misinterpretation of his efforts to mediate between
3162-493: A pleasant conversation with him. Upon assuming office, Postmaster Creswell strongly advocated the abolishment of the franking privilege that allowed Congress, both the Senate and the House of Representatives, to use the U.S. Postal Service paid for by taxpayers. Many in Congress, during November 1870, opposed the removal of this privilege, and friends of President Grant extensively lobbied that Creswell to be removed from office and replaced by Pennsylvanian , John W. Forney . This
3348-681: A reaction to the prevailing European consensus that America's domestic originality was degenerate . Prevalent ideas and ideals that evolved domestically, such as national holidays , uniquely American sports , military tradition, and innovations in the arts and entertainment give a strong sense of national pride among the population as a whole. American culture includes both conservative and liberal elements, scientific and religious competitiveness, political structures, risk taking and free expression, materialist and moral elements. Despite certain consistent ideological principles (e.g. individualism , egalitarianism , faith in freedom and democracy ),
3534-480: A region that was settled historically by the British. Overall, as the largest group, European Americans have the lowest poverty rate and the second highest educational attainment levels, median household income , and median personal income of any racial demographic in the nation, second only to Asian Americans in the latter three categories. According to the American Jewish Archives and
3720-557: A result, anti-slavery residents boycotted the referendum since it did not provide a meaningful choice. Despite the protests of Walker and two former Kansas governors, Buchanan decided to accept the Lecompton Constitution. In a December 1857 meeting with Stephen A. Douglas , the chairman of the Senate Committee on Territories, Buchanan demanded that all Democrats support the administration's position of admitting Kansas under
3906-417: A slave state to a free territory by his owner, John Sanford . After Scott returned to the slave state, he filed a petition for his freedom based on his time in the free territory. Associate Justice Robert C. Grier leaked the decision in the "Dred Scott" case early to Buchanan. In his inaugural address, Buchanan declared that the issue of slavery in the territories would be "speedily and finally settled" by
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#17328590051424092-729: A state required a constitution be submitted to Congress with the approval of a majority of its residents. Under President Pierce, a series of violent confrontations escalated over who had the right to vote in Kansas. The situation drew national attention, and some in Georgia and Mississippi advocated secession should Kansas be admitted as a free state. Buchanan chose to endorse the pro-slavery Lecompton government. Buchanan appointed Robert J. Walker to replace John W. Geary as Territorial Governor, and there ensued conflicting referendums from Topeka and Lecompton, where election fraud occurred. In October 1857,
4278-552: A total of 1,834,212 self-identifying individuals. Barack Obama , 44th President of the United States who is biracial- his mother is white (of English and Irish descent) and his father is of Kenyan birth- only self-identifies as being African American. According to the 2020 United States census, 8.4% or 27,915,715 Americans chose to self-identify with the "some other race" category, the third most popular option. Also, 42.2% or 26,225,882 Hispanic/Latino Americans chose to identify as some other race as these Hispanic/Latinos may feel
4464-420: A trade and shipping treaty with Russia. While Buchanan was successful with the former, negotiating an agreement on free merchant shipping with Foreign Minister Karl Nesselrode proved difficult. He had denounced Tsar Nicholas I as a despot merely a year prior during his tenure in Congress; many Americans had reacted negatively to Russia's reaction to the 1830 Polish uprising . Buchanan returned home and lost
4650-464: A troubled relationship with his vice president from the beginning, when he did not receive him during his inaugural visit but referred him to his niece and First Lady, which Breckinridge never forgave him for and saw as disrespectful. He left out the influential Stephen A. Douglas , who had made Buchanan's nomination possible by resigning at the National Convention the previous year, when filling
4836-458: A wrong legal decision was determined by the ruling parties' preferences and the popularity of the judge's decision. Buchanan persuaded the senators that only judicial crimes and clear violations of the law justified impeachment. In the congressional elections of 1820, Buchanan ran for a seat in the House of Representatives . Shortly after his election victory, his father died in a carriage accident. As
5022-634: A young Representative, Buchanan was one of the most prominent leaders of the "Amalgamator party" faction of Pennsylvanian politics, named that because it was made up of both Democratic-Republicans and former Federalists, which transitioned from the First Party System to the Era of Good Feelings . During this era, the Democratic-Republicans became the most influential party. Buchanan's Federalist convictions were weak, and he switched parties after opposing
5208-442: Is also an option in the census and other surveys. The United States Census Bureau also classifies Americans as "Hispanic or Latino" and "Not Hispanic or Latino", which identifies Hispanic and Latino Americans as a racially diverse ethnicity that comprises the largest minority group in the nation. People of European descent, or White Americans (also referred to as European Americans and Caucasian Americans), constitute
5394-503: Is indigenous to the Americas , originally migrated to the two continents between 10,000 and 45,000 years ago. These Paleoamericans spread throughout the two continents and evolved into hundreds of distinct cultures during the pre-Columbian era . Following the first voyage of Christopher Columbus , the European colonization of the Americas began, with St. Augustine , Florida becoming
5580-449: Is now United States territory since the founding of San Juan, Puerto Rico (the oldest continuously inhabited settlement on American soil) in 1521 by Juan Ponce de León , and the founding of St. Augustine, Florida (the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the continental United States) in 1565 by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés . In the State of Texas , Spaniards first settled the region in
5766-535: Is now the United States since before the Revolutionary War , relatively large waves of Chinese, Filipino, and Japanese immigration did not begin until the mid-to-late 19th century. Immigration and significant population growth continue to this day. Due to a number of factors, Asian Americans have been stereotyped as " perpetual foreigners ". As defined by the United States Census Bureau and
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5952-581: Is the Asian American population, comprising 19,618,719 people in 2020, or 5.9% of the United States population. California is home to 5.6 million Asian Americans, the greatest number in any state. In Hawaii, Asian Americans make up the highest proportion of the population (57 percent). Asian Americans live across the country, yet are heavily urbanized, with significant populations in the Greater Los Angeles Area , New York metropolitan area , and
6138-732: The Arab American Institute (AAI), Arab Americans have family origins in each of the 22 member states of the Arab League . Following consultations with MENA organizations, the Census Bureau announced in 2014 that it would establish a new MENA ethnic category for populations from the Middle East , North Africa , and the Arab world , separate from the "white" classification that these populations had previously sought in 1909. The groups felt that
6324-618: The Arab American National Museum , the first Middle Easterners and North Africans (viz. Jews and Berbers ) to arrive in the Americas landed in the late 15th to mid-16th centuries. Many fled ethnic or ethnoreligious persecution during the Spanish Inquisition ; a few were taken to the Americas as slaves. In 2014, the United States Census Bureau began finalizing the ethnic classification of people of Middle Eastern and North African ("MENA") origins. According to
6510-538: The Bedford Springs Hotel in Pennsylvania , expressing hope that the newly laid cable would prove "an additional link between the nations whose friendship is founded on their common interest and reciprocal esteem". Queen Victoria's message took 16 hours to send. Buchanan responded: "It is a triumph more glorious, because far more useful to mankind, than was ever won by conqueror on the field of battle. May
6696-609: The Creoles and Cajuns of Louisiana and the Hispanos of the Southwest and brought close contact with the culture of Mexico . Large-scale immigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from Eastern and Southern Europe introduced a variety of elements. Immigration from Africa , Asia , and Latin America has also had impact. A cultural melting pot , or pluralistic salad bowl , describes
6882-478: The District of Columbia and the five inhabited U.S. territories have a non-white majority. The state with the highest percentage of non-Hispanic White Americans is Maine , while the state with the lowest percentage is Hawaii . Europe is the largest continent that Americans trace their ancestry to, and many claim descent from various European ethnic groups . The Spaniards were the first Europeans to establish
7068-505: The Dred Scott decision and its repudiation of federal interference with slavery in the territories. Douglas's Senate term was coming to an end in 1859, with the Illinois legislature, elected in 1858, determining whether Douglas would win re-election. The Senate seat was the primary issue of the legislative election, marked by the famous debates between Douglas and his Republican opponent for
7254-520: The Federalist Party . Like his father, he supported their political program, which provided federal funds for building projects and import duties as well as the re-establishment of a central bank after the First Bank of the United States ' license expired in 1811. He became a strong critic of Democratic-Republican President James Madison during the War of 1812 . Although he did not himself serve in
7440-489: The Gulf of Mexico ". President Pierce hoped for re-nomination, while Senator Stephen A. Douglas also loomed as a strong candidate. He won the nomination after seventeen ballots after Douglas' resignation. He was joined on the ticket by John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky in order to maintain regional proportional representation, placating supporters of Pierce and Douglas, also allies of Breckinridge. Buchanan faced two candidates in
7626-508: The Kingdom of Kongo ). The first West African slaves were brought to Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. The English settlers treated these captives as indentured servants and released them after a number of years. This practice was gradually replaced by the system of race-based slavery used in the Caribbean . All the American colonies had slavery, but it was usually the form of personal servants in
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7812-480: The Ku Klux Klan . At a White House reception on January 1, 1870, African Haitian minister, General Alexander Tate, attended. President Grant, who had no racial animosity, cordially shook General Tate's hand. Other white dignitaries refused to associate with General Tate because he was black and ignored him at the reception. Postmaster Creswell, however, noticed that General Tate was being snubbed, and went over and had
7998-614: The Missouri Compromise and welcomed Congress's rejection of the Wilmot Proviso , which prohibited slavery in all territories gained in the Mexican-American War. Buchanan criticized abolitionism as a fanatical attitude and believed that slavery should be decided by state legislatures, not Congress. He disliked abolitionist Northerners due to his party affiliation, and became known as a " doughface " due to his sympathy toward
8184-916: The Monroe Doctrine , which had been under attack from the Spanish, French, and especially the British in the 1850s. He hoped to re-negotiate the Clayton–Bulwer Treaty to counter European imperialism in the Western Hemisphere, which he thought limited U.S. influence in the region. He also sought to establish American protectorates over the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora to secure American citizens and investments, and most importantly, he hoped to achieve his long-term goal of acquiring Cuba. However, Buchanan's ambitions in Cuba and Mexico were largely blocked by
8370-605: The Native American population and people from Alaska , Hawaii , Puerto Rico , Guam , Texas , and formerly the Philippines , who became American through expansion of the country in the 19th century; additionally, American Samoa , the United States Virgin Islands , and Northern Mariana Islands came under American sovereignty in the 20th century, although American Samoans are only nationals and not citizens of
8556-605: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), an "American Indian or Alaska Native" is a person whose ancestry have origins in any of the original peoples of North, Central, or South America. 2.3 million individuals who are American Indian or Alaskan Native are multiracial; additionally the plurality of American Indians reside in the Western United States (40.7%). Collectively and historically this race has been known by several names ; as of 1995, 50% of those who fall within
8742-576: The Office of Management and Budget , the grouping includes individuals who self-identify as African American, as well as persons who emigrated from nations in the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa. The grouping is thus based on geography, and may contradict or misrepresent an individual's self-identification since not all immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa are "Black". Among these racial outliers are persons from Cape Verde , Madagascar , various Arab states, and Hamito-Semitic populations in East Africa and
8928-554: The Oregon Treaty and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , which included territory that is now Texas, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. In negotiations with Britain over Oregon, Buchanan initially favored the 49th parallel as the boundary of Oregon Territory, while Polk called for a more northerly boundary line. When Northern Democrats rallied around the popular slogan Fifty-Four Forty or Fight ("54°40′ or war") in
9114-555: The Pennsylvania General Assembly lasted only three months, Buchanan continued practicing law at a profit by charging higher fees, and his service helped him acquire more clients. In 1815, Buchanan defended District Judge Walter Franklin in an impeachment trial before the Pennsylvania Senate , over alleged judicial misconduct. Impeachments were more common at the time because the line between abuse of office and
9300-517: The Plantation of Ulster in the seventeenth century and, later, largely because of poverty and persecution by the Crown due to their Presbyterian faith, had further emigrated in large numbers from Ulster to America from the early eighteenth century onwards. Shortly after Buchanan's birth, the family relocated to a farm near Mercersburg, Pennsylvania , and later settled in the town in 1794. His father became
9486-536: The Post Office Department , introduced penny postcards and postal telegraphs, proposed a postal savings system. Creswell proved to be one of the ablest organizers ever to head the Post Office. He cut costs while greatly expanding the number of mail routes, postal clerks and letter carriers. He introduced the penny postcard and worked with Fish to revise postal treaties. A Radical, he used the vast patronage of
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#17328590051429672-409: The Presbyterian minister, Rev. Dr. Osmond, were with Creswell when he died. Creswell had contracted the flu and then succumbed to pneumonia . For the past several years Creswell had been in poor health having a heart condition. Seven other Marylanders during the last previous ten days had died of the flu and pneumonia. Creswell was interred in Elkton Presbyterian Cemetery. Historians view Creswell as
9858-416: The Sahel , and the Afrikaners of Southern Africa . African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans or Afro-Americans, and formerly as American Negroes ) are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. According to the 2020 United States census, there were 39,940,338 Black and African Americans in the United States, representing 12.1% of
10044-548: The Salt Lake City area. In September 1857, the Utah Territorial Militia , associated with the Latter-day Saints, perpetrated the Mountain Meadows massacre , in which Young's militia attacked a wagon train and killed 125 settlers. Buchanan was offended by the militarism and polygamous behavior of Young. With reports of violence against non-Mormons, Buchanan authorized a military expedition into Utah Territory in late March 1857 to replace Young as governor. The force consisted of 2,500 men, including Alfred Cumming and his staff, and
10230-456: The San Francisco Bay Area . The United States census defines Asian Americans as those with origins to the countries of East Asia , South Asia , and Southeast Asia . Although Americans with roots in West Asia were once classified as "Asian", they are now excluded from the term in modern census classifications. The largest sub-groups are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from Cambodia, mainland China, India, Japan, Korea, Laos, Pakistan,
10416-453: The Supreme Court of the United States . He appointed seven other federal judges to United States district courts . He also appointed two judges to the United States Court of Claims . The case of Dred Scott v. Sandford , to which Buchanan referred to in his inaugural address, dated back to 1846. Scott sued for his release in Missouri , claiming he lived in service to the proprietor in Illinois and Wisconsin Territory . The case reached
10602-518: The United Kingdom . Unlike migration from other countries, United States migration is not concentrated in specific countries, possibly as a result of the roots of immigration from so many different countries to the United States. As of 2016 , there were approximately 9 million United States citizens living outside of the United States. As the result of U.S. tax and financial reporting requirements that apply to non-resident citizens, record numbers of American citizens renounced their U.S. citizenship in
10788-411: The United States of America . The United States is home to people of many racial and ethnic origins ; consequently, American law does not equate nationality with race or ethnicity but with citizenship. The majority of Americans or their ancestors immigrated to the United States or are descended from people who were brought as slaves within the past five centuries, with the exception of
10974-452: The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom , the framers of the Constitution rejected any religious test for office. The First Amendment specifically denied the federal government any power to enact any law respecting either an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise, thus protecting any religious organization, institution, or denomination from government interference. European Rationalist and Protestant ideals mainly influenced
11160-446: The Western Hemisphere and beyond, including the District of Columbia, the seat of government of the United States. English is the unofficial national language . Although there is no official language at the federal level, some laws—such as U.S. naturalization requirements —standardize English. In 2007, about 226 million, or 80% of the population aged five years and older, spoke only English at home. Spanish , spoken by 12% of
11346-473: The election . Buchanan was offered the position of Secretary of State in the Polk administration or, as the alternative, a seat on the Supreme Court , to compensate him for his support in the election campaign but also in order to eliminate him as an internal party rival. He accepted the State Department post and served for the duration of Polk's single term in office. During his tenure, the United States recorded its largest territorial gain in history through
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#173285900514211532-472: The flag of the United States – for example, typically a top hat with red and white stripes and white stars on a blue band, and red and white striped trousers. Columbia is a poetic name for the Americas and the feminine personification of the United States of America, made famous by African American poet Phillis Wheatley during the American Revolutionary War in 1776. It has inspired the names of many persons, places, objects, institutions, and companies in
11718-457: The northern states (north of the Mason–Dixon line ) had abolished slavery. However, slavery would persist in the southern states until the end of the American Civil War and the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment . Following the end of the Reconstruction era , which saw the first African American representation in Congress , African Americans became disenfranchised and subject to Jim Crow laws , legislation that would persist until
11904-405: The secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and represented Pennsylvania in both houses of the U.S. Congress . He was an advocate for states' rights , particularly regarding slavery , and minimized the role of the federal government preceding the American Civil War . Buchanan was a lawyer in Pennsylvania and won his first election to the state's House of Representatives as a Federalist . He
12090-424: The slavery era within the boundaries of the present United States. As an adjective, the term is usually spelled African-American . Montinaro et al. (2014) observed that around 50% of the overall ancestry of African Americans traces back to the Niger-Congo -speaking Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria and southern Benin (before the European colonization of Africa this people created the Oyo Empire ), reflecting
12276-427: The " Bleeding Kansas " period. The antislavery settlers, with the help of Northern abolitionists, organized their own territorial government in Topeka . The more numerous proslavery settlers, many from the neighboring slave state Missouri, established a government in Lecompton , giving the Territory two different governments for a time, with two distinct constitutions, each claiming legitimacy. The admission of Kansas as
12462-416: The "gifted and debonair" Creswell as Postmaster General. His appointment by Grant was very popular in Maryland whose citizens considered themselves part of the South. Having retired as Postmaster, Creswell was appointed by President Grant as an Alabama Claims Commissioner and served from 1874 to 1876. Creswell returned to private law practice and worked in the banking industry. Modern historians, starting in
12648-430: The 1828 presidential election, he secured Pennsylvania, while the " Jacksonian Democrats ", an independent party after splitting from the National Republican Party , won an easy victory in the parallel congressional election. Buchanan gained most attention during an impeachment trial where he acted as prosecutor for federal district judge James H. Peck ; however, the Senate rejected Buchanan's plea and acquitted Peck by
12834-400: The 1844 election campaign, Buchanan adopted this position, but later followed Polk's direction, leading to the Oregon Compromise of 1846, which established the 49th parallel as the boundary in the Pacific Northwest . In regards to Mexico, Buchanan maintained a dubious view that its attack on American troops on the other side of the Rio Grande in April 1846 constituted a border violation and
13020-404: The 1858 English Bill , which offered Kansas immediate statehood and vast public lands in exchange for accepting the Lecompton Constitution. In August 1858, Kansans by referendum strongly rejected the Lecompton Constitution. The territory received an abolitionist constitution, which was bitterly opposed in Congress by representatives and senators from the southern states until Kansas was admitted to
13206-414: The 1960s and continuing into the 21st century, have taken a renewed interest in Creswell as a forgotten abolitionist and for his appointments and integration of both male and female African Americans to prominent positions in the U.S. Postal system, viewing him as "a man of the future". John A. J. Creswell was born in Port Deposit , Maryland , then known as Creswells Ferry, on November 18, 1828. His father
13392-569: The American Civil War, has been widely criticized. He simultaneously angered the North by not stopping secession and the South by not yielding to their demands. He supported the Corwin Amendment in an effort to reconcile the country. He made an unsuccessful attempt to reinforce Fort Sumter , but otherwise refrained from preparing the military. In his personal life, Buchanan never married and was
13578-470: The American culture has a variety of expressions due to its geographical scale and demographic diversity. Americans have migrated to many places around the world, including Argentina , Australia , Brazil , Canada , Chile , China , Costa Rica , France , Germany , Hong Kong , India , Japan , Mexico , New Zealand , Pakistan , the Philippines , South Korea , the United Arab Emirates , and
13764-611: The Atlantic telegraph, under the blessing of Heaven, prove to be a bond of perpetual peace and friendship between the kindred nations, and an instrument destined by Divine Providence to diffuse religion, civilization, liberty, and law throughout the world." The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 created the Kansas Territory and allowed the settlers there to decide whether to allow slavery. This resulted in violence between " Free-Soil " (antislavery) and pro-slavery settlers, which developed into
13950-711: The Bar of Cecil County and of the Court of Appeals of Maryland and of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. Adjutant General of Maryland in the Civil War. Member of the House of Representatives and of the Senate of the United States. Postmaster General in the Cabinet of President Grant. Eloquent defender of the Union. Faithful to every trust. Loyal to every friend. Generous to every cause. A wise Counsellor, an able advocate. His career
14136-461: The Clay and Jackson camps. In Washington, Buchanan became an avid defender of states' rights , and was close with many southern Congressmen, viewing some New England Congressmen as dangerous radicals . Buchanan's close proximity to his constituency allowed him to establish a Democratic coalition in Pennsylvania, consisting of former Federalist farmers, Philadelphia artisans, and Ulster-Scots-Americans. In
14322-463: The Democratic platform. In the election, he carried every slave state except for Maryland, as well as five slavery-free states, including his home state of Pennsylvania. He won 45 percent of the popular vote and decisively won the electoral vote, taking 174 of 296 votes. His election made him the first president from Pennsylvania. In a combative victory speech, Buchanan denounced Republicans, calling them
14508-517: The English language, legal system and other cultural inheritances, had a formative influence. Other important influences came from other parts of Europe, especially Germany , France , and Italy . Original elements also play a strong role, such as Jeffersonian democracy . Thomas Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia was perhaps the first influential domestic cultural critique by an American and
14694-478: The Homestead Act was very popular, even many Democrats condemned the president's policies, while many Americans who considered education an important asset resented Buchanan's veto of agricultural colleges. Buchanan took office with an ambitious foreign policy, designed to establish U.S. hegemony over Central America at the expense of Great Britain. Buchanan sought to revitalize Manifest Destiny and to enforce
14880-475: The Latter-day Saints had frequently defied federal authority, some historians consider Buchanan's action was an inappropriate response to uncorroborated reports. Buchanan was the first recipient of an official telegram transmitted across the Atlantic. Following the dispatch of test and configuration telegrams, on August 16, 1858 Queen Victoria sent a 98-word message to Buchanan at his summer residence in
15066-545: The Lecompton Constitution. On February 2, he transmitted the Lecompton Constitution to Congress. He also transmitted a message that attacked the "revolutionary government" in Topeka, conflating them with the Mormons in Utah. Buchanan made every effort to secure congressional approval, offering favors, patronage appointments, and even cash for votes. The Lecompton Constitution won the approval of
15252-516: The Lecompton government framed the pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution that agreed to a referendum limited solely to the slavery question. However, the vote against slavery, as provided by the Lecompton Convention, would still permit existing slaves, and all their issue, to be enslaved, so there was no referendum that permitted the majority anti-slavery residents to prohibit slavery in Kansas. As
15438-498: The Massachusetts Bay Colony was established by English Puritans , Pennsylvania by Irish and English Quakers , Maryland by English and Irish Catholics , and Virginia by English Anglicans . Although some individual states retained established religious confessions well into the 19th century, the United States was the first nation to have no official state-endorsed religion. Modeling the provisions concerning religion within
15624-652: The North (where 2% of the people were slaves), and field hands in plantations in the South (where 25% were slaves); by the beginning of the American Revolutionary War 1/5th of the total population was enslaved. During the revolution, some would serve in the Continental Army or Continental Navy , while others would serve the British Empire in the Ethiopian Regiment , and other units. By 1804,
15810-595: The OMB definition prefer the term "American Indian", 37% prefer "Native American" and the remainder have no preference or prefer a different term altogether. Among Americans today, levels of Native American ancestry (distinct from Native American identity ) differ. Based on a sample of users of the 23andMe commercial genetic test, genomes of self-reported African Americans averaged to 0.8% Native American ancestry, those of European Americans averaged to 0.18%, and those of Latinos averaged to 18.0%. Native Americans, whose ancestry
15996-478: The Office of Management and Budget, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders are "persons having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii , Guam , Samoa , or other Pacific Islands ". Previously called Asian Pacific American , along with Asian Americans beginning in 1976, this was changed in 1997. As of the 2020 United States census, there are 622,018 who reside in the United States, and make up 0.2% of
16182-621: The Pacific also have large Pacific Islander populations such as Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (Chammoro), and American Samoa (Samoan). The largest concentration of Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, is Honolulu County in Hawaii, and Los Angeles County in the continental United States . The United States has a growing multiracial identity movement. Multiracial Americans numbered 7.0 million in 2008, or 2.3% of
16368-515: The Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Asians overall have higher income levels than all other racial groups in the United States, including whites, and the trend appears to be increasing in relation to those groups. Additionally, Asians have a higher education attainment level than all other racial groups in the United States. For better or for worse, the group has been called a model minority . While Asian Americans have been in what
16554-561: The Postal Department, after the abolishment of the franking took effect. Federal executive departments were exempt from the law. By law, to secure a postal contract, bidders had to pay a 5% guarantee check at a national bank payable to the Postmaster General. Some bidders, however, in good faith, were only writing "John Creswell" or "John A. Creswell" rather than "John A.J. Creswell, Postmaster General" on their deposit checks. This
16740-557: The Senate in March, but a combination of Know-Nothings, Republicans, and Northern Democrats defeated the bill in the House. Buchanan never forgave Douglas, as the Northern Democrats' rejection was the deciding factor in the House's decision, and he removed all Douglas supporters from his patronage in Illinois and Washington, D.C., installing pro-administration Democrats, including postmasters. Rather than accepting defeat, Buchanan backed
16926-534: The Senate. In that year's elections, Douglas forces took control throughout the North, except in Buchanan's home state of Pennsylvania. Buchanan's support was otherwise reduced to a narrow base of southerners. The division between northern and southern Democrats allowed the Republicans to win a plurality of the House in the 1858 elections , and allowed them to block most of Buchanan's agenda. Buchanan, in turn, added to
17112-457: The South, as we have to touch the right of petition." Buchanan thought that the issue of slavery was the domain of the states, and he faulted abolitionists for exciting passions over the issue. In the lead-up to the 1844 Democratic National Convention , Buchanan positioned himself as a potential alternative to former President Martin Van Buren , but the nomination went to James K. Polk , who won
17298-429: The South. Buchanan emerged as a promising candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, alongside Lewis Cass, Stephen Douglas , and William L. Marcy ; however, the Pennsylvania convention did not vote unanimously in his favor, with over 30 delegates protesting against him. At the 1852 Democratic National Convention , he won the support of many southern delegates but failed to win the two-thirds support needed for
17484-518: The Southern states. A bill to cut spending on Public Printing was introduced to the House, however, this failed to gain a two-thirds majority to pass. The abolition of the franking privilege would be effective on July 1, 1873. On February 26, 1873 Postmaster Creswell went before the House Committee on Appropriations and testified that federal postage appropriations were necessary for the U.S. Treasury and
17670-494: The Supreme Court and gained national attention by 1856. Buchanan consulted with Judge John Catron in January 1857, inquiring about the outcome of the case and suggesting that a broader decision, beyond the specifics of the case, would be more prudent. Buchanan hoped that a broad decision protecting slavery in the territories could lay the issue to rest, allowing him to focus on other issues. Catron replied on February 10, saying that
17856-473: The Supreme Court's Southern majority would decide against Scott, but would likely have to publish the decision on narrow grounds unless Buchanan could convince his fellow Pennsylvanian, Justice Robert Cooper Grier , to join the majority of the court. Buchanan then wrote to Grier and prevailed upon him, providing the majority leverage to issue a broad-ranging decision sufficient to render the Missouri Compromise of 1820 unconstitutional. Two days after Buchanan
18042-583: The Supreme Court. According to historian Paul Finkelman : Buchanan already knew what the Court was going to decide. In a major breach of Court etiquette, Justice Grier, who, like Buchanan, was from Pennsylvania, had kept the President-elect fully informed about the progress of the case and the internal debates within the Court. When Buchanan urged the nation to support the decision, he already knew what Taney would say. Republican suspicions of impropriety turned out to be fully justified. Historians agree that
18228-558: The U.S. Postal system to adapt to an expanding demand for increased postal routes throughout the Western states and remain competitive worldwide. Creswell also integrated the U.S. Postal system appointing both male and female African American postmasters throughout the United States, giving them significant positions of federal authority. Sweeping and constructive reforms of the U.S. Postal system took place during Creswell's tenure, including securing fair competition among Star Route carriages, and
18414-569: The Union as a slave state under the Lecompton Constitution , and angered not only Republicans but also Northern Democrats. Buchanan honored his pledge to serve only one term and supported Breckinridge's unsuccessful candidacy in the 1860 presidential election . He failed to reconcile the fractured Democratic Party amid the grudge against Stephen Douglas , leading to the election of Republican and former Congressman Abraham Lincoln . Buchanan's leadership during his lame duck period, before
18600-481: The Union in January 1861. The dispute over Kansas became the battlefront for control of the Democratic Party. On one side were Buchanan, the majority of Southern Democrats, and the "doughfaces". On the other side were Douglas and the majority of northern Democrats, as well as a few Southerners. Douglas's faction continued to support the doctrine of popular sovereignty, while Buchanan insisted that Democrats respect
18786-582: The United Kingdom, as he demanded the entire Aroostook River Valley for the United States. In the Oregon Boundary Dispute , Buchanan adopted the maximum demand of 54°40′ as the northern border and spoke out in favor of annexing the Republic of Texas . During the contentious 1838 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election , Buchanan chose to support the Democratic challenger, David Rittenhouse Porter , who
18972-495: The United States census does not describe their European and American Indian ancestry as they understand it to be. A significant portion of the Hispanic and Latino population self-identifies as Mestizo , particularly the Mexican and Central American community. Mestizo is not a racial category in the United States census, but signifies someone who has both European and American Indian ancestry. Hispanic or Latino Americans constitute
19158-522: The United States constituting 62.4% of the population. However, the English Americans and British Americans demography is considered a serious under-count as they tend to self-report and identify as simply " Americans " (since the introduction of a new "American" category in the 1990 census) due to the length of time they have inhabited America. This is highly over-represented in the Upland South ,
19344-516: The United States has a high adherence level compared to other developed countries and a diversity in beliefs. The First Amendment to the country's Constitution prevents the Federal government from making any "law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". The U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted this as preventing the government from having any authority in religion. A majority of Americans report that religion plays
19530-594: The United States, even if they had full civil rights in a state. Buchanan's letters were not made public at the time, but he was seen conversing quietly with the Chief Justice during his inauguration. When the decision was issued, Republicans began spreading the word that Taney had informed Buchanan of the impending outcome. Rather than destroying the Republican platform as Buchanan had hoped, the decision infuriated Northerners, who condemned it. The Panic of 1857 began in
19716-419: The United States. Despite its multi-ethnic composition, the culture of the United States held in common by most Americans can also be referred to as mainstream American culture , a Western culture largely derived from the traditions of Northern and Western European colonists, settlers, and immigrants. It also includes significant influences of African-American culture . Westward expansion integrated
19902-538: The Western mail service, instituting fair competition on carriage routes for mail transportation, a system previously riddled with bribery, and for strongly advocating the abolishment of the franking privilege system, all of these efforts endorsed by President Grant. Osborne and Bombaro concluded that Creswell was "a true Border State pragmatist who came to embrace what were at the time considered radical ideas about abolishing slavery and promoting equality. He came late to these ideas of 'freedom national,' but when he joined
20088-733: The White House. Buchanan was known for his commitment to states' rights and the Manifest Destiny ideology. He rejected President Martin Van Buren 's offer to become United States Attorney General and chaired prestigious Senate committees such as the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Foreign Relations . Buchanan was one of only a few senators to vote against the Webster–Ashburton Treaty for its "surrender" of lands to
20274-476: The abolishment of the franking system. Creswell developed a codified classification system of offenses against postal laws. Creswell streamlined and reduced postal costs making the United States Postal System run efficiently creating a fair pricing system domestically, and reducing international mailing prices. Creswell developed and implemented the United States first penny postcard. After attending
20460-626: The acquisition of Cuba. A memorandum draft resulted, called the Ostend Manifesto , which proposed the purchase of Cuba from Spain, then in the midst of revolution and near bankruptcy. The document declared the island "as necessary to the North American republic as any of its present ... family of states". Against Buchanan's recommendation, the final draft of the manifesto suggested that "wresting it from Spain", if Spain refused to sell, would be justified "by every law, human and Divine". The manifesto
20646-637: The adult population identifies as having no religious belief or no religious affiliation. According to the American Religious Identification Survey , religious belief varies considerably across the country: 59% of Americans living in Western states (the " Unchurched Belt ") report a belief in God , yet in the South (the " Bible Belt ") the figure is as high as 86%. Several of the original Thirteen Colonies were established by settlers who wished to practice their religion without discrimination:
20832-653: The area's wealthiest resident, working as a merchant, farmer, and real estate investor. Buchanan attributed his early education primarily to his mother, whereas his father had a greater influence on his character. His mother had discussed politics with him as a child and had an interest in poetry, quoting John Milton and William Shakespeare to Buchanan. Buchanan attended the Old Stone Academy in Mercersburg and then Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania . In 1808, he
21018-589: The beginning of the Grant administration, it was reported by the New York Times, July 29, 1869, that Creswell injured himself in Baltimore while on a visit to his father-in-law Rev. James McIntire, near Elton. His left elbow was fractured by a fall from a porch on a chair. Creswell was in deep pain, but the injury was not considered serious and was expected to heal in a few weeks. Creswell said he felt better and he would take
21204-496: The bill written by Postmaster Creswell to the House for ratification. Creswell accepted the appointment of a United States counsel before the Alabama Claims Commission ; he served in that position from 1874 to 1876. Creswell resumed practicing law and served as the president of two banks. Creswell died suddenly at noon at his home a mile outside of Elkton , Cecil County, Maryland, on December 23, 1891. His wife and
21390-572: The centrality of this West African region in the Atlantic slave trade . Zakharaia et al. (2009) found a similar proportion of Yoruba associated ancestry in their African American samples, with a minority also drawn from Mandinka populations (founders of the Mali Empire ), and Bantu populations (who had a varying level of social organization during the colonial era, while some Bantu peoples were still tribal, other Bantu peoples had founded kingdoms such as
21576-583: The city. His income rapidly rose after he established his practice, and by 1821 he was earning over $ 11,000 per year (equivalent to $ 250,000 in 2023). At this time, Buchanan became a Freemason , and served as the Worshipful Master of Masonic Lodge No. 43 in Lancaster and as a District Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania . Buchanan also served as chairman of the Lancaster chapter of
21762-468: The country in the slavery dispute. While he did not overtly seek the presidency, he assented to the movement on his behalf. While still in England, he campaigned by praising John Joseph Hughes , who was Archbishop of New York , to a Catholic archbishop. The latter campaigned for Buchanan among high-ranking Catholics as soon as he heard about it. When Buchanan arrived home at the end of April 1856, he led on
21948-554: The court decision was a major disaster because it dramatically inflamed tensions, leading to the Civil War. In 2022, historian David W. Blight argued that the year 1857 was, "the great pivot on the road to disunion...largely because of the Dred Scott case, which stoked the fear, distrust and conspiratorial hatred already common in both the North and the South to new levels of intensity." As his inauguration approached, Buchanan sought to establish an obedient, harmonious cabinet to avoid
22134-457: The decade from 2010 to 2020. In 2024 a new organization was created to lobby the U.S. Congress for relief from citizenship-based taxation that is often cited as the reason for the record renunciations. James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( / b j uː ˈ k æ n ə n / bew- KAN -ən ; April 23, 1791 – June 1, 1868) was the 15th president of the United States , serving from 1857 to 1861. Buchanan also served as
22320-765: The decision. Still, it was also a consequence of the pragmatic concerns of minority religious groups and small states that did not want to be under the power or influence of a national religion that did not represent them. The American culture is primarily a Western culture , but is influenced by Native American, West African, Latin American, East Asian, and Polynesian cultures. The United States of America has its own unique social and cultural characteristics, such as dialect , music , arts , social habits , cuisine , and folklore . Its chief early European influences came from English , Scottish , Welsh , and Irish settlers of colonial America during British rule. British culture , due to colonial ties with Britain that spread
22506-457: The earlier "white" designation no longer accurately represents MENA identity, so they successfully lobbied for a distinct categorization. This new category would also include Israeli Americans . The Census Bureau does not currently ask about whether one is Sikh , because it views them as followers of a religion rather than members of an ethnic group, and it does not combine questions concerning religion with race or ethnicity. As of December 2015,
22692-522: The election in the State Legislature for a full six-year term in the 23rd Congress , but was appointed by the Pennsylvania state legislature to succeed William Wilkins in the U.S. Senate. Wilkins, in turn, replaced Buchanan as the ambassador to Russia. The Jacksonian Buchanan, who was re-elected in 1836 and 1842, opposed the re-chartering of the Second Bank of the United States and sought to expunge
22878-547: The fashion of the time, Buchanan studied the United States Code and the Constitution of the United States as well as legal authorities such as William Blackstone during his education. In 1812, Buchanan passed the bar exam and after being admitted to the bar, he remained in Lancaster, even when Harrisburg became the new capital of Pennsylvania. Buchanan quickly established himself as a prominent legal representative in
23064-705: The federal government. In addition to the United States, Americans and people of American descent can be found internationally. As many as seven million Americans are estimated to be living abroad, and make up the American diaspora . The United States is a diverse country, racially , and ethnically . Six races are officially recognized by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes: Alaska Native and American Indian, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, White, and people of two or more races. "Some other race"
23250-507: The federal troops at a peaceable distance for the balance of his administration. Buchanan did not comment on the conflict again until his State of the Union Address in December 1857, leaving open the question of whether it was a rebellion in Utah. One of Buchanan's last official acts in March 1861 was to reduce the size of Utah Territory in favor of Nevada , Colorado , and Nebraska . While
23436-466: The first African American postal inspector. President Grant, at the beginning of his first term in office, initiated an attempt to annex the Dominican Republic , then known as Santo Domingo. President Grant believed that the annexation and eventual statehood of the island country would add to American mineral resources and serve as a refuge for African Americans , who were harassed by violence from
23622-586: The first ballot, supported by powerful Senators John Slidell , Jesse Bright , and Thomas F. Bayard , who presented Buchanan as an experienced leader appealing to the North and South. The 1856 Democratic National Convention met in June 1856, producing a platform that reflected Buchanan's views, including support for the Fugitive Slave Law , which required the return of escaped slaves. The platform also called for an end to anti-slavery agitation and U.S. "ascendancy in
23808-567: The first female African American postmaster in Covington, Louisiana. Creswell ended the policy of whites only mail carriers and appointed James Christian of Richmond, Virginia, the first black mail carrier, on June 1, 1869. Five months later Creswell appointed black Union veteran and first Medal of Honor hero, William Carney , letter carrier of Bedford, Massachusetts. On April 20, 1870 Creswell appointed John W. Curry Washington D.C.'s first black postman. Creswell also appointed Isaac Myers of Baltimore
23994-468: The first permanent European settlement in the continental United States . From the 16th through the 19th centuries, the population of Native Americans declined in the following ways: epidemic diseases brought from Europe; genocide and warfare at the hands of European explorers, settlers and colonists, as well as between tribes; displacement from their lands; internal warfare, enslavement ; and intermarriage . Another significant population
24180-473: The franking privilege, had been introduced by New Jersey Representative John Hill to vote on by the House of Representatives. Many Representatives in the House attempted by an amendment to make the franking abolition legislature less sweeping, however, these efforts failed. The stronger franking abolition bill passed the House by a vote of 143 to 48. Those who voted against the franking abolition were divided equally among both Republicans and Democrats, mostly from
24366-504: The general election: former Whig President Millard Fillmore ran as the candidate for the anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant American Party (or " Know-Nothing "), while John C. Frémont ran as the Republican nominee. The contrast between Buchanan and Frémont was particularly stark, with opposing caricaturists drawing the Democratic candidate as a fussy old man in drag. Buchanan did not actively campaign, but he wrote letters and pledged to uphold
24552-542: The hostility with his veto of six substantial pieces of Republican legislation. Among these measures were the Homestead Act , which would have given 160 acres of public land to settlers who remained on the land for five years, and the Morrill Act , which would have granted public lands to establish land-grant colleges . Buchanan argued that these acts were unconstitutional. In the western and northwestern United States, where
24738-688: The in-fighting that had plagued Andrew Jackson 's administration. The cabinet's composition had to do justice to the proportional representation within the party and between the regions of the country. Buchanan first worked on this task in Wheatland until he traveled to the capital in January 1857. There, like many other guests at the National Hotel , he contracted severe dysentery , from which he did not fully recover until several months later. Dozens of those who fell ill died, including Buchanan's nephew and private secretary Eskridge Lane. The cabinet selection
24924-408: The largest ethnic minority in the United States . They form the second largest group in the United States, comprising 62,080,044 people or 18.7% of the population according to the 2020 United States census. Hispanic and Latino Americans are not considered a race in the United States census, instead forming an ethnic category. People of Spanish or Hispanic and Latino descent have lived in what
25110-406: The late 1600s and formed a unique cultural group known as Tejanos . Uncle Sam is a national personification of the United States and sometimes more specifically of the American government , with the first usage of the term dating from the War of 1812 . He is depicted as a stern elderly white man with white hair and a goatee beard, and dressed in clothing that recalls the design elements of
25296-690: The late nineteenth century, possibly when his papers were processed by the Library of Congress." According to historians John M. Osborne and Christine Bombaro, both of Dickinson College, Creswell "left few records of his personal life. There is no autobiography, diary, or memoir to be found beyond a brief and incomplete biographical sketch he wrote in November 1863, presumably for the United States Congressional Directory." Professor Matthew Pinsker, also of Dickinson College, said "[w]hile serving as
25482-457: The majority of the 331 million people living in the United States, with 191,697,647 people or 57.8% of the population in the 2020 United States census . They are considered people who trace their ancestry to the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Non-Hispanic Whites are the majority in 45 states. There are five minority-majority states : California , Texas , New Mexico , Nevada , and Hawaii . In addition,
25668-412: The military action by mustering a two-week expedition, destroying wagon trains, oxen, and other Army property. Buchanan then dispatched Thomas L. Kane as a private agent to negotiate peace. The mission was successful, a peaceful agreement to replace Governor Young with Cumming was reached, and the Utah War ended. The President granted amnesty to inhabitants affirming loyalty to the government, and placed
25854-442: The movement, he was as ardent as any of its adherents. Creswell could be ambitious and opportunistic, but he could also stand firmly for important values." John Creswell is the namesake of Creswell, North Carolina , and Creswell, Oregon . An inscription on Creswell's enormous and elaborate granite monument located at Elkton Presbyterian Church Cemetery on Creswell's family plot reads: Lawyer, orator, statesman, patriot, member of
26040-418: The nation's total population. 14% of the population have at least a bachelor's degree , and 15.1% live in poverty , below the poverty threshold . As compared to the 2000 United States census, this population grew by 40%; and 71% live in the West ; of those over half (52%) live in either Hawaii or California , with no other states having populations greater than 100,000. The United States territories in
26226-441: The oath of office from Chief Justice Roger B. Taney . In his lengthy inaugural address, Buchanan committed himself to serving only one term, as his predecessor had done. He abhorred the growing divisions over slavery and its status in the territories, saying that Congress should play no role in determining the status of slavery in the states or territories. He proposed a solution based on the Kansas-Nebraska Act , which stated that
26412-594: The old-fashioned style of his adolescence, earning him the nickname " Old Public Functionary " from the press. Slavery opponents in the North mocked him as a relic of prehistoric man because of his moral values. He bought the house of Wheatland on the outskirts of Lancaster and entertained various visitors while monitoring political events. During this period, Buchanan became the center of a family network consisting of 22 nieces, nephews and their descendants, seven of whom were orphans. He found public service jobs for some through patronage, and for those in his favor, he took on
26598-438: The only U.S. president to remain a lifelong bachelor, leading some historians and authors to question his sexual orientation. His failure to forestall the American Civil War has been described as incompetence, and he spent his last years defending his reputation. Historians and scholars rank Buchanan as among the worst presidents in American history. James Buchanan Jr. was born into a Scottish-Irish family on April 23, 1791, in
26784-421: The outbreak of the Civil War , Creswell became a devoted and strongly influential Radical Republican . In 1861 Creswell was elected for the first time to public office, as a loyalist Union member of the Maryland House of Delegates . He served until 1862 and worked to prevent Maryland from leaving the Union and joining the Confederate States. In 1863, Creswell was appointed the state's adjutant general , where he
26970-517: The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act due to the civil rights movement . According to United States Census Bureau data, very few African immigrants self-identify as African American. On average, less than 5% of African residents self-reported as "African American" or "Afro-American" on the 2000 U.S. census. The overwhelming majority of African immigrants (~95%) identified instead with their own respective ethnicities. Self-designation as "African American" or "Afro-American"
27156-497: The population at home, is the second most common language and the most widely taught second language. Some Americans advocate making English the country's official language, as it is in at least twenty-eight states. Both English and Hawaiian are official languages in Hawaii by state law. While neither has an official language, New Mexico has laws providing for the use of both English and Spanish, as Louisiana does for English and French. Other states, such as California, mandate
27342-410: The population due to his refusal to implement an economic stimulus program . While the government was "without the power to extend relief", it would continue to pay its debts in specie, and while it would not curtail public works, none would be added. In hopes of reducing paper money supplies and inflation, he urged the states to restrict the banks to a credit level of $ 3 to $ 1 of specie and discouraged
27528-596: The population. Black and African Americans make up the third largest group in the United States, after White and European Americans, and Hispanic and Latino Americans. The majority of the population (55%) lives in the South ; compared to the 2000 United States census, there has also been a decrease of African Americans in the Northeast and Midwest . Most African Americans are the direct descendants of captives from Central and West Africa , from ancestral populations in countries like Nigeria , Benin , Sierra Leone , Guinea-Bissau , Senegal , and Angola , who survived
27714-408: The population; by the 2020 census the multiracial increased to 13,548,983, or 4.1% of the total population. They can be any combination of races (White, Black or African American, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, "some other race") and ethnicities. The largest population of Multiracial Americans were those of White and African American descent, with
27900-555: The post office to support Grant's coalition. He asked for the total abolition of the franking privilege since it reduced the revenue receipts by five percent. The franking privilege allowed members of Congress to send mail at the government's expense. When Creswell suddenly resigned in 1874, historians have speculated this was due to impending scandals that plagued the Grant administration, however, Creswell gave no official reason for his resignation. Fatigue and an important personal matter may have been factors why Creswell resigned. During
28086-495: The post. Concentrating on foreign policy, he appointed the aging Lewis Cass as Secretary of State. Buchanan's appointment of Southerners and their allies alienated many in the North, and his failure to appoint any followers of Douglas divided the party. Outside of the cabinet, he left in place many of Pierce's appointments but removed a disproportionate number of Northerners who had ties to Democratic opponents Pierce or Douglas. Buchanan appointed one Justice, Nathan Clifford , to
28272-471: The presidential nomination, which went to Franklin Pierce . Buchanan declined to serve as the vice presidential nominee, and the convention instead nominated his close friend, William R. King . Pierce won the election in 1852 , and six months later, Buchanan accepted the position of United States Minister to the United Kingdom , a position that represented a step backward in his career and that he had twice previously rejected. Buchanan sailed for England in
28458-402: The principle of popular sovereignty was decisive, and Congress had no say in the matter. Buchanan recommended that a federal slave code be enacted to protect the rights of slaveowners in federal territories. He alluded to a then-pending Supreme Court case, Dred Scott v. Sandford , which he said would permanently settle the issue of slavery. Dred Scott was a slave who was temporarily taken from
28644-424: The publication of Spanish versions of certain government documents. The latter include court forms. Several insular territories grant official recognition to their native languages, along with English: Samoan and Chamorro are recognized by American Samoa and Guam , respectively; Carolinian and Chamorro are recognized by the Northern Mariana Islands; Spanish is an official language of Puerto Rico. Religion in
28830-454: The role of surrogate father. He formed the strongest emotional bond with his niece Harriet Lane , who later became First Lady for Buchanan in the White House. In 1852, he was named president of the Board of Trustees of Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, and he served in this capacity until 1866. Buchanan did not completely leave politics. He intended to publish a collection of speeches and an autobiography, but his political comeback
29016-449: The sampling strata for the new MENA category includes the Census Bureau's working classification of 19 MENA groups, as well as Iranian , Turkish , Armenian , Afghan , Azerbaijani , and Georgian groups. In January 2018, it was announced that the Census Bureau would not include the grouping in the 2020 census. Black and African Americans are citizens and residents of the United States with origins in sub-Saharan Africa . According to
29202-413: The seat, Abraham Lincoln . Buchanan, working through federal patronage appointees in Illinois, ran candidates for the legislature in competition with both the Republicans and the Douglas Democrats. This could easily have thrown the election to the Republicans, and showed the depth of Buchanan's animosity toward Douglas. In the end, Douglas Democrats won the legislative election and Douglas was re-elected to
29388-409: The second-largest group and are 18.7% of the United States population. African Americans constitute the country's third-largest ancestry group and are 12.1% of the total U.S. population. Asian Americans are the country's fourth-largest group, composing 5.9% of the United States population. The country's 3.7 million Native Americans account for about 1%, and some 574 native tribes are recognized by
29574-399: The spirit of Civil Service reform and improved the efficiency of the postal service. Creswell was known to have "distributed the enormous patronage of his office with a minimum of friction." Prior to 1865, African Americans were banned from working in the Postal Department, mostly due to the Southern racism of not allowing blacks to handle the mail. At the end of the Civil War this restriction
29760-442: The summer of 1853, and he remained abroad for the next three years. In 1850, the United States and Great Britain signed the Clayton–Bulwer Treaty , which committed both countries to joint control of any future canal that would connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through Central America. Buchanan met repeatedly with Lord Clarendon , the British foreign minister, in hopes of pressuring the British to withdraw from Central America. He
29946-616: The summer of that year, when the New York branch of Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company announced its insolvency. The crisis spread rapidly, and by the fall, 1,400 state banks and 5,000 businesses had gone bankrupt. Unemployment and hunger became common in northern cities, but the agricultural south was more resilient. Buchanan agreed with the southerners who attributed the economic collapse to over-speculation. Buchanan acted in accordance with Jacksonian Democracy principles, which restricted paper money issuance, and froze federal funds for public works projects, causing resentment among some of
30132-547: The use of federal or state bonds as security for bank note issues. The economy recovered in several years, though many Americans suffered as a result of the panic. Buchanan had hoped to reduce the deficit, but by the time he left office the federal budget grew by 15%. In the spring of 1857, the Latter-day Saints and their leader Brigham Young had been challenging federal representatives in Utah Territory , causing harassment and violence against non-Mormons. Young harassed federal officers and discouraged outsiders from settling in
30318-489: The vacancy caused by the death of Thomas H. Hicks , serving from 1865 until the end of that term in 1867. During his time in the Senate, he served as chairman of the Committee on the Library in the 39th Congress . At the Republican National Convention in 1868, Creswell's name was put forward for either the presidential or vice presidential nominations. After Ulysses S. Grant was elected, he appointed Creswell Postmaster General . As Postmaster General, he reorganized
30504-434: The vice presidency in the 1832 election . After Jackson was re-elected in 1832, he offered Buchanan the position of United States Ambassador to Russia . Buchanan was reluctant to leave the country, as the distant St. Petersburg was a kind of political exile, which was the intention of Jackson, who considered Buchanan to be an "incompetent busybody" and untrustworthy, but he ultimately agreed. His work focused on concluding
30690-412: The way in which generations of Americans have celebrated and exchanged distinctive cultural characteristics. The United States currently has 37 ancestry groups with more than one million individuals. White Americans with ancestry from Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa form the largest racial and ethnic group at 57.8% of the United States population. Hispanic and Latino Americans form
30876-418: The world. The United States has the world's largest Christian population . The majority of Americans (76%) are Christians , mostly within Protestant and Catholic denominations; these adherents constitute 48% and 23% of the population, respectively. Other religions include Buddhism , Hinduism , Islam , and Judaism , which collectively make up about 4% to 5% of the adult population. Another 15% of
31062-482: Was John G. Creswell, from Maryland of English ancestry. His mother was Rebecca E. Webb, from Pennsylvania, of German and English ancestry. One of Rebecca's forebears was Quaker missionary, Elizabeth Webb. Creswell attended a local academy before moving on to Dickinson College where he graduated with honors in 1848. He studied law for two years and was admitted to the bar in Baltimore in 1850, commencing practice in Elkton, Maryland . During Creswell's early career as
31248-406: Was able to reduce British influence in Honduras and Nicaragua while also raising the kingdom's awareness of American interests in the region. He also focused on the potential annexation of Cuba , which had long interested him. At Pierce's prompting, Buchanan met in Ostend, Belgium , with U.S. Ambassador to Spain Pierre Soulé and U.S. Ambassador to France John Mason , to work out a plan for
31434-413: Was an Ulster-Scot from just outside Ramelton , a small town in the north-east of County Donegal in the north-west of Ulster , the northern province in Ireland , who emigrated to the newly formed United States in 1783, having sailed from Derry . He belonged to the Clan Buchanan , whose members had emigrated in large numbers from the Scottish Highlands to Ulster in the north of Ireland during
31620-407: Was an honor to the county which gave him birth and to his state. He was dignified in demeanor, commanding in person, courtly in manner. Fearless in defence of the right, upright in his dealings with his fellow men. Exemplary in his domestic life, pure in morals. Faithful in religious duties. Generous but unostentatious in charity. Americans Americans are the citizens and nationals of
31806-432: Was brought to the attention of Postmaster Creswell by California U.S. Representative John K. Luttrell . Pacific Coast mail routes would be effected without the proper format. On February 8, 1874, in order to solve the problem, Postmaster Creswell wrote a bill to Congress that required the correct "Postmaster General" format be put on all postal route guarantee checks. On February 9, Representative Luttrell promptly submitted
31992-497: Was commanded by General William S. Harney . Complicating matters, Young's notice of his replacement was not delivered because the Pierce administration had annulled the Utah mail contract, and Young portrayed the approaching forces as an unauthorized overthrow. Buchanan's personnel decision incited resistance from the Mormons around Young, as Harney was known for his volatility and brutality. In August 1857, Albert S. Johnston replaced him for organizational reasons. Young reacted to
32178-447: Was disastrous, with four Southern ministers being large-scale slaveholders who later became loyal to the Confederate States of America . Secretary of the Treasury Howell Cobb was considered the greatest political talent in the Cabinet, while the three department heads from the northern states were all considered to be doughfaces . His objective was to dominate the cabinet, and he chose men who would agree with his views. Buchanan had
32364-417: Was done in part to having a Pennsylvanian on the Presidential cabinet so President Grant could freely choose a Revenue Commissioner. President Grant, however, resisted this pressure and kept Creswell in office. On January 28, 1873, President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law the abolition of the Congressional franking privilege. Previously, on January 27, 1873, the U.S. Senate bill, with amendments, to abolish
32550-462: Was elected by fewer than 5,500 votes as Pennsylvania's first governor under the state's revised Constitution of 1838. Buchanan also opposed a gag rule sponsored by John C. Calhoun that would have suppressed anti-slavery petitions. He joined the majority in blocking the rule, with most senators of the belief that it would have the reverse effect of strengthening the abolitionists . He said, "We have just as little right to interfere with slavery in
32736-409: Was elected to represent Cecil County in the Maryland House of Delegates and served until 1862, where he helped keep the state from joining the Confederacy. In 1862 Creswell was elected U.S. Representative and served from 1863 to 1865. Creswell was elected U.S. Senator in 1864 and served from 1865 to 1867. In 1868 Creswell supported Ulysses S. Grant for president. In 1869, President Grant appointed
32922-427: Was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1820 and retained that post for five terms, aligning with Andrew Jackson 's Democratic Party . Buchanan served as Jackson's minister to Russia in 1832. He won the election in 1834 as a U.S. senator from Pennsylvania and continued in that position for 11 years. He was appointed to serve as President James K. Polk 's secretary of state in 1845, and eight years later
33108-399: Was highest among individuals from West Africa (4%–9%), and lowest among individuals from Cape Verde, East Africa and Southern Africa (0%–4%). African immigrants may also experience conflict with African Americans. According to the 2020 United States census, there are 2,251,699 people who are Native Americans or Alaska Natives alone; they make up 0.7% of the total population. According to
33294-422: Was in charge of raising Maryland's quota of troops for the Union war effort. Creswell was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1862, serving from 1863 to 1865. A staunch supporter of President Abraham Lincoln , Creswell was the first man in Congress to propose a constitutional amendment banning slavery . Having lost reelection to the House in 1864, Creswell was elected to the U.S. Senate to fill
33480-566: Was lifted, but white postmasters in major cities around the nation only appointed a few African American clerks. Immediately when Creswell took office the conservative policy of appointing only white postmasters ended. When black applicants overcame the difficulty of posting a bond, Creswell began to appoint black postmasters across the country, including the South. One black postmaster, Charles Miller, received as hostile reception among white conservative society in Columbia, South Carolina in 1869. On November 15, 1872 Creswell appointed Mrs. Anna M. Dumas
33666-420: Was met with a divided response and was never acted upon. It weakened the Pierce administration and reduced support for Manifest Destiny. In 1855, as Buchanan's desire to return home grew, Pierce asked him to hold the fort in London in light of the relocation of a British fleet to the Caribbean . Buchanan's service abroad allowed him to conveniently avoid the debate over the Kansas–Nebraska Act then roiling
33852-447: Was named as President Franklin Pierce 's minister to the United Kingdom . Beginning in 1844, Buchanan became a regular contender for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. He was nominated and won the 1856 presidential election . As President, Buchanan intervened to assure the Supreme Court's majority ruling in the pro-slavery decision in the Dred Scott case. He acceded to Southern attempts to engineer Kansas' entry into
34038-435: Was nearly expelled for disorderly conduct; he and his fellow students had attracted negative attention for drinking in local taverns, disturbing the peace at night and committing acts of vandalism, but he pleaded for a second chance and ultimately graduated with honors in 1809. Later that year, he moved to the state capital at Lancaster , to train as a lawyer for two and a half years with the well-known James Hopkins. Following
34224-408: Was sworn in as president, Chief Justice Taney delivered the Dred Scott decision, which denied the petitioner's request to be set free from slavery. The ruling broadly asserted that Congress had no constitutional power to exclude slavery in the territories. According to this decision, slaves were forever the property of their owners without rights and no African American could ever be a full citizen of
34410-453: Was thwarted by the 1852 presidential election. Buchanan traveled to Washington to discuss Pennsylvania Democratic Party politics, which were divided into two camps led by Simon Cameron and George Dallas . He quietly campaigned for the 1852 Democratic presidential nomination. In light of the Compromise of 1850 , which had led to the admission of California into the Union as a free state and a stricter Fugitive Slave Act , Buchanan now rejected
34596-402: Was too low. Buchanan sought the nomination at the 1848 Democratic National Convention , as Polk had promised to serve only one term, but he only won the support of the Pennsylvania and Virginia delegations, so Senator Lewis Cass of Michigan was nominated. With the 1848 election of Whig Zachary Taylor , Buchanan returned to private life. Buchanan was getting on in years and still dressed in
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