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Buchanan's presidency was marred by several disasters stemming from misgauging of public opinion. He did not realize the political weight of the importance of slavery, despite the storm clouds brewing that would soon lead to the Civil War. He felt that the [[Dred Scott]] court decision had settled the issue for good. Also, the newly acquired territory of [[Kansas]] was struggling to decide on a constitution, and several drafts had been proposed, which differed widely on a number of issues, most notably slavery. Buchanan publicly supported the pro-slavery LeCompton Constitution, which was rejected both by most Kansans and by [[Congress]].
Buchanan is notable as being the only bachelor president of the United States, and was voted in 2005 in a C-SPAN poll as the 7th greatest president of the United States.
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