Buchanan’s Birthplace

Buchanan’s Birthplace SP https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/BuchanansBirthplaceStatePark/Pages/default.aspx https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buchanan's_Birthplace_State_Park Buchanan's Birthplace State Park is located nenar Cove Gap, in Peters Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Recreation facilities are limited. There are two pavilions and a number of picnic tables. Drinking water and two restrooms are located near the picnic area. A pyramid built with native stone stands at the site of the cabin where President Buchanan was born. Buck Run runs through the park and has a population of native trout for fishing. Tuscarora Trail, a bypass trail for the Appalachian Trail, passes just to the west of the park.

Buchanan’s Birthplace Buchanan’s Birthplace State Park A Pennsylvania Recreational Guide for Pennsylvania State Parks Mission The primary purpose of Pennsylvania state parks is to provide opportunities for enjoying healthful outdoor recreation and serve as outdoor classrooms for environmental education. In meeting these purposes, the conservation of the natural, scenic, aesthetic, and historical values of parks should be given first consideration. Stewardship responsibilities should be carried out in a way that protects the natural outdoor experience for the enjoyment of current and future generations. visitPAparks Printed on recycled paper BUCHANAN’S BIRTHPLACE STATE PARK 2021 Baltimore oriole JAMES BUCHANAN (1791-1868) James Buchanan was the second-born of ten children to Elizabeth Speer and his namesake. When Buchanan was six, the family moved to nearby Mercersburg where his father became the wealthiest person in town as a merchant, farmer, and entrepreneur. Buchanan attended Dickinson College and graduated with honors. In 1809, Buchanan moved to Lancaster and apprenticed with a prominent lawyer and was admitted to the bar at age 21. Although against the War of 1812, when the British invaded Baltimore, Buchanan volunteered with the Pennsylvania militia. THE MAN FOR THE JOB James Buchanan’s education and career of public service shine brightly when compared to other presidents. Historians often rate his training for presidential service as perhaps second only to John Quincy Adams and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Buchanan became active in the Federalist Party, the predecessor of the Democratic Party. Once nominated, Buchanan never lost an election during his political career. 2 Terms as a Pennsylvania Assemblyman 1814-1819 Member of the Judiciary Committee. Member of the Committee on Banks. 10 Years as a U.S. Congressman 1821-1831 Buchanan’s Birthplace State Park is an 18.5-acre park nestled in a gap of Tuscarora Mountain in Franklin County. The park and the surrounding forested mountains offer an abundance of beauty throughout the year. In addition to the president’s memorial, there are two picnic pavilions, picnic tables, charcoal grills, restrooms, and drinking water. Buck Run flows through the park and hosts a population of native trout. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission regulations for wild trout waters apply to Buck Run. Directions GPS DD: Lat. 39.86813 Long. -77.95282 The park is between McConnellsburg and Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, near the village of Cove Gap along PA 16. From US 30 at Fort Loudon, take PA 75 south, and follow signs to Cove Gap and the park. THE BIRTHPLACE OF A PRESIDENT While serving as the chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee in 1831, Buchanan prevented the repeal of a section of the Judiciary Act of 1789 that would have given each state the right to interpret the constitutionality of state and federal laws and treaties instead of the Supreme Court. The repeal of the act would have meant a collapse of the Supreme Court and severely weakened federal laws. Became leader of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. 2 Years as the Foreign Minister to Russia 1832-1834 Buchanan’s foreign diplomacy enabled him to secure a trade treaty with Russia that had eluded others for several years. 10 Years as a U.S. Senator 1833-1843 Became chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. Left as one of the most powerful senators. 4 Years as U.S. Secretary of State 1845-1849 Buchanan annexed one third of the territory of the continental United States under his signature. He negotiated the Oregon Territory with Great Britain in 1845. This included the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and parts of Montana. He signed the annexation of the Republic of Texas, an area that included the state of Texas, one-half of New Mexico, and parts of Colorado, Oklahoma, and Kansas. In 1848, Buchanan concluded the Treaty of Guadeloupe-Hidalgo which annexed the remainder of the southwest from Mexico around Texas and north to the old Louisiana Purchase Line. 4 Years as Foreign Minister to Great Britain 1853-1855 Buchanan won Queen Victoria’s favor while serving as the foreign minister to Great Britain. This relationship grew stronger when the anti-British press attacked the motherland. In 1860, the queen sent her son, the Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII), to visit the president. This marked the first time British royalty visited the United States. The Buchanan/Queen Victoria friendship proved beneficial during the Civil War. Queen Victoria opposed the strong movement in parliament to recognize the Confederacy in a move designed to bring needed cotton to Britain. Had the Confederacy been recognized by Britain, the outcome of the war may have changed. 15TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 1857-1861 only by compromise between parts could a federal republic survive; citizens had to obey the law even when they thought it unjust; Stony Batter, Pa., time unknown Today, Cove Gap is a quiet and remot