Millard Fillmore
The last of the forgotten Whig Party president before it fell apart, Millard Fillmore was born into poverty and managed to educate himself enough to rise up to the rank of vice president while President Zachary Taylor was in office. After President Taylor passed away from cholera, Fillmore became the 13th president in 1850. After Taylor’s death, the entire White House cabinet resigned immediately, leaving Fillmore to build a new one from the ground up. Between 1850 and 1853, he attempted (and failed) to prevent a rift between the North and South by signing the Compromise of 1850. Fillmore helped developing a relationship with Japan, who banned all foreign relations including foreign trade. During his presidency, Japan began to allow American ships to stop in Japan in case of emergencies.
Millard Fillmore
James Buchanan
Following the presidency of Franklin Pierce, another democrat stepped in. Unfortunately, James Buchanan didn’t make much of an improvement according to most historians. Ironically, when he was elected as president he told of his aims to reach a level of excellence matching that of George Washington’s! On a side note, he had ten siblings, most of whom were younger than him.
James Buchanan
