James Madison Buchanan
United States Minister to Denmark
In office 1858–1861
President	James Buchanan
Preceded by	Henry Bedinger
Succeeded by	Bradford R. Wood
Personal details
Born	May 1803 Pikesville, Maryland, U.S.
Died	August 23, 1876(1876-08-23) (aged 73) Berkeley, West Virginia, U.S.
Resting place	Green Mount Cemetery Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Party	Democratic-Republican,Democrat,Whig
Spouse	Jane Ellen Carns
Children	William John Adams James Jr. Emily John Rowan Edmund Rebecca Harvey Ellen

James Madison Buchanan (May 1803 – August 23, 1876) was aBaltimore, Marylandjurist anddiplomat.^[1]

James Madison Buchanan was born inPikesville, Maryland, in May 1803 (some sources indicate 1802).^[2] He was the son of William Buchanan (1748–1824) and Hephzibah (née Brown) Buchanan. During theAmerican Revolutionary War, his father was a member of thecommittee of correspondence and was a registrar of wills forBaltimore county in 1778.^[3]

Through his father, he was a cousin of 15th President of the United StatesJames Buchanan (1791–1868).

He attendedBaltimore College andSt. Mary's College of Baltimore,studied law with Hugh Davey Evans and Walter Dorsey, and became anattorney in Baltimore.^[4]

ADemocratic-Republican, Buchanan served in theMaryland House of Delegates in 1826 & 1829.^[5] Later aDemocrat, he campaigned forAndrew Jackson for president in1824 and1828, and attended numerous local and state party conventions as a Delegate.^[6]

In the 1830s, he joined themilitia as anaide-de-camp to the Commander of the Baltimore City Guards.^[7] Buchanan became aWhig in the 1830s, but later returned to the Democratic party.^[8]

Buchanan served as Baltimore'spostmaster for eight years^[3] during the administration ofJames K. Polk,^[9] and he was President of Maryland's 1850–1851 constitutional convention.^[10] In 1852 he was appointed as one of Maryland's Commissioners for resolving the state's boundary withPennsylvania, and in 1855 he was appointed a Judge on Maryland'sCircuit Court.^[11]

In 1856, Buchanan was a delegate to theDemocratic National Convention, and supported his cousinJames Buchanan for president.^[12] In 1858, President Buchanan nominated James M. Buchanan asMinister to Denmark succeedingHenry Bedinger. He served until 1861 when he was replaced byBradford R. Wood.^[13]

After spending time touring Paris and Europe during theAmerican Civil War,^[1] Buchanan returned to Baltimore and practiced law until his death.^[14]

Buchanan was married to Jane Ellen Carns.^[15] Together, they were the parents of:

• William Jefferson Buchanan (1833–1874), aPrinceton lawyer and newspaper man.^[15]
• John Adams Buchanan (1835–1839), who died young.
• James Madison Buchanan Jr. (1837–1924), who married Sarah Ann Elizabeth McGaughy (1840–1893)
• Emily Rebecca Buchanan (1838–1844), who died young.
• John Rowan Buchanan (1841–1880)
• Edmund Key Buchanan (1843–1908)
• Rebecca Priscilla Buchanan (1847–1861), who died young.
• Harvey Buchanan (b. 1851)
• Ellen Elizabeth Buchanan (1853–1859), who died young.

Buchanan died inBerkeley, West Virginia, on August 23, 1876,^[16][17] and was buried in Baltimore'sGreen Mount Cemetery.^[18] (One source indicate that he died in Baltimore.)^[19]

• 1803 births
• 1876 deaths
• Ambassadors of the United States to Denmark
• 19th-century American diplomats
• Maryland Democratic-Republicans
• Maryland Democrats
• Maryland state court judges
• Maryland Whigs
• Lawyers from Baltimore
• Burials at Green Mount Cemetery
• People from Pikesville, Maryland
• American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law
• 19th-century Maryland state court judges
• 19th-century American lawyers

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata