James Buchanan Jr. (/bjuːˈkænən/; April 23, 1791 – June 1, 1868) was the 15th President of the United States (1857–61), serving immediately prior to the American Civil War. He is the only president to remain a lifelong bachelor. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 17th United States Secretary of State and served in the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives.