The Start-crossed Love Of Ann Caroline Coleman And James Buchanan

At a lavish ball in Lancaster in 1818, Buchanan met Anne Caroline Coleman, and the two started dating. Robert Coleman, a successful iron maker, was the father of Anne. Additionally, she was related to Philadelphia judge Joseph Hemphill, a friend of Buchanan's. Although they were engaged by 1819, they didn't spend much time together. During the Panic of 1819, Buchanan was preoccupied with his legal practice and political endeavors, keeping him away from Coleman for weeks at a time. There were many rumors; some claimed he was marrying her purely for financial gain, while others claimed he had relationships with other (unnamed) women. Coleman was informed of various rumors, according to letters she wrote. She called off the wedding, and on December 9, 1819, she suddenly passed away. Buchanan requested permission to attend the funeral in a letter to her father, but he declined.

Buchanan never pursued another lady after Coleman passed away. He stated, “I believe happiness has left from me forever”, at the time of her funeral. Harriet Lane, an adopted orphaned niece, was the official White House hostess throughout his administration.

After Anne Coleman's passing, Buchanan became a lifelong bachelor, sparking attention and rumors. Some speculate that Anne's passing just helped to distract inquiries over Buchanan's sexual orientation and bachelor status. James W. Loewen, Robert P. Watson, and Shelley Ross are only a few authors who have speculated that he was homosexual. Buchanan may have been asexual if not celibate, according to one of his biographers, Jean Baker