With the 1848 election of Whig Zachary Taylor , Buchanan returned to private life . He bought the house of Wheatland on the outskirts of Lancaster , entertained various visitors , and continued to follow political events . In 1852 , he was named president of the Board of Trustees of Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster , and he served in this capacity until 1866 , despite a false report that he was fired . He quietly campaigned for the 1852 Democratic presidential nomination , writing a public letter that deplored the Wilmot Proviso as divisive and fanatical . Buchanan became known as a " doughface " due to his sympathy towards the South . At the 1852 Democratic National Convention , Buchanan won the support of many southern delegates but failed to win the two-thirds support needed for the presidential nomination , which went to Franklin Pierce . Buchanan declined to serve as the vice presidential nominee , and the convention instead nominated Buchanan 's close friend , William King . Pierce won the 1852 election , and Buchanan accepted the position of United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom
1852 Democratic National Convention
1852 Democratic National Convention
James Buchanan