Lewis Cass (No Term Limits)

Lewis Cass was elected in 1848 defeating incumbent Henry Clay.

First Term
Lewis Cass lowered tariffs. Otherwise this term was relatively uneventful.

Second Term
Lewis Cass ran against Winfield Scott easily defeating him.

Ostend Manifesto

The Black Warrior Affair was used as a pretext to force Spain to sell Cuba to the United States. News of this leaked out and the North saw it as a means of extending slavery. President Cass distanced himself from his secretary of state who was forced to resign and condemned the document.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

The Kansas-Nebraska Act created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and authorized them to decide the slavery issue for themselves. This lead to Bleeding Kansas where there was a lot of violent conflict in Kansas between freestaters and slavestaters.

Third Term
While Lewis Cass experienced serious opposition from within his own party he still managed to secure the nomination. The Whig Party had disbanded and instead he faced Republican John Fremont as his main opponent. He easily defeated him.

Panic of 1857

The country faced another depression. In response Lewis Cass began deficit spending.

Utah War

A short conflict with Brigham Young and Mormon supporters in the Utah Territory took place. Young would be replaced as territorial governor but he and all other rebels were pardoned by Cass.

1860 Election
Lewis Cass was defeated by Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 election.

Secession Crisis of 1860

Southern states fearing that Abraham Lincoln would abolish slavery began to secede. However, Lewis Cass acted decisively, instructing federal forces to mobilize and to protect federal property in the South. Only South Carolina, Mississippi, and Florida seceded as it became clear to most that any rebellion would be quickly squashed.