Video: 'From U.S. Veep to Rebel General: Breckinridge's Path'
(Monday, May 17, 1875, 5:45 p.m. local time) — John C. Breckinridge, the 14th vice president of the United States, with President James Buchanan, from 1857 to 1861, died this afternoon at his Lexington, Kentucky, home from cirrhosis of the liver at age 54.
John Cabell Breckinridge was born on January 16, 1821, in Lexington into a prominent political family. He quickly rose through the ranks of American politics as a skilled orator and lawyer.
After serving in the Mexican-American War, he entered the U.S. House of Representatives in the early 1850s. A staunch Democrat, Breckinridge was known for his advocacy of states’ rights and his efforts to balance sectional tensions between North and South.
On March 4, 1857, at just 36 years old, he became the youngest vice president in U.S. history, serving under President James Buchanan.
As tensions over slavery deepened, Breckinridge remained a defender of Southern interests. In 1860, he ran for president as the Southern Democratic candidate, supporting the protection of slavery in U.S. territories. Though he carried most of the South, he lost the election to Abraham Lincoln.
Despite the polarizing campaign, Breckinridge initially urged restraint and unity. However, once the Civil War broke out, he sided with the Confederacy, a decision that marked a major turning point in his legacy.
During the Civil War, Breckinridge served as a major general in the Confederate Army, seeing action in several key battles, including Shiloh and New Market. He was noted for both his leadership and bravery.
In 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis appointed him as Secretary of War in the final months of the conflict. As the Confederacy collapsed, Breckinridge oversaw the evacuation of Richmond and urged a dignified surrender to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. After the war, he fled the country to avoid treason charges, spending several years in exile in Cuba, Europe, and Canada.
Breckinridge returned to the United States in 1869 after receiving a general amnesty. Though he never sought political office again, he remained a respected figure in Kentucky, often calling for reconciliation between the North and South.
